Super Bowl LIX is set. The birds are back as they look to fly in and uncrown the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, February 9.
When the Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles kick off in New Orleans, there will be a handful of Mississippi players to look out for. Keep reading to find out who all will be representing the Magnolia State with a title on the line.
Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs DL
Objectively the most successful player from Mississippi in this year’s Super Bowl is Chris Jones. The Mississippi State product has solidified himself as one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL over his nine years in the league with 310 tackles and 80.5 sacks. Coming off his sixth consecutive All-Pro selection, Jones compiled 37 tackles, five sacks, and one forced fumble during the regular season. Continuing to be a force inside during the postseason, the Houston native has five tackles and one sack as Kansas City made their way to a third Super Bowl in a row.
A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles WR
Another All-Pro selection hailing from the Magnolia State, A.J. Brown is easily the most electric receiver on the Eagles’ sideline – when he gets the ball. During the regular season, the former Ole Miss Rebel hauled in 67 catches for 1,079 yards and seven touchdowns across 13 games. Brown was all but absent during the first two games of the postseason, being targeted by quarterback Jalen Hurts sparingly and only coming away with three catches for 24 yards. Sunday’s NFC Championship against Washington was a different story as Brown turned six receptions into 96 yards and a touchdown.
Nakobe Dean, Philadelphia Eagles LB
Bursting onto the scene in his third season with Philadelphia, linebacker Nakobe Dean finished the regular season with a career-high 128 total tackles – second most on the team and 24th most in the NFL. Unfortunately, the Horn Lake native and Georgia product went down with a knee injury in the Wild Card Round against the Los Angeles Rams and has not returned to action since. The Eagles later ruled him out for the remainder of the playoffs. That being said, Dean will surely be on the sidelines cheering on his teammates as the Eagles try to secure their first Super Bowl win since 2017.
Kenneth Gainwell, Philadelphia Eagles RB
A former first-stringer for the Eagles, Kenneth Gainwell has understandably taken a back seat to All-Pro running back Saquon Barkley. While Barkley is 30 yards shy of the single-season rushing record, Gainwell has been a steady number two when needed. The Yazoo City native has 322 rushing yards, 142 receiving yards, and one touchdown through the regular and postseason combined.
Swayze Bozeman, Kansas City Chiefs LB
Swayze Bozeman is the greenest on this list, but the Flora native’s rise to the league has been nothing short of storybook. After battling injuries throughout his college career, Bozeman signed with Kansas City as an undrafted free agent last April. He was quickly waived and inked to the practice squad, where hard work eventually paid off. The Southern Miss alum was called up to the active roster in December and was almost immediately spotted making plays on special teams. While he continued to bounce back and forth between the active and practice rosters, Bozeman was called back up ahead of Sunday’s AFC Championship game. He got in on one tackle against the Buffalo Bills to make for his fourth tackle across three games of play.
Darrius Slay, Philadelphia Eagles DB
After hinting that Sunday’s NFC Championship may be his last home game as a Philadelphia Eagle, Darrius Slay will take the field in the green and white for at least one more. The veteran out of Mississippi State has seen less of the spotlight this year as Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, and Isaiah Rodgers have stepped up – but not without the mentorship of Slay. Serving as one of the team’s captains, Slay has been touted by teammates and coaches as a leader in the locker room. Through 12 seasons, “Big Play Slay” has 619 tackles and 28 interceptions. Throughout the regular and postseason, Slay has still been productive with 61 tackles and one interception. Whether deciding to retire after the Super Bowl or suit up for another season elsewhere, Slay will undoubtedly leave Philadelphia as one of the best defensive backs in franchise history.
Practice Squad Payers
While the Philadelphia Eagles do not have any players with Mississippi ties on their practice squad, the Kansas City Chiefs have a few: former Southern Miss standouts Jason Brownlee and Eric Scott, Jr. along with Olive Branch native Fabien Lovett, Sr. None have seen playing time this year as teams have until the day before the game to make call-ups. It is worth noting that Laurel native Byron Young is on the Eagles’ injured reserve list with a hamstring injury.
Todd Pinkston, Kansas City Chiefs Running Backs Coach
The Southern Miss legend is looking to win his second Super Bowl in as many years since joining Andy Reid’s staff in 2023. The matchup takes a unique angle for Pinkston as he coaches against the organization he spent seven years with as a standout wide receiver. Pinkston was the leading receiver for Donovan McNabb in Philadelphia’s run to Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005.
Super Bowl LIX Game Notes
- Super Bowl LIX will be played inside Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Sunday, February 9. Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. CT on FOX.
- The Kansas City Chiefs (15-2) opened as 1.5-point favorites over the Philadelphia Eagles (14-3).
- Super Bowl LIX will be a rematch of Super Bowl LVII, in which the Chiefs came from behind and defeated the Eagles 38-35.
- The Chiefs are looking to become the first team to win three straight Super Bowls, although they would not be the first team to three-peat. Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers won titles from 1965-1967, with the latter two being the first Super Bowls.
- As for the entertainment side of the Super Bowl, rapper Kendrick Lamar will take the stage at halftime with fellow Grammy-winning guest SZA being announced last week as a collaborator. And don’t forget about the commercials: Doja Cat, Post Malone, Martha Stewart, and the Manning brothers are all expected to make appearances as companies line up their uber-expensive advertisements.
