NFL Super Bowl MVP 2025: Not Jalen Hurts or Saquon Barkley, RGIII Names the Real Hero Behind the Eagles’ Second Lombardi Trophy

The Philadelphia Eagles finally exorcised the demons of their past and got one over the Chiefs. The Birds pulled off a dominant 40-22 win over the former defending champions. However, it was the performance of a lifetime that no one saw coming.

The offense led by Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley put up 40 points and unsurprisingly the QB took home the MVP. But Robert Griffin believes the offense and Hurts weren’t real MVPs on the night. So who was?

RG3 took to X (formerly Twitter) reacting to the Eagles’ second Lombardi win and believes the defense led by Vic Fangio was the real Super Bowl MVP. The defense truly made Hurts’ and the O-Line’s job a lot easier on Sunday.

Fangio’s game plan did wonders for them, severely halting the Chiefs offense coached by offensive genius, Andy Reid. Kansas City and Mahomes didn’t cross the 50-yard line until the final two minutes of the third quarter.

The Eagles’ solid defense kept Mahomes caged and the defending champs didn’t bother the scoreboard up until the last minute of 3rd quarter when they finally scored a TD.

Most agreed with RGIII, acknowledging the Eagles’ defense as dominant—though some argued it wasn’t quite on the same level as the 2013 Seahawks’ Legion of Boom.

A few, however, believe the credit should go not just to Vic Fangio, but also to Howie Roseman, who put together such a stellar roster.

Another chimed in and added,

A user commented,

On the other hand, frustrated Chiefs fans refuse to give credit to Fangio and the Eagles’ defense, claiming it was the Chiefs’ O-line that was to blame, and that Philly didn’t do anything special.

One fan even joked that Mahomes is 0-3 whenever Tom Brady is in the building.

So what did Fangio’s defense do differently this time around? Well, for one they targeted the most important piece of that offense-Mahomes. They hurried and pressured him throughout the night, sacking him six times on the night. They didn’t allow him to get comfortable in the pocket, forcing him to make fast throws.

The 2x MVP delivered inaccurate balls to his receivers on many occasions. He also threw costly interceptions, with one being a pick-six while the other gave the Eagles a very short field to get points. He also also lost the ball on a strip sack causing a fumble.

Fangio also made sure Mahomes didn’t try to leave the pocket too often for big gains. He did all that without blitzing very often or filling the box with extra pass rushers.

His usual 5 man D-Line did all the damage. Philadelphia generated pressure on seven of Mahomes’ 17 first-half dropbacks. Along with a young secondary defense, they limited the Chiefs’ offense to a mere 275 yards of offense.

RG3 isn’t alone in believing that the defense should have been the Super Bowl MVP rather than Hurts. Three-time Super Bowl-winning wideout, Micahel Irvin shared the same sentiment. He believes they should have awarded MVP award to the whole defense for what they did to the Chiefs offense and Mahomes.

Offense wins games, but defense wins championships—and the Eagles’ defense proved that on the biggest stage. They dominated the trenches, bringing intensity, physicality, and grit to every play.

Football, at its core, is about strength, power, and relentless effort—a true gladiator’s spectacle. And on this night, that defense was the gladiator.