“Throughout history, many Super Bowls — if not every Super Bowl — will be decided by the efforts of players who are not superstars or household names. Some of the game’s most valuable players (even if they’re not its Most Valuable Players) have been relative unknowns.”

That’s what I wrote prior to Super Bowl LIX, to go with a list of players from the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs who seemed most likely to emerge as unsung heroes.

Of course, when it was all said and done, the big trophy went to a big-name star: Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was voted MVP after Philly’s 40-22 dismantling of the Chiefs in a game that wasn’t even as close as the score suggests. Hurts threw for 221 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for 72 yards with another TD on the ground. And well before the obligatory “Look now, haters” celebratory Jordan Brand commercial aired that same night, the narrative was in place that this championship victory was calming validation and polite vengeance for Hurts.

And yet, the Super Bowl MVP rightfully should have gone to the Eagles’ defense as a collective. Theirs was a performance reminiscent of the 2018-19 New England Patriots, who nearly shut out the Los Angeles Rams 13-3 in Super Bowl LIII; and the 1985-86 Chicago Bears, who stifled the Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl XX. The Eagles pitched a first-half shutout against the Chiefs and didn’t allow a score until the final minute of the third quarter, when Philadelphia was already ahead 34-0. Kansas City tacked on two more inconsequential scores in the last three minutes of the fourth quarter, by which point the Eagles were taking starters out of the game.

In that famous ’85-86 Bears win, defensive end Richard Dent was voted Super Bowl MVP, recording 1.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore really should have won MVP for their 2018-19 title win, as he had five tackles, a forced fumble, three pass breakups, and a crucial fourth-quarter interception. The Eagles had a few individual defensive standouts last Sunday that could’ve made a case for MVP; they were among a handful of under-the-radar players that were key in Philly clinching the franchise’s second Super Bowl championship:

Cooper DeJean, CB

My Super Bowl LIX preview focusing on potential unsung heroes included Quinyon Mitchell, one of the Eagles’ rookie cornerbacks. I’d initially planned on making that a dual-entry on both of the team’s rookie corners — the other being DeJean — and apparently should have stuck with my gut feeling.

Mitchell played his part in the Eagles’ total defensive domination, but DeJean made the most obvious impact, with a pick-six in the second quarter that gave Philly a 17-0 lead. Sunday also happened to be DeJean’s birthday, in case you missed the million mentions of that tidbit since his big play.

DeVonta Smith, WR

Is it a reach to call Smith overlooked or unsung, given that he’s a Heisman Trophy winner (2020) and no. 10 overall draft pick? Maybe. But Smith has been the clear WR2 in Philly, and going into the Super Bowl didn’t get nearly as much attention as star wideout A.J. Brown or even as much as A.J. Brown’s favorite book. Smith’s production had also dipped in 2024, as he had 68 catches for 833 yards, compared to cracking 1,000 yards and at least 80 catches in his previous two seasons.

Smith wound up being Hurts’ most productive target on the quarterback’s way to MVP honors. Smith caught four passes for 69 yards and a touchdown, a 46-yard bomb in the third quarter that made the score 34-0 and had to feel like the final dagger for even the most optimistic Patrick Mahomes fan.

One way to look at it: One year ago, I was on Radio Row during Super Bowl week in Las Vegas, and spotted Smith walking among the crowd of media members, fellow NFL players, and random celebrities. He was basically unnoticed — in part because the 6-foot, 170-pounder is small for his profession. This year, Smith outsized every other receiver on the field in the biggest of games.

Milton Williams, DT

Even on the pro level, all but a few defensive tackles get real mainstream recognition. The Eagles have been the exception in recent years, whether it was recently retired star Fletcher Cox, or their 2024 starters, Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis — both former dominant forces at the University of Georgia who entered the NFL with a lot of hype.

In Super Bowl LIX, another Philly DT made a name for himself, and he’s one who’s been a backup most of the season. Fourth-year pro Milton Williams had four tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery against the Chiefs. His strip-sack of Mahomes in the fourth quarter (Williams also recovered the fumble) was the culmination of a performance in which the entire Eagles defensive line wreaked havoc.

Jake Elliott, K

Philly’s kicker scored 16 points in a game that was decided by 18 points; Elliott went 4-for-4 on field goals (including a 50-yarder) and 4-for-4 on extra points. It was a flawless effort from a player who’d been glaringly flawed leading up to the Super Bowl.

During the regular season, Elliott made 77.8 percent of his field goals. That doesn’t sound so bad, but consider that of the NFL’s top 15 kickers in terms of total number of made field goals, Elliott (who ranked 11th in makes) was the only one whose success rate was less than 83 percent. And on field goal attempts of 50-plus yards, Elliott went 1-for-7. In the playoffs, he missed three extra points. But when it mattered most, Elliott was perfect from long- and short-range.

Meanwhile, Elliott’s more famous counterpart, Kansas City’s controversial kicker Harrison Butker, was shut out and didn’t even get to attempt a field goal or extra point on Sunday. By the time the Chiefs were able to get near field goal range and ultimate score some touchdowns, they were so far behind that they had to go for 2-point conversions every time.