alt=Kelsey DallasWhen the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs take the field on Feb. 12 for this year’s Super Bowl, they’ll make history as soon as the opening kickoff is complete.
That’s because the game will feature a unique mix of players who are remarkable simply for facing off against once another in the season’s biggest game.
For example, Jason Kelce of the Eagles and Travis Kelce of the Chiefs are the first brothers to square off in the Super Bowl. In recognition of their close relationship, some NFL fans and commentators are calling this year’s championship game the “Kelce Bowl.”
The Kelce brothers, who host a weekly podcast together about NFL news, each addressed their Super Bowl matchup on Sunday, soon after the Chiefs secured their spot in the game with a last-minute victory against the Cincinnati Bengals.
“Officially done being a Chiefs fan this season!!” Jason Kelce tweeted Sunday night.
During a press conference, Travis Kelce said it’ll be an “amazing feeling” to see his brother across the field during the Super Bowl.
“You won’t see me talking too much trash because of how much respect and how much I love my brother,” he said, according to CBS News. “But it’s definitely going to be an emotional game.”
Travis Kelce also noted that the brothers’ mom, Donna, who once famously attended two playoff games in different cities on the same day, “can’t lose.”
Super Bowl LVII will also mark the first time two Black quarterbacks battle it out in the championship game. While it will be Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ third time starting in a Super Bowl, Jalen Hurts is making his first trip.
In the history of the league, only three Black quarterbacks, including Mahomes, have won the championship, according to CNN. Hurts told reporters Sunday that he didn’t “really know how to feel” about earning the chance to become the fourth.
“You work really hard to put yourself in this position and I’m forever grateful. Only God knows the things that each individual on this team has been able to overcome for us to come together as a team and do something special as a group,” Hurts said.
Former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III, who now works as an NFL analyst, is among those celebrating the opportunity to see two Black quarterbacks meet at the Super Bowl.
“Historically, Black QBs have been told they can get it done athletically but not mentally. That stereotype has always been wrong. Now, for the 1st time we have 2 BLACK QBs IN THE SUPER BOWL. They beat you athletically, with their arm and their brain,” Griffin tweeted Monday.