Feb 6, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; The BetMGM Sportsbook at the Luxor hotel and casino. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

SB LVIII: AGA projects Americans to wager $23.1B

The first Super Bowl at Las Vegas will see an estimated $23.1 billion wagered in the United States on Sunday’s game between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers, according to the American Gaming Association.

The AGA also estimates that 67.8 million American adults will have a financial stake in the game in some form, with the rise of online betting fueling a $16 billion increase in wagering from last year’s Super Bowl.

A total of $23.1 billion is expected to be on the line for Super Bowl LVII.

The group’s survey showed that 47 percent of will wager on the defending champion Chiefs, while 44 percent will have a wager on the 49ers.

According to DraftKings, as of Tuesday, the 49ers were two-point favorites, with an over/under on total points at 47.5.

The most popular access point for wagering on Sunday’s game will be to bet online, with 46 percent of the 67.8 million participants taking that route. The number is equal to 26 percent of the United States population.

Casual wagering friends is listed at 36 percent, while a mere 11 percent will wager at a physical sportsbook.

Online wagering is expected to increase by 41 percent from last year’s Super Bowl, while casual wagering is projected to be up 32 percent.

Traditional wagering (online, sportsbook, bookie) is expected to be ahead of casual wagering (friends, pools, square contests) for the second consecutive year.

Messages about responsible wagering have reached the masses, with AGA reporting that 75 percent of traditional Super Bowl betters have reported seeing a message on responsible wagering in the past year.

–Field Level Media

Feb 6, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid speaks during a press conference before Super Bowl LVIII at Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort and Spa. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Chiefs get physical, narrow focus to Super Bowl LVIII

LAS VEGAS – Popping shoulder pads and clanging helmets are typical sounds of training camp on-field collisions, not exactly Super Bowl week practice customs.

But that was the practice field orchestra the Kansas City Chiefs played in an energetic opening session outdoors in drizzle at the Las Vegas Raiders’ practice facility on Monday.

“You’ve still got to practice,” Reid said Tuesday morning at the Westin Lake Las Vegas, clearly angling to funnel his team’s focus away from the many distractions that come with this week and city.

“Take care of your diet. Rest. You try to keep the focus on the game with all the different things they are obligated to do this week.”

It was the first padded practice the Chiefs held in weeks. Reid wanted to stress urgency and discipline to set the tone for the week.

“These last few teams standing here, we’re honored to be one of them,” Reid said. “We will need to put our best foot forward.”

Guard Joe Thuney (pectoral) plans to push to play after missing the AFC Championship Game. Reid said the decision boils down to whether Thuney has the physical strength to do his job, but rated the chances of Thuney and running back Jerick McKinnon playing this week a “longshot.”

It wasn’t all football talk Tuesday.

Reid was asked by a German journalist if he had thoughts on “Republican conspiracy theories” that Taylor Swift was partially responsible for the NFL aiding the Chiefs to get back to the Super Bowl in a twisted plot to re-elect President Joe Biden.

“That’s out of my league,” Reid said with a laugh. “Kind of like me speaking German. Listen, she’s been great to have around. And we had a great visit with President Biden (last year). That’s about as far as I can go with that.”

–By Jeff Reynolds, Field Level Media

Oct 22, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Recording artist Taylor Swift and Brittany Mahomes cheer during the second half between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Sportsbooks: I Bet You Think About (Taylor Swift)

As Taylor Swift continues to introduce millions of new viewers to the NFL, via her relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, the league sits back and smiles at the fresh passive-income revenue streams coming its way.

The phenomenon is no different in the world of sports betting, where bookmakers are cashing in on Taylor Swift-related Super Bowl prop bets.

In the United States, licensed sportsbooks are not able to offer Swift-specific props such as what outfit she will wear, how many times she’ll appear on the broadcast and whether she will cry at the game’s conclusion.

Regulations state that domestic prop wagers must involve on-field activity. But that’s not the case for offshore sportsbooks and those operators based in Ontario, Canada.

SWIFT-ONLY OFFERS

In addition to the options mentioned above are props having to do with what could happen on the field after the game.

