Super Bowl 2025: Four players not named Saquon Barkley or Jalen Hurts who could make an impact for the Eagles

A.J. BROWN

The wide receiver had six catches for 96 yards and a touchdown in the Super Bowl LVIII loss to Kansas City two years ago, but there is one snap that has bugged him ever since. “The play really kept me up thinking about how did I miss that and what I got confused on,” Brown said. Which one was it? “I don’t want to get into it because we may run it back,” he said. If the Eagles and Brown do that – and succeed this time – it could make all the difference.

JOSH SWEAT

The edge rusher took a pay cut to stick with the Eagles this season and has a chance to put a huge exclamation point on the end of his contract year before free agency with a standout performance in the Super Bowl. He led the Eagles this season with eight sacks and added six quarterback hits, 16 pressures and 41 tackles. KC won’t want to go up the middle against Jalen Carter and company so Sweat on the end will be a key part of keeping Patrick Mahomes from wrecking the Eagles’ chances.

QUINYON MITCHELL

One of two rookie cornerbacks getting plenty of playing time in the league’s top-ranked passing defense (along with Cooper DeJean), Mitchell has blossomed quickly into a full-blown stopper. Since Week 11 he has allowed 22 catches on 42 targets for 180 yards, two interceptions (both in the playoffs) and just 19 yards after the catch. Opponents have a passer rating of 59.6 against him.

MEKHI BECTON

Nobody delivers pressure up the middle quite like Kansas City with Chris Jones and Steve Spagnuolo’s armada of blitzing linebackers. So it will be up to Becton, the former Jets tackle who has found a home as one of the game’s most dominant guards during his one season with the Eagles, to plug those gaps, protect the interior, and create holes through which Saquon Barkley can do his thing.

By Tom Rock

tom.rock@newsday.com@TomRock_Newsday

Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.