Jalen Hurts admits a hard truth that the Chiefs need to take to heart

As a cascade of midnight green confetti fluttered onto the turf at Caesars Superdome, Jalen Hurts stood under the glittering snowfall and soaked in the moment. After a long and winding journey, he stood atop the mountaintop: The Philadelphia Eagles were Super Bowl LIX champions, and Hurts became just the 35th starting quarterback in NFL history to hoist a Lombardi Trophy.

A few days have passed since that moment, but the celebration has been one hazy blur. A postgame locker room party in New Orleans, Disney World in Orlando and media appearances in New York, all interlaced with virtual interviews and television appearances. Now, he’s back in Philadelphia for a Super Bowl parade.  

Yet, throughout all of the adulation and elation, a hint of sorrow refuses to fade away. If anything, the Super Bowl championship has only resurfaced old wounds. In some ways, there have only been three other quarterbacks in NFL history who can understand Hurts' unique perspective.

Chiefs players can learn from Jalen Hurts' Super Bowl redemption

While speaking with reporters in Philadelphia's locker room on Thursday, Hurts discussed his mindset after hoisting the Lombardi Trophy for the first time.

"This whole year has been more magnifying to me in terms of my desire to win," Hurts said, via NBC Sports Philadelphia. "Because I've kind of learned how I processed everything after the game, and where my heart was. It's like the joy of winning it still had no comparison to the pain of losing it. So those things are still going to continue to motivate me and drive me internally."

By becoming a champion, Hurts will be forced to grapple with the affliction that plagues all great quarterbacks. The confetti may seem harmless as it flutters onto the field, but it has an addictive effect. Countless players have tasted glory and only grown hungrier for another bite. On the losing sideline, the confetti cuts deeply and leaves irreparable scars.

The Kansas City Chiefs players who have never won a championship can learn a lesson from Hurts that quarterback Patrick Mahomes cannot teach them. When Mahomes lost his first Super Bowl, he could take comfort in the Lombardi Trophy that he had already won. Hurts didn’t have that luxury when the Eagles suffered a 38-35 loss in Super Bowl LVII two years ago. He experienced the agony of defeat before he got to experience the joy of victory, and that memory has haunted him.

“That last [Super Bowl] changed my soul, man,” Hurts told a teammate on the sidelines of Super Bowl LIX.

Thirty-six starting quarterbacks have lost their first Super Bowl appearance. Before Sunday, only three of them managed to find redemption. Hurts became just the fourth quarterback in NFL history to win a Super Bowl after losing his first Super Bowl appearance. The last quarterback to accomplish the feat was John Elway, who lost three Super Bowls before winning back-to-back titles in the twilight of his career.

When Tom Brady won his first championship, he stood on the makeshift trophy presentation stage with his hands on his head in disbelief. He was oblivious to the fact that the next two decades of his life would be defined by the relentless pursuit of returning to that stage, and he had yet to experience the agony of defeat. By the end of his illustrious career, Brady claimed that winning became nothing more than a relief.

Hurts seems to have expedited that fear of failure by experiencing a Super Bowl loss before a victory.