Will Kelce propose to Swift?

Such a silly possibility? Not so fast. At BetUS, a Costa Rica-based operation and one of the offshore operators, the prop was listed as recently as last weekend at only 6-1 odds that it would happen.

That might be a reflection of the book managers balancing the action due to an influx of “yes” money from a legion of hopeful Swifties.

Swift’s lipstick color is another popular market, though an upset seems unlikely since “red” has been her hue of choice even before she burst onto the Chiefs’ scene. The other option: “any other color.”

The Swift props are not just window dressing for those books able to take action, however.

The BetUS public affairs director, Tim Williams, told the New York Times it’s a sound business decision.

“We expect to see as much interest, if not more interest, in all of these Taylor Swift bets compared to bets related to the halftime show,” Williams told the Times, “and that’s really unprecedented.”

A word of warning: Those unregulated sportsbooks may not be legal, depending on where in the U.S. a wager is made, and the Swift bets will frequently be limited to $100 or less.

BetOnline, another offshore book, has no fewer than 89 Swift props. It’s an intentional number, referencing Swift’s platinum-selling album “1989,” as well as the year she was born.

The restrictions found among U.S. sportsbooks on Swift bets are more relaxed in Ontario, Canada.

Bettors there wagering via theScore Bet can decide on whether Swift will be shown during Reba McEntire’s performance of the national anthem. The sportsbook believes it’s a strong possibility, placing the odds at -200.

Will Swift enjoy the halftime show? The sportsbook believes there’s a little less than a coin-flip chance that she’ll appear on TV during the halftime show (+120).

Their over/under for the total number of times Swift pops up on the Canadian TV broadcast is 5.5 occurrences (the “over” is +120).

It’s no surprise that with Swift’s presence, Super Bowl LVIII is widely expected to break betting records outside of the U.S.

SAMPLE OF SWIFT SELECTIONS

The entertainment publication Variety compiled a few of the more interesting Swift bets available at offshore sportsbooks.

Will Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift announce their first pregnancy at the Super Bowl? (Yes, +850/BetUs)

Will Taylor Swift be seen crying if Kansas City Chiefs lose Super Bowl LVIII? (Yes, +600/BetUS)

Will Taylor Swift be seen mouthing a curse word during the CBS Super Bowl telecast? (Yes, +300/BetUS)

Will Taylor Swift’s navel be shown on CBS? (Yes, +800; No, -2500/BetOnline)

Which will have more diamond carats? (Taylor Swift engagement ring, -10000; Chiefs Super Bowl ring, +1400/BetOnline)

A SWIFT LEAN ON POLITICS

There’s no questioning the Taylor Swift influence on pop culture, but waves of the population stand poised to see whether the superstar’s presence at the Super Bowl wades into U.S. political waters.

Former President Donald Trump is a frequent contributor to political narratives and has been included among the Swift Super Bowl props.

Trump is a 3-1 choice to reference Swift via his platform TruthSocial on Super Bowl Sunday. Both sides of the presidential race will be represented with 10-1 odds via BetUS that Swift endorses President Joe Biden after the game.

THE SWIFTY-SB COMBO

The primary licensed sportsbooks in the U.S., including DraftKings and ESPNBET, have their own spin on how to involve the 14-time Grammy winner.

The bets frequently come with their own names.

ESPNBET has the “Swift Action” prop that pays +1200 if a touchdown is scored within the game’s first two minutes as well as “MVP Swelce,” which is Kelce’s MVP odds (+1500).

DraftKings has a nod to Swift songs with “Mine,” a prop on Kelce’s receiving yards (87+ at +190) and “Anti-hero,” a prop on the opposing quarterback Brock Purdy’s passing performance (250+ yards and two TD passes at +200).

THE MVP BET

BetMGM’s Ontario, Canada, operation has an “MVP mentions Taylor Swift” prop. Early this week, the odds were +650 that the Super Bowl MVP refers to Swift in the postgame, on-field interview, while “no” comes in at -1200.

Pro tip: If you’re in a place to bet live on that prop and Kelce has 10 catches and a pair of first-half touchdowns, hammer that “yes” option before everyone gets on board.

