Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes insists he is humbled by his latest Super Bowl appearance.
Mahomes is preparing for his fourth NFL title match in the space of five years on Sunday as the Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas.
Having won two of them, Mahomes’ success by the age of 28 has led to predictions that he could go on to emulate Tom Brady’s record of seven Super Bowl triumphs.
Yet Mahomes is not looking beyond this weekend.
“It’s humbling because I never thought I would be in this many Super Bowl games, honestly,” he told reporters at a media conference.
“You strive to be great but you understand how hard it is to even be in this game, and for us to be in my fourth one in my sixth year of starting truly is remarkable.
“I don’t take it for granted because you never know if you’re going to be able to be back in this game.”
Brady won six of his Super Bowls with the New England Patriots in what was considered one of the game’s greatest dynasties, but Mahomes is reluctant to discuss the Chiefs in such terms.
He said: “I think the biggest thing about the dynasty is consistency. Trying to be consistently great every single year, not getting too big-headed or satisfied with where they’re at.
“You have to continue to do it year in and year out and I don’t think you can really say that you’re a dynasty until it’s over and people will look back at your career and how you did it.”
Mahomes’ first Super Bowl triumph came against the 49ers four years ago but he will be up against a different quarterback in this weekend’s rematch in 24-year-old Brock Purdy.
Purdy has come a long way since being labelled ‘Mr Irrelevant’ after being drafted 262nd and last in 2022, breaking into the team last season and being first choice throughout the current campaign.
Mahomes said: “He’s a great football player. He makes all the right plays. He’s a guy that goes out there and just competes, and he finds a way to win football games. That’s what you have to do in this league.”
The 49ers have not won the Super Bowl since their fifth triumph in 1995 but Purdy is drawing inspiration from their past great quarterbacks Joe Montana and Steve Young.
Purdy said: “I’m not going to compare myself to them or anything but they’ve set the standard for winning in this organisation.
“When you look at the 49ers logo, you think of success in Super Bowls because of those guys.
“They’ve been so great to me, supporting me, and when you talk to them you’re obviously in the presence of greatness.
“They got the job done and so it definitely makes you think, ‘all right, let’s step it up and live up to the standard that they set’.”
Giants releasing embattled quarterback Daniel Jones
The Daniel Jones era in New York has officially ended.
The Giants agreed to Jones’ request to be released Friday morning, ending a rocky partnership that lasted nearly six seasons.
Giants president John Mara said in a statement that Jones’ release “would be best for him and for the team.”
“Daniel has been a great representative of our organisation, first class in every way,” Mara said in the statement. “His handling of this situation yesterday exemplifies just that. We are all disappointed in how things have worked out.”
The Giants benched Jones in favour of Tommy DeVito during their bye week. On Thursday, Jones told reporters he takes “full responsibility” for not winning more as the captain of one of the NFL’s signature franchises.
After learning of his new role, however, Jones asked the team to be released.
Jones signed a four-year, $160million contract extension before the 2023 season. Jones will go through the waivers process, but teams are likely unwilling to pay the rest of that contract. If he clears waivers, he will become an unrestricted free agent.
The Giants will absorb a salary cap hit of around $20million by releasing Jones.
Jones was the sixth overall pick in the 2019 draft and has started 69 games over the last six seasons.
The former Duke quarterback had his best season in a contract year in 2022, throwing 15 touchdowns to just five interceptions and adding 708 yards and seven scores on the ground.
Jones has thrown eight touchdown passes and seven interceptions this season for the 2-8 Giants and ranks 32nd among qualified quarterbacks with a 79.4 passer rating.
Browns score late touchdown to end Steelers' streak in snowy contest
Nick Chubb ran for a 2-yard touchdown in heavy snow with 57 seconds left, and the Cleveland Browns stunned division rival Pittsburgh 24-19 on Thursday night, ending the Steelers' five-game winning streak.
Chubb's score came in his first game against the AFC North-leading Steelers (8-3) since the running back sustained a season-ending left knee injury on a carry last year at Pittsburgh.
The Browns (3-8) had blown a 12-point lead in the fourth quarter and were down 19-18 before getting the ball back with 3:22 remaining after Pittsburgh punter Corliss Waitman shanked a 16-yarder.
With snow piling up and covering the yard lines on the field, Cleveland's Jameis Winston completed a third-down pass to Jerry Jeudy to the Pittsburgh 9. Two plays later, Chubb barrelled into the end zone.
The Steelers had one last chance, but quarterback Russell Wilson's Hail Mary on the final play was knocked down by Browns safety Grant Delpit in the end zone, touching off a wild celebration at Huntington Bank Field.
NFL: Texans bounce back, extend Cowboys' woes
Joe Mixon's 109 rushing yards and three touchdowns helped get the Houston Texans back on track with Monday's 34-10 win over the floundering Dallas Cowboys.
Houston (7-4) snapped a two-game losing streak behind Mixon's powerful running and a defence that sacked Cowboys' fill-in quarterback Cooper Rush five times and forced two turnovers, including a fumble Derek Barnett returned 28 yards for a touchdown that gave the Texans a 27-10 lead in the fourth quarter.
Dallas (3-7) has now lost five straight, its longest skid since dropping seven in a row in 2015, and fell to 0-5 at home. The Cowboys have been outscored by 118 points (187-69) at AT&T Stadium, the third-largest negative differential through five home games in a season in NFL history.
Rush did throw a 64-yard touchdown pass to KaVontae Turpin in his second straight start subbing for an injured Dak Prescott, and finished with a career-high 354 passing yards with one interception while completing 32 of 55 attempts.
C.J. Stroud threw for 257 yards with an interception for Houston, which extended its lead over the second-place Indianapolis Colts to two games in the AFC South.
The Texans never trailed after Mixon ripped off a 45-yard touchdown run on the game's opening drive, and the veteran running back added a 1-yard scoring plunge late in the first quarter to give Houston a 14-0 lead.
Turpin got Dallas on the board by taking a short pass from Rush and breaking free from the Houston defence nine seconds into the second quarter, but the Cowboys were shut out in the second half after pulling to within 17-10 on Brandon Aubrey's 53-yard field goal with just under six minutes left before half-time.
Burnett's strip sack of Rush and return of the resulting fumble helped put the game away with 12:31 left, and Mixon tacked on his final touchdown of the night with 3:16 remaining to cap a 35-yard drive that began after the Texans stopped the Cowboys on downs.
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