Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Warner thought McDuffie should have won MVP over Mahomes. We apologize for the error.
After leading the Kansas City Chiefs to a 25-22 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday night, Patrick Mahomes was awarded the third Super Bowl MVP trophy of his career.
Mahomes played very well in the game. He completed 34 of his 46 pass attempts for 333 yards and two touchdowns, and he added another 66 yards on the ground. Kansas City definitely wouldn't have won the game without his play. However, Mahomes wasn't the only one who could have won the game's MVP award..
After the game, former two-time NFL MVP Kurt Warner took to Twitter to share with the world who he thought could have been named Most Valuable Player: Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie.
No doubt PM2 played great down the stretch & deserved MVP, but if I had to choose someone else for award after watching the tape back it was #TrentMcDuffie, he dominated the WRs of SF (all SF DBs out physical-ed the 49ers & was why they won IMO)!!!
— Kurt Warner (@kurt13warner) February 12, 2024
McDuffie was excellent against San Francisco. It was his late blitz in the closing minutes of regulation that forced the 49ers to settle for a field goal and left the door open for the Chiefs to force overtime and eventually pull out a win.
McDuffie was especially effective in the second half following a message from defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo at halftime.
“Coach Spags’ big thing in the second half was he told us DBs he was going to rely on us heavily in the man-to-man situations,” McDuffie said. “So I trusted my brothers and trusted my technique and being confident in who I am. I mean, I feel like that’s the only way I was able to make these plays.”
After the game, McDuffie expressed gratitude for being part of such a special defensive unit.
“It’s been a blessing being a part of this defense,” McDuffie said “I mean, there’s no egos. There’s nobody in there with that superstar mindset. Everybody just wants to play for each other. What a team and being a part of something like this. I’m very grateful.”
At just 23 years old, McDuffie has a lot of good football ahead of him. So just as he's grateful to be a member of the Chiefs, they should also be grateful that he's on the roster.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly made it seem that Warner thought that Mahomes wasn't deserving of the award. We apologize for the error.