Even Swift props couldn’t escape the sharp money, however. FanDuel Canada had +1060 that Kelce proposes to Swift on the field. The company reported the “no” option opened at -250 but was quickly bet up to -3000.

Is there no one who believes in romance anymore?

– Field Level Media

Feb 5, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Lucas Niang (77) draws on the stomach of Guillermo Rodriguez Super Bowl LVIII Opening Night at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports

Opening Night notebook: Blue Man Group and Taylor talk

LAS VEGAS — Shenanigans are the name of the game at Opening Night, a Super Bowl custom unlike any other.

Andy Reid’s press conference opened with a question from a vastly younger lookalike wearing Chiefs paraphernalia, a mustache, headset and holding a color-coded playsheet in front of his face.

The “Blue Man Group” troop that kicked off the three-hour, made-for-TV session marched from player to player to pose for selfies.

Guillermo Rodriguez, a TV personality from “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” interviewed players and then handed them a sharpie as he revealed a grid of Super Bowl score squares on his bare belly.

Chiefs safety Justin Reid took the bait, and the marker, before signing his name on the man’s gut.

“This is crazy,” Justin Reid said.

SOUND MEN

The 49ers hit the field carrying an oversized boom box typically controlled by left tackle Trent Williams.

Williams said he wouldn’t give away any decisions yet, but said NBA YoungBoy has been the team’s sound during the entirety of their playoff run.

“As long as we keep winning, we keep the music the same,” Williams said.

TAYLOR TALK

Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie was stumped when asked for his favorite Taylor Swift song, and head coach Andy Reid drew a blank, too.

“Nothing from me. Travis (Kelce) knows a few,” Reid said with a chuckle. “My wife knows them. She can sing all of them.”

BOOK OF ISIAH

Plenty has been written about seventh-round pick and Mr. Irrelevant in the 2022 NFL Draft Brock Purdy lifting the 49ers back to the Super Bowl. Don’t forget about Isiah Pacheco.

The Chiefs’ second-year running back was selected 11 spots ahead of Purdy. On Sunday in Super Bowl LVIII, Pacheco would become the first player at his position to start Super Bowls in each of his first two pro seasons since Tony Dorsett in 1977-78 with the Dallas Cowboys.

“I’m not surprised, not surprised to be here,” said Pacheco, who unseated first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire after entering the league as the 251st overall pick. “I would say this was all predetermined, destined. I am meant to be here.”

MEET ME IN MURFREESBORO

At least three players at Super Bowl LVIII can find Murfreesboro on the U.S. map.

The Tennessee town and location of Middle Tennessee State University has been home to 49ers Pro Bowl cornerback Charvarius Ward and Chiefs linebacker Darius Harris and wide receiver Richie James, who stretch the streak of Super Bowls with former Blue Raiders on the field to five in a row.

Ward, who broke into the NFL with the Chiefs in 2018 and signed with the 49ers as a free agent in March 2022, played against James (then with San Francisco) when the teams squared off in Super Bowl LIV.

“It’s better over here,” Ward said. “In every way.”

Ward, whose Chiefs team claimed the title four years ago, wouldn’t say that Kansas City made a mistake letting him go.

“But it was a great addition for the 49ers,” Ward said.

Ward was undrafted and signed out of college by the Cowboys in 2018, then was traded to the Chiefs during his rookie training camp.

–Field Level Media

Feb 5, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell speaks at a press conference in advance of Super Bowl LVIII between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Roger Goodell: Integrity ‘No. 1’ priority as legalized gambling expands

At his annual state of the league address Monday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the topic of gambling, with Super Bowl LVIII being held in the hotbed of betting — Las Vegas — on Sunday.

Speculation has increased regarding the integrity of the league given the NFL’s gambling partnerships with Caesars Entertainment, DraftKings and FanDuel. However, the league has addressed the issue in recent years by updating and enforcing stricter gambling policies. Both players and league employees face consequences for gambling and are barred from gambling or visiting casinos during Super Bowl week.

