Super Bowl LVIII wasn't just another game. It was a massive, neon-soaked collision in the middle of the Nevada desert. If you’re trying to remember who was in the 2024 Super Bowl, it was the Kansas City Chiefs taking on the San Francisco 49ers.
People call it a rematch of 2020. Honestly? It felt way different this time.
The Chiefs came in as the defending champs, but they weren't the favorites. Most Vegas sportsbooks had the 49ers as 2-point favorites. The Niners were a juggernaut, led by "Mr. Irrelevant" Brock Purdy and a defense that looked like it could swallow anyone whole.
Then you had the Chiefs. They’d struggled for much of the regular season. Their receivers were dropping passes left and right. But they had Patrick Mahomes. And, as we’ve learned, betting against Mahomes is usually a bad idea.
The Chiefs vs. The 49ers: A Dynasty Confirmed
When people ask who was in the 2024 Super Bowl, they usually want to know how the rosters stacked up. It was a clash of styles. San Francisco brought the high-tech, "positionless" offense of Kyle Shanahan. They had Christian McCaffrey, who basically spent the whole season looking like the best athlete on the planet. He ended up with over 1,400 rushing yards and 21 total touchdowns before even hitting the playoffs.
On the other side, Andy Reid’s Chiefs were gritting it out.
The Rosters That Made History
The star power was pretty ridiculous. Check out some of these names:
- Kansas City Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes (QB), Travis Kelce (TE), Rashee Rice (WR), Isiah Pacheco (RB), and Chris Jones (DT).
- San Francisco 49ers: Brock Purdy (QB), Christian McCaffrey (RB), Deebo Samuel (WR), Brandon Aiyuk (WR), George Kittle (TE), and Nick Bosa (DE).
The 49ers were actually the first team in NFL history to have four different players with over 1,000 scrimmage yards in a single season. McCaffrey, Aiyuk, Samuel, and Kittle. That's a lot of weapons for a young quarterback like Purdy to handle.
What Actually Happened at Allegiant Stadium?
The game itself was a slow burn. It wasn't some high-flying shootout right out of the gate. In fact, it was the longest Super Bowl in history—clocking in at 74 minutes and 57 seconds of net playing time.
The first half was all about defense and weird mistakes. McCaffrey fumbled on the opening drive. Mahomes threw an interception early in the third quarter. It felt like nobody wanted to take control.
One of the wildest moments? A trick play by the Niners. Brock Purdy threw a lateral to wide receiver Jauan Jennings, who then threw a 21-yard touchdown pass back across the field to McCaffrey. Jennings became only the second wide receiver to ever throw a TD pass in a Super Bowl.
The Longest Field Goal Record... Twice
The kickers were the real MVPs for a while. San Francisco's Jake Moody nailed a 55-yarder to set a new Super Bowl record.
He held that record for about an hour.
Then Harrison Butker, the Chiefs' kicker, stepped up and drilled a 57-yarder. Records are made to be broken, I guess, but usually not in the same afternoon.
The Overtime Thriller
We only had one other overtime game in Super Bowl history before this one (Patriots vs. Falcons). But this was the first time the new overtime rules were used.
👉 See also: Go Ahead Eagles vs PSV: Why the Deventer Trip is Getting Scary for the Big Guys
Under the old rules, if you won the toss and scored a touchdown, it was game over. Now, both teams get a chance to possess the ball. Kyle Shanahan chose to take the ball first. A lot of people second-guessed that later.
The Niners drove down but got stalled. Chris Jones—who was a monster all night—pressured Purdy into a throwaway on 3rd and goal. San Francisco settled for a field goal.
22-19.
That gave Mahomes the ball with a simple mandate: score or go home. He didn't just score; he Methodically tore them apart. He ran for a crucial first down on 4th and 1. He scrambled for 19 yards to put them in the red zone.
With three seconds left in the first overtime period, Mahomes rolled right and found Mecole Hardman for a 3-yard touchdown. The play was called "Tom and Jerry."
Final score: 25-22.
Beyond the Field: The Usher and Taylor Swift Factor
You can't talk about who was in the 2024 Super Bowl without mentioning the sideline and the stage.
Usher headlined the halftime show, and he brought out half of Atlanta with him. Alicia Keys (yes, there was a tiny voice crack at the start, but she recovered), Ludacris, Lil Jon, and H.E.R. all showed up. It was basically a 15-minute Vegas residency condensed into a fever dream of roller skates and R&B hits.
And then there was Taylor Swift. Her relationship with Travis Kelce brought an entirely new demographic to the screen. 123.7 million people tuned in, making it the most-watched program in American television history.
Actionable Insights for Football Fans
If you're looking back at this game to understand the current state of the NFL, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- The Chiefs are a Dynasty: They are the first team to win back-to-back Super Bowls since the 2004 Patriots. They are officially the team to beat for the foreseeable future.
- Defense Wins (or Saves) Championships: While Mahomes gets the glory, the Chiefs' defense, led by Steve Spagnuolo, held the 49ers' high-powered offense to just 22 points in five quarters.
- The "Game Manager" Label is Dead: Brock Purdy played well enough to win. He wasn't the reason they lost, but he was up against a literal magician in Mahomes.
- Overtime Strategy Matters: Expect teams to debate the "take the ball first" vs. "take the ball second" strategy for years. Taking it second means you know exactly what you need to do to win or keep the game going.
The 2024 Super Bowl was a turning point. It solidified Patrick Mahomes as the heir apparent to Tom Brady and proved that the Kansas City Chiefs have a gear that no other team can currently reach when the stakes are highest.
If you want to dive deeper into the stats, look at the third-down conversion rates. The Chiefs were 6-for-14, while the 49ers were 5-for-12. In a game decided by three points in overtime, those tiny margins are where the Lombardi Trophy is won or lost.