Super Bowl 2024: Top 10 storylines including Patrick Mahomes, Brock Purdy and, yes, Taylor Swift
The last time the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers met in a Super Bowl, they gave us a good one.
Four years ago, the Chiefs came back from a 20-10 deficit midway through the fourth quarter to beat the 49ers 31-20. They scored three touchdowns in the final 6:13 to win. It was the first but not last Super Bowl ring for Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid.
The Chiefs and 49ers will square off again in Las Vegas for Super Bowl LVIII. Here are 10 storylines we'll be hearing a lot about in the lead-up to the game on Feb. 11:
10. Will Taylor Swift be at the Super Bowl?
If you don't care about Swift's attendance for the Super Bowl, that's fine, but plenty of others are wondering. It won't be easy for Swift to make it to support her boyfriend, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, as Swift has her fourth of four shows in Tokyo the Saturday before the game. That said, she could get on a private jet to Las Vegas right after the show and make it before the game. Her next show isn't until the Friday after in Australia, so there would also be time for her to recover from a hectic trip to the United States.
9. Las Vegas gets its shot
It's rare for the site of the game to be a big story. But it happened when New York hosted a Super Bowl 10 years ago, and it'll happen again this time. Las Vegas has been an entertainment capital of the United States for a long time, and its rapid transformation into one of the sports capitals of the U.S. has been startling. The NHL awarded an expansion team to Sin City for the 2017-18 season, the NFL moved the Raiders to Las Vegas, Major League Baseball's Oakland A's plan to move there and the NBA will have to entertain the option at some point. Big events, such as Formula 1, the NFL Draft and college basketball's Final Four either have been in Vegas or are coming soon. Not long ago, the NFL shunned Las Vegas and all things related to gambling. Now the league's marquee event will happen walking distance from The Strip.
8. Chiefs' defense takes big step
The main reason the Chiefs are going to the Super Bowl is Patrick Mahomes. Maybe Andy Reid. But for the first time in the Mahomes/Reid era, the Chiefs' defense ranks high on the list, too. The Chiefs' defense has done a great job in all three of the team's playoff wins so far, continuing a strong regular season. Kansas City held Baltimore to three second-half points in the AFC championship game. It's a different Chiefs team than we've seen the past few years.
7. Kyle Shanahan looks for redemption
Shanahan has been part of two of the biggest blown leads in Super Bowl history, one as Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator and the other as 49ers head coach. He was running the Falcons' offense when they infamously blew a 28-3 lead and lost to the New England Patriots. He was coaching the 49ers when the Chiefs came back in the fourth quarter from a 20-10 deficit to win. Shanahan doesn't have a Super Bowl ring yet, and a lot of bad history will follow him around until he gets one.
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6. Andy Reid looks for history
The four coaches who have won three or more Super Bowls could serve as a Mount Rushmore of NFL coaches: Bill Belichick, Chuck Noll, Joe Gibbs, Bill Walsh. Reid is one of 10 coaches with exactly two Super Bowl titles, a group that includes legends such as Tom Landry, Vince Lombardi and Don Shula. With a third Super Bowl, Reid would enter a special tier. There has also been speculation about his future and whether he'd step away as he approaches his 66th birthday, which will be another big story during Super Bowl week.
5. Are the Chiefs a dynasty already?
If you consider the 1990s Cowboys a dynasty, the Chiefs are also at the table with another title. Those Cowboys won three titles in four seasons. The Chiefs are going for their third in four seasons, and they have another AFC championship and two extra AFC championship game appearances on top of that. The argument over whether the Chiefs are already a dynasty might not even matter because Patrick Mahomes is 28 years old and might not be finished winning for a long time.
4. All those 49ers stars
Since the last time the 49ers were in the Super Bowl, they added Christian McCaffrey via trade. That gives them one of the best skill-position groups you'll ever see. George Kittle is a fantastic tight end, Brandon Aiyuk emerged with a 1,342-yard regular season, Deebo Samuel is a devastating playmaker, and McCaffrey is one of the most talented running backs of this century. Oh, and left tackle Trent Williams is on the short list of greatest offensive linemen ever. San Francisco can beat you so many ways.
3. Travis Kelce still beating time
Kelce should not still be producing at this level at age 34. Pete Retzlaff of the 1965 Philadelphia Eagles is the only tight end at age 34 or older to produce a 1,000-yard season. It was surprising to see Kelce fall short of another 1,000-yard season, at 984 yards this season, but he has looked great in the playoffs. He was dominant in the AFC championship game, with 116 yards and a touchdown. Kelce has a good argument as the greatest tight end ever, and his argument gets better with another Chiefs title.
2. Brock Purdy's unlikely path
You have two weeks of hearing about the quarterback matchup between Patrick Mahomes, already on his way to the Hall of Fame, and Brock Purdy, less than two years removed from being Mr. Irrelevant in the NFL Draft. Purdy was the 262nd overall draft pick in 2022, he got a shot at the 49ers' starting job as a rookie due to injuries, and he happened to be a great fit for Kyle Shanahan's offense. Purdy has supporters and critics, but being a Super Bowl-winning quarterback would give him an undeniable place in NFL history.
1. Patrick Mahomes, the GOAT?
It'll be very difficult for anyone to ever match Tom Brady's résumé, but Mahomes is giving himself a chance. If he wants to get close to Brady he can't let opportunities pass, and he has a shot at a third ring in this Super Bowl.
What's more, this might be Mahomes' most impressive postseason. All season, the Chiefs and their lack of dynamic playmakers were a topic of discussion. Then Mahomes got to the postseason, and it didn't matter as Kansas City won three straight games. Mahomes is an incredible player, and every championship will move him up the list of all-time greats.