“It’s our No. 1 objective: Gambling and outside of gambling, the integrity of our game is critical,” Goodell told reporters in the Las Vegas Raiders’ locker room, site of his news conference. “And so we spend a lot of time focusing on that: educating, making sure that all of our personnel are aware of our gambling policies in this case or any other policy that can affect the integrity of our game. Ultimately, that’s our primary job.”

Goodell told reporters he believed 25 league and team personnel violated the NFL’s gambling violations but didn’t reveal whether all were fired or what type of discipline they faced. The commissioner added that approximately 13 players had been disciplined.

The commissioner said that betting on an NFL game could result in termination for a league office employee. Per the latest gambling policy, players receive a one-year suspension for betting on the league and a two-year suspension for betting on their team.

Regarding players betting on other sports, first-time offenders will be suspended two games without pay, second-time offenders six games and third-time offenders at least a one-year suspension.

“We take this incredibly seriously,” Goodell said. “We understand the risk. We did not make the decision. Ultimately the decision was a decision by the Supreme Court: They legalized sports betting. We have to adapt. We have to embrace it. We have been cautious. We have been very thoughtful, I think, in our approach. But we know the risk, and protecting the integrity is No. 1.”

–Field Level Media

Feb 6, 2023; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid speaks with media during Super Bowl Opening Night at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Retirement on hold, Chiefs’ Andy Reid makes run at best ever

LAS VEGAS — Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid embraces Tommy Bahama button-town style to the extent questions about retirement no longer inspire shock and disdain.

“My mom and dad told me a long time ago, ‘You’ll know when it’s time,’” Reid said Monday at Super Bowl LVIII Opening Night at Allegiant Stadium. “I’m here. And I’m still ready to go right now.”

But at age 65, another question might apply to Reid by Sunday night: Could he become the GOAT?

“I don’t think about that sort of thing really,” Reid said.

Reid is second in NFL history with 25 playoff wins and fourth in regular-season victories with 258. Recently unemployed Bill Belichick ranks No. 1 with 31 postseason victories and is closing in on Don Shula’s regular-season wins mark. Belichick stands at a grand total of 333 victories (302 in the regular season).

Kansas City defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has coached against Belichick and worked for Reid with the Philadelphia Eagles and the Chiefs. He wouldn’t claim to have foreseen Reid chasing 300 career wins, but he did see greatness in the young coach groomed under Mike Holmgren with the Green Bay Packers.

“You knew immediately that Andy knew exactly how to do it,” Spagnuolo said Monday, adding the detail-oriented Reid has encyclopedic volumes of notes from his coaching experiences and offseason visits to college programs to keep learning and exploring what’s next. “He never looks riled. Rock solid. He never gets too high, never gets too low. Stays the course all the way through. When the coaches, the players see that — they follow.”

Reid snapped Kansas City’s 49-year streak without a Super Bowl appearance when the Chiefs claimed Lombardi Trophy after the 2019 season. He has taken Kansas City to four Super Bowls in the past five seasons and is pursuing his third title.

Since being hired by the Chiefs in January 2013, Reid hasn’t had a losing record in 11 seasons. No other franchise has a streak of consecutive non-losing seasons higher than five during that same window.

Fired by the Eagles in 2012 after 14 seasons in Philadelphia, Reid isn’t underappreciated in Kansas City. Before his arrival, the Chiefs hadn’t won a playoff game since January 1994, when Shula was still coaching the Miami Dolphins. Miami beat the Chiefs in the playoffs the following season.

That was one of Shula’s 347 total wins. He logged 328 victories in the regular season.

Reid stands at 283 total, 64 behind Shula’s all-time record tally.

But Reid’s 28-year-old quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, is set to become the youngest to start four Super Bowls — a clip two years ahead of Tom Brady, who started his fourth at age 30 with the New England Patriots under Belichick.

With Reid — who drafted Mahomes in 2017 — they’re on a run of eight consecutive AFC West division titles and six straight AFC Championship Games.

Could Reid catch Belichick and Shula? Well, it depends.

