As they prepare to face off again in Super Bowl LIX, there’s a sense that the rivalry between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles could become the defining match-up of this era.

They met in Super Bowl LVII two years ago, the Chiefs coming out on top with a thrilling 38-35 win. They went on to win a second successive championship against the 49ers the following year and are now on the brink of a record third consecutive title.

The Eagles were bounced from the playoffs in the first round last year but have battled back to reach a second Super Bowl in three years. Heading into Sunday’s Championship Game, here’s a look at the recent history between the two teams...

The Brothers' Super Bowl

Given that the two teams are in different conferences, its no surprise to see that they rarely play each other. Since Patrick Mahomes became the team’s first-choice QB in late 2017 there have only been three meetings between the Chiefs and the Eagles.

The first came in 2021 when the Chiefs ran out 42-30 winners in a regular season game at the Lincoln Financial Field. Mahomes threw five touchdowns that day but there was even better to come for the QB when the teams met the following season.

The 2022 NFL season was a historic one for Mahomes as he became the first player to win the MVP award, the Super Bowl MVP and finish the season as the league leader for passing yards and passing touchdowns. He remains the only player to manage that astonishing quartet.

In February 2023 the Chiefs secured a second championship under head coach Andy Reid with a 38-35 win over the Eagles at Super Bowl LVII. That game that will also be remembered as the only time that two brothers have contested a Super Bowl. Jason and Travis Kelce were stalwarts for the Eagles and Chiefs, respectively, when they met at State Farm Stadium, Arizona. Eagles legend Jason retired after the 2023 season, ending hopes of a Super Bowl rematch between the two siblings.

Eagles hit back

In the 2023 season the two teams' fortunes diverged but the Eagles did at least manage to get revenge over the Chiefs in a rare regular season meeting. A 21-17 win at Arrowhead Stadium was the pinnacle of a five-game regular season winning streak but the Eagles tailed off badly, losing five of their final six regular season games.

But after some impressive work in the offseason the Eagles are back in the Championship Game this time around and look like a daunting proposition. They were under pressure after starting the 2024 season with a 2-2 record but they hit form and went on a 10-game winning streak, eventually finishing with a 14-3 record. In the postseason they’ve beaten the Packers, Giants, Cowboys and Commanders so far.

Their remarkable form has been fuelled by the performances of Saquon Barkley, the MVP-calibre running back pinched from the New York Giants in the offseason. Barkley was named Offensive Player of the Year at the NFL Honors ceremony on Thursday, making him the first Eagle to win the award. He needs just 30 rushing yards in Sunday’s game to set the single-season record, currently held by Terrell Davis (2,447).

“It’s very obvious when you watch the tape how good of a player he is,” Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said this week. “But the things that he has that he brings to our football team as far as his leadership, his work ethic. He’s an awesome teammate. Those are the things that make him very special.”

The Chiefs topped the AFC again this year but were far from convincing at times. Of the nine NFL teams that have finished a regular season with 15+ wins, the Chiefs' point difference of 59 is by far the lowest.

Sunday’s rematch looks perfectly poised. The Eagles are a team on the rise, inspired by the extraordinary performances of Saquon Barkley. The Chiefs, meanwhile, possess the know-how and big-game experience that is so often the deciding factor. Whoever comes out on top in Super Bowl LIX, it promises to be another fascinating instalment of the Chiefs-Eagles rivalry.

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