A worldwide audience of more than 100 million people will tune into Super Bowl LIX between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday (6:30 p.m. ET, Fox).
The following 10 players or coaches have more at stake in the game than any others do.
Here’s our ranking in inverse order:
10. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes
The Chiefs could lose by 55 points to the Eagles and Mahomes could retire immediately afterward, but he’d still be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. His legacy is set.
That diminishes the stakes for the three-time Super Bowl MVP, who will still be regarded as the league’s best quarterback no matter Sunday’s outcome. A third consecutive Lombardi Trophy would inch him closer to displacing retired quarterback Tom Brady, who will call the game on Fox, as the greatest of all time.
Still, considering Mahomes’ history, chances are he’ll have more than enough opportunities to surpass Brady’s seven Super Bowl rings, even with a loss to Philly.
9. Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown
One of the league’s best wide receivers, Brown’s resume only lacks a Super Bowl win. He broke out after a quiet first two games of the playoffs with six receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown in the NFC Championship Game, an identical stat line to the one he produced in the Super Bowl LVII loss to the Chiefs.
In eight seasons of data (2017-24) compiled by ESPN, Brown has three of the eight highest-graded seasons by a wide receiver.
Philadelphia’s passing offense takes a back seat to its wildly efficient rushing attack, but Brown will have a say in whether the Eagles leave New Orleans with their second Lombardi Trophy in eight seasons. A big game would be a statement that he belongs in the conversation for the league’s best wideout.
8. Eagles linebacker Zack Baun
Baun toiled on Saints special teams during his first four NFL seasons before leaving in 2024 free agency. The decision was life-changing for Baun, who earned first-team All-Pro honors on a one-year prove-it deal with the Eagles and set himself up for a massive payday this offseason.
Baun, 28, could fetch even more on the open market with one more outstanding performance. This postseason, the former Wisconsin Badger has 26 total tackles, two tackles for loss, two passes defended, two fumble recoveries and an interception.
7. Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce
Kelce likely needs one more postseason to break Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice’s record for the most playoff receiving yards in NFL history. He’s 207 yards shy, so unless he has his first 200-yard game as a pro, that record will stand for another year.
Kelce is more likely to set the record for most career Super Bowl receptions. Kelce, who enters Super Bowl LIX with 31 receptions in the four previous appearances, only needs three to surpass Rice (33) for the most all time.
The 10-time Pro Bowler can also add to his case to be called the best tight end in NFL history with another Super Bowl win, which would put him in a tie with Rob Gronkowski and two others for the most rings (four) by a tight end in the Super Bowl era (h/t Stathead).
6. Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton
The fourth-year linebacker is set to enter free agency for the first time this offseason, and he could command a sizable raise with a standout performance against the high-scoring Eagles offense.
He made one of the biggest plays of Super Bowl LVII when he recovered a second-quarter Jalen Hurts fumble and returned it 36 yards for a touchdown to tie the score at 14.