Belichick, 71, and the Patriots split in January. Pete Carroll, 72, and the Seattle Seahawks did, too. That makes Reid the NFL’s elder statesman with his 66th birthday on March 19, six days after NFL free agency begins and less than a week before he is scheduled to represent the Chiefs at league meetings in Orlando.

Within the NFL pantheon of coaching legends, greatness narratives often are coupled with dynasty-level success, the type Reid is in the throes of with the Chiefs.

He has 37 regular-season wins and eight playoff wins in the past three seasons with a chance to get another playoff “W” this week. Including the Chiefs’ franchise-record 14 wins in 2020 (a mark they matched in 2022), Reid’s four-season totals are 51 wins, 10 in the playoffs.

For now, Reid wants to keep his focus on the next one.

He has never lost in Las Vegas (4-0 vs. the Raiders) and said the Chiefs are thanking the Raiders for the Christmas Day defeat in Kansas City that lit a spark under the team.

“We had some ups and downs throughout the year,” Reid said. “It was good to see the young guys step up and finish strong. The growth would be the biggest part of the journey.”

–By Jeff Reynolds, Field Level Media

Dec 10, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs guard Joe Thuney (62) at the line of scrimmage against the Buffalo Bills during the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Chiefs G Joe Thuney deemed questionable on bye week report

If Super Bowl LVIII were being played this Sunday, All-Pro Kansas City Chiefs guard Joe Thuney would be questionable.

The defending champs’ starting left guard was marked as “did not practice” Wednesday, Thursday and Friday on the Chiefs’ estimated practice report.

Thuney missed the AFC Championship Game, a 17-10 victory over the host Baltimore Ravens, after injuring his pectoral muscle the week prior in the 27-24 win over the host Buffalo Bills in the divisional round. The injury is reported to be a strain, not a tear.

Thuney, 31, started all 17 games in the regular season and earned his second consecutive Pro Bowl nod along with his first career recognition as a first-team All-Pro.

Nick Allegretti started in Thuney’s place against Baltimore and figures to draw the start again Feb. 5 against the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas if Thuney can’t go.

The Chiefs ruled out defensive end Charles Omenihu, who had a key strip-sack of Lamar Jackson in the AFC title game but later tore his ACL.

Wide receiver Skyy Moore (knee) and offensive lineman Prince Tega-Wanogho (quad) are also considered questionable for Kansas City. Both practiced in limited fashion this week, and both are on injured reserve and would need to be activated before the game.

Linebacker Willie Gay (neck) was a full participant Thursday and Friday and carries no game designation. Nor does leading rusher Isiah Pacheco (toe, ankle), despite being limited Thursday and Friday.

The 49ers’ only player given a game designation Friday was defensive tackle Kalia Davis, who is on IR with an ankle injury but was a full participant in practice this week.

Of note, star tight end George Kittle (toe) was given “DNPs” Wednesday through Friday but carried no game designation.

–Field Level Media

Nov 5, 2023; Frankfurt, Germany, ;  Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) reacts to fans before an NFL International Series game against the Miami Dolphins at Deutsche Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Super Bowl novelty props range from anthem length to proposals

The Super Bowl’s attractive novelty prop betting market has found its perfect over-the-top match: Las Vegas.

The narratives are firmly in place long before kickoff Feb. 11, when the Kansas City Chiefs meet the San Francisco 49ers in Sin City’s first Super Bowl.

The props that stir sports-betting fans’ interest are those that have a perceived edge to be uncovered. It’s seen by some as an opportunity to play detective — maybe a team manager leaked his or her team’s choice for the color of Gatorade — and lock in a bet that has nothing to do with the football game.

As a disclaimer: Not all states with licensed sportsbooks allow all (or any) of the novelty prop bets discussed below.

The Gatorade bath

This one has its roots in the 1987 Super Bowl when New York Giants coach Bill Parcells was drenched following his team’s victory over the Denver Broncos. The tradition didn’t really stick until 2001, when it began a run of attention that remains today.

Last year’s Super Bowl, won by Kansas City, saw Chiefs coach Andy Reid doused with purple Gatorade — a long shot anywhere from +800 to +1900 at various sportsbooks.

