The Kansas City Chiefs are amid a dynasty, winning back-to-back Super Bowls while making the AFC Championship game every season since 2018. Kansas City has had the blessing of star talent throughout the years, but one of the few consistent pieces since their dynasty run started is two-time MVP quarterback and superstar Patrick Mahomes. A former first-round pick, Mahomes took over as the Chiefs starting quarterback in 2018, winning two MVPs, making six Pro Bowls, and leading the league in touchdown passes twice.
Mahomes and Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts made NFL history two seasons ago when they squared off in the Super Bowl, marking the first time two black signal-callers faced each other in the postseason finale. In an interview with Essence, former Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson, now with the Pittsburgh Steelers, believes he helped “opened up a lot of doors” for other black quarterbacks.
Russell Wilson: Trend Setter for Other African American Quarterbacks
Russell Wilson was not the first black quarterback to win a Super Bowl. However, he believes he helped pave the way for other black quarterbacks that came before him, like Kansas City Chiefs megastar Patrick Mahomes. In an interview with Essence, the Pittsburgh Steelers gunslinger did not hide the fact that he believes himself a trailblazer for black quarterbacks.
Russell Wilson – Faith, Family & Football
Russell Wilson has just Touched Down as our second ESSENCE Sexiest Man of the Moment
cover star.Throughout his storied tenure in the NFL, Russell has achieved unimaginable success on the gridiron. With a dynamic skill set and unique… pic.twitter.com/aEQzzj85Y9
— ESSENCE (@Essence) April 10, 2024
“For me to be able to go to back-to-back Super Bowls and win one of them, I think, opened up a lot of doors. Now you see guys like Patrick Mahomes who won it; it’s really just us so far, but there’s more to come,” said Wilson in an exclusive interview.
He continued, “What I love to see is guys getting drafted early and that a lot of teams these days have Black quarterbacks playing for them. It’s all across the league, and it’s showing how the National Football League is starting to evolve, change, and break down barriers. I think one of the biggest blessings of my career so far is that I’ve been fortunate to be able to open up doors for others because of what others did for me.”
Wilson led his first franchise, the Seattle Seahawks, to two Super Bowls, including a victory in 2013. However, Wilson is not the first black quarterback to win a Super Bowl. Grambling State product Doug Williams led the then-Washington Redskins to a Super Bowl victory for the 1987 season. Wilson also joined the NFL on the heels of the playing careers of Donovan McNabb and Steve McNair, two black quarterbacks that posted elite numbers in their prime.
Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes: Elite NFL Production
Wilson’s NFL success has likely played little success in the career arc of Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes. Kansas City traded up with the Buffalo Bills during the 2017 NFL draft to land Mahomes out of Texas Tech. Mahomes sat behind Alex Smith for just one season before becoming the full-time starter in 2018, winning the MVP after throwing for 5,097 yards, 50 touchdowns, and 12 picks.
After three straight, highly productive seasons, including winning the Super Bowl in 2019, Mahomes again won the MVP in 2022. He finished seventh in MVP voting last season while winning his third Super Bowl and second in back-to-back years.
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