Eagles’ Jalen Hurts may have intentionally shunned the traditional post-Super Bowl handshake with Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes after his team’s disappointing loss.
The Kansas City Chiefs–Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl matchup will go down in history as one of the most epic games in the modern NFL, a game forever tinged with controversy both on the field (that defensive holding call will never die down) and off the field when Jalen Hurts appeared to snub Patrick Mahomes.
It’s tradition for quarterbacks to shake hands after the Super Bowl as every photographer eagerly squeezes in to try and capture the perfect immortal shot. After the Chiefs’ win on Sunday, however, Hurts was seen immediately jogging off the field as he headed into the players’ tunnel all by himself.
The end of the Super Bowl was much more chaotic for the Eagles: the Chiefs kicked the game-winning field goal leaving just eight seconds on the clock for the Eagles to come up with some hot-potato play in their own half. The ball ended up in Jalen Hurts’ hands, and Hurts launched a measly Hail Mary attempt that fell many yards short.
Jalen Hurts shunned traditional post-game handshake in Super Bowl LVII
Following that throw, Hurts jogged off the field and noticeably shunned the post-game handshake. In the Eagles’ win against the New England Patriots back in Super Bowl LVII, Pats quarterback Tom Brady also left the field without shaking Eagles’ Nick Foles’ hand, and Eagles fans quickly painted Brady as the sore, bitter villain.
What will Eagles fans have to say about this? Hurts didn’t seem to harbor any resentment toward how the game played out based on his press conference comments and may have just forgotten about the handshake.
Hurts could have been overwhelmed in the moment, swept by emotion with the final result and looking for a little alone time. There’s no evidence that Hurts deliberately avoided Mahomes after the game, and for those looking to nitpick Hurts, Hurts’ outstanding character for the last several years in the league speaks for itself.
Mahomes, all smiles after the win, did personally catch up with a few other Eagles players on the field including center Jason Kelce.
Hurts running off the field like that does seem a bit untraditional, but then again, Hurts could hardly be considered your typical quarterback.