This Super Bowl LVIII matchup features two teams with red as a primary color. But is red Gatorade the favorite? Nope. Sportsbooks have almost unanimously opened the betting with purple as the favorite to repeat.

A sample of odds shows purple at +225 (DraftKings) and +275 (BetMGM), with yellow/green second.

DraftKings then lists orange third and blue, red, clear/water and “no Gatorade shower” filling out the top seven options.

BetMGM believes in blue, a co-favorite with purple, followed by yellow/green and then a tie between red and orange, with clear and “no shower” rounding it out.

We’re still tempted to roll with red, a +500 outsider at both aforementioned sportsbooks.

National anthem time

If you love the pregame hype, entertainment and activity leading up to kickoff, surely you can be coaxed into predicting the length of a given singer’s version of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Yes, the time it takes to sing the national anthem has become a conversation piece — and a bet whose outcome is predicated entirely on the whims of the singer.

This year’s performer, country legend Reba McEntire, has a track record of relatively quick national anthem performances, and the most common number sits at about a minute, 30 seconds.

According to research from TheLines.com, the longest McEntire anthem available via YouTube is only a minute and 23 seconds.

If you can find the prop at north of 1:30, it may be worth a little investment.

Words, words, words

A prop that gradually has gained more attention over the past few decades is the content of the postgame speech.

If these props were around in the 1960s, Green Bay Packers quarterback Bart Starr, MVP of Super Bowls I and II, certainly would have hit one of these favorites in the immediate on-field aftermath.

Odds and markets such as these from BetMGM below (posted for use at BetMGM in Ontario, Canada, only) are available at many offshore sportsbooks, as well as from some licensed sportsbooks in North America.

Who will be mentioned first in MVP Speech?

God/Religious Figure -150
Teammates +250
Coach +1100
Team Organization +1400
Family +1800
Fans +2000

Another opportunity for the amateur detective. Anyone see the setlist for the halftime performance?

Here are the BetMGM odds (these specific numbers available only in Ontario) for “Halftime Show — Usher’s First Song Performed.”

“Yeah!” +225
“My Way” +225
“DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love” +500
“Love in This Club” +600
“OMG” +800
“Boyfriend” +1100
“Superstar” +1100
“Burn” +1200
“Good Good” +1800
“My Boo” +2000

More on the menu

Other options across the silly-bet landscape include whether NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will be shown more than once on the CBS broadcast. Seems like better than even money, but it’s difficult to place real money on the whims of the TV production crew.

How about the Super Bowl commercials? A couple of iconic advertisers, Coors and BMW, are part of a prop market asking which will be the first ad to air.

We have the national anthem props, as well as what player will be shown first during Post Malone’s singing of “America the Beautiful,” Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce or 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey. (Kelce is favored anywhere from -200 to -300 at offshore sportsbooks.)

Finally, as everyone knows, there’s a certain celebrity who’s aiming to make it to the big game to support her boyfriend. The prop offers approximate -300 odds on “no” to the question of whether any player will propose to his girlfriend on the field after the game.

Kelce’s music superstar girlfriend, Taylor Swift, is expected to be in the building.

But a bet on “yes” at +210? Really? Not to be a wet blanket here, but even in the crazy world of Super Bowl novelty props, this seems highly unlikely.

–Field Level Media

Jan 13, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) reacts during the second half of the 2024 AFC wild card game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Chiefs to wear home red jerseys in Super Bowl LVIII

The Kansas City Chiefs will be wearing their home red jerseys when they take the field against the San Francisco 49ers for Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.

Kansas City, which is the designated home team for the game on Feb. 11, was afforded the selection of uniform color.

The teams will be wearing the same uniform colors from Super Bowl LIV in February 2020. The Chiefs recorded a 31-20 victory over the 49ers in that game.

Wearing red on Super Bowl Sunday largely has mixed results for Kansas City. The Chiefs wore that color in a 23-7 win over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV, however they dropped a 31-9 decision to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV. The Chiefs wore white in their 35-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers in the very first Super Bowl as well as their 38-35 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII last year.

Their loss to the Chiefs aside, the 49ers have won the two other Super Bowls in which they wore white uniforms.

