The Lombardi Trophy doesn't care about your feelings. It doesn't care about "dynasty" talk or who the Vegas odds favored in August. Honestly, if the last few years have taught us anything, it's that the NFL is increasingly a league of "almosts" interrupted by moments of absolute individual brilliance. People keep waiting for the parody of the salary cap to kick in, but then someone like Patrick Mahomes or Jalen Hurts decides to simply ignore the script.
We just saw the Philadelphia Eagles dismantle the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. It wasn't just a win; it was a statement. A 40-22 shellacking in New Orleans that felt like a changing of the guard, even if the "old guard" was only a few years old.
The Dynasty That Almost Was: Super Bowl Recent Winners
Everyone wanted the three-peat. The Chiefs were on the precipice of history in early 2025. No team has ever won three Super Bowls in a row. Not the 70s Steelers, not the 90s Cowboys, not even the Brady-Belichick Patriots. And after the Eagles were done with them at the Caesars Superdome, that record remained safe.
Jalen Hurts was basically a machine. He accounted for three touchdowns—two through the air and one on that signature "tush push" that defensive coordinators still haven't solved. He took home the MVP, and rightfully so. But the real story was the Eagles' defense. They sacked Mahomes six times. Six. You can't win a championship when your generational quarterback is spending half the game looking at the turf.
Before that, the script belonged entirely to Kansas City.
- Super Bowl LVIII (2024): Chiefs 25, 49ers 22. This was the Allegiant Stadium thriller. It went to overtime, only the second time that's happened in Super Bowl history. Mahomes found Mecole Hardman for the game-winner, and it felt like the Chiefs were invincible.
- Super Bowl LVII (2023): Chiefs 38, Eagles 35. A high-scoring track meet in Arizona. A late holding call on James Bradberry set up the winning field goal, a detail Eagles fans still bring up at bars to this day.
- Super Bowl LVI (2022): Rams 23, Bengals 20. The "All-In" Rams. Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and Aaron Donald finally got theirs in their own stadium.
Why the Gap Between Good and Great is Growing
There’s this misconception that the super bowl recent winners are just the luckiest teams. That’s rarely true. If you look at the rosters of the 2021 Buccaneers or the 2025 Eagles, they share a specific DNA: aggressive mid-season trades.
The Eagles landing Saquon Barkley was a "luxury" move that ended up being the engine of their 2024 season. Even though he only had 57 yards in the actual Super Bowl LIX game, his presence forced the Chiefs to stack the box, which opened up the 46-yard dagger pass to DeVonta Smith.
The Tom Brady Shadow
It’s weird to think about, but we’re still living in the post-Brady era. His win with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV (31-9 over the Chiefs) remains the most lopsided defensive masterclass of the decade. Todd Bowles, the defensive coordinator then, essentially wrote the blueprint on how to frustrate Mahomes.
It took the rest of the league four years to successfully replicate it.
The Rams' win in 2022 was a bit of an outlier. They traded away their entire future—draft picks didn't exist to Les Snead—for a one-year window. It worked. But look at them now. They've struggled to maintain that elite status, while teams like the Eagles and Chiefs have built "sustainable" models by hitting on mid-round draft picks like Creed Humphrey or Jordan Davis.
Recent Champions and Their MVPs
- Super Bowl LIX (2025): Philadelphia Eagles (MVP: Jalen Hurts)
- Super Bowl LVIII (2024): Kansas City Chiefs (MVP: Patrick Mahomes)
- Super Bowl LVII (2023): Kansas City Chiefs (MVP: Patrick Mahomes)
- Super Bowl LVI (2022): Los Angeles Rams (MVP: Cooper Kupp)
- Super Bowl LV (2021): Tampa Bay Buccaneers (MVP: Tom Brady)
The MVP list is a bit of a quarterback's club, with Cooper Kupp being the lone wide receiver to break the streak recently. It’s a trend that doesn’t seem to be changing. If you want to predict the next winner, don't look at the defense; look at the guy under center who can play "hero ball" when the play breaks down.
What to Watch for in Super Bowl LX
As we head toward Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium in 2026, the landscape is messy. The Chiefs missed the playoffs entirely this past season for the first time since 2014. The Eagles are the favorites to repeat, but the 49ers are perpetually "right there."
One thing is certain: the era of the "system QB" winning a ring is probably over. You need a playmaker. You need someone who can scramble for 15 yards on 3rd-and-long when the pocket collapses.
If you're looking to track the next set of winners, pay attention to the salary cap hits in 2026. Several major quarterbacks are seeing their contracts balloon, which usually forces teams to cut veteran depth. That's when the "recent winners" usually fall off the map.
✨ Don't miss: Bobby Orr and the Goal That Changed Hockey Forever
Keep an eye on the injury reports and the late-season momentum. Usually, the team that wins the Super Bowl isn't the one that was best in September; it's the one that stopped making mistakes in December.
Check the current NFL standings and specifically look at "Point Differential" rather than just "Wins." Historically, teams with a +150 point differential or higher are the ones that actually hoist the trophy in February.