San Francisco posted a 26-21 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XVI and breezed to a 55-10 win over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXIV.

–Field Level Media

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after Super Bowl LIV win over the 49ers at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Feb. 2, 2020.  [ALLEN EYESTONE/The Palm Beach Post]

Super Bowl Kansas City Chiefs Vs San Francisco 49ers

Chiefs eye back-to-back titles, while 49ers out for revenge

There’s no need to check your eyes if Super Bowl LVIII has a familiar look.

Just four years after the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers met in the big game, the two foes are back for a rematch in the Super Bowl on Feb. 11 in Las Vegas.

San Francisco took a 10-point lead into the fourth quarter of that matchup on Feb. 2, 2020, in Miami Gardens, Fla., before the Chiefs scored 21 points to claim a 31-20 victory.

Kansas City also won last season’s Super Bowl, 38-35 over the Philadelphia Eagles. The franchise is 3-2 in Super Bowls, the first win coming in Super Bowl IV to cap the 1969 season.

The Chiefs qualified for this year’s game with Sunday’s 17-10 road victory over the Baltimore Ravens. Now they will look to become the first franchise to repeat as Super Bowl champions since the New England Patriots (2003 and 2004 seasons).

“Now we’re in the Super Bowl and the job’s not done,” Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. “We got to go out there to Vegas and play a great team and see if we can go out there and get the Super Bowl.”

Mahomes, a two-time Super Bowl MVP, will be making his fourth Super Bowl start. The only quarterbacks to start more are legends Tom Brady (10) and John Elway (five).

Chiefs coach Andy Reid will be coaching in his fifth Super Bowl, tied for third most with former Dallas Cowboys legend Tom Landry. Bill Belichick (nine) and Don Shula (six) are the only two to coach in more.

Meanwhile, the 49ers have been knocking on the championship door during Kyle Shanahan’s coaching tenure.

The loss to the Chiefs was the only time San Francisco made it to the Super Bowl under Shanahan. But the lead got away — just like it did when the Atlanta Falcons blew a 25-point lead when Shanahan was offensive coordinator for an epic meltdown in Super Bowl LI.

The 49ers were the top seed in the NFC this season and reached the Super Bowl with Sunday’s 34-31 comeback win over the Detroit Lions in the conference championship.

The feeling is that it is time for this version of the 49ers to win the franchise’s sixth Super Bowl title, and first since the 1994 season.

“There’s been unfinished business for a while,” Shanahan said after the win over the Lions. “Our team has been set up for this for a long time. It’s been a long year to get to this point.”

While the Chiefs possess arguably the best quarterback in the game in Mahomes and his 14-3 career postseason record, the 49ers have seen Brock Purdy go from Mr. Irrelevant as the last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft to one of the most relevant signal-callers in the game.

Purdy (24 years, 46 days) will be the third-youngest quarterback to start a Super Bowl and has given San Francisco stability at the position.

Jimmy Garoppolo was the starter when the 49ers lost to the Chiefs four years ago, and the organization thought it would be better served using the No. 3 overall pick in 2021 on Trey Lance. That decision turned out to be a colossal blunder, but Purdy saved the day with his emergence and is already a bona fide star.

Both teams have star tight ends (Travis Kelce for the Chiefs, George Kittle for the 49ers) and an upper-echelon pass rusher (Chris Jones for the Chiefs, Nick Bosa for the 49ers).

San Francisco’s Christian McCaffrey is one of the NFL’s top all-around running backs, while few backs run harder than Kansas City’s Isiah Pacheco.

Both teams have celebrity fans who can’t wait to hit the Las Vegas Strip while using their best moves and distractions to avoid the crush of paparazzi. But only one of these teams (the Chiefs) has Taylor Swift cheering for them.

But it won’t turn into “Swift Week” leading up to the big game, as Kelce’s girlfriend won’t be anywhere near Vegas until the eve of the contest. She will be serenading Kelce with “You Belong With Me” from Tokyo with four straight concerts scheduled from Feb 7-10.

So, let the Super Bowl hype begin.

–Field Level Media