Keep an eye on these 12 non-QB playmakers in Super Bowl LVII

Plenty of the attention during Super Bowl week will deservedly go to Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts. The pair of quarterbacks who led two of the best offenses in the NFL colliding in the biggest game of their lives. Due to how important the quarterback is to any team, the chances of Hurts and Mahomes being playmakers in Super Bowl LVII are high. They’re also guaranteed not to be the only movers and shakers we’ll see in Arizona.

Who will become the unsung hero of this year’s Super Bowl? The choices are nearly endless as every rostered member on both sides will play like there’s no tomorrow. Because there is no tomorrow in the 2022 NFL season. And there are players way better positioned on each roster to make the game-winning difference. Here’s a dozen with a good chance.

The 2020 Heisman Trophy winner has quickly adjusted to the professional game. To be fair, he was playing as an NFL-caliber wide receiver long before arriving in Philadelphia. Now that he’s in his second season with the Eagles, Smith has shown how his game can grow in plenty of ways and he hasn’t relied on just being more athletic than a defensive back guarding him. Smith has five games of more than 100 yards receiving this season and could easily pull it off against the Chiefs.

The Kelce brother who’ll likely end up as the only one with individual stats from the game. One of the greatest tight ends of all time is entering his first Super Bowl as Mahomes’ clear top target. You could’ve made the argument for both of his previous appearances in the biggest game in sports that he was Mahomes’ No. 1, but Tyreek Hill would’ve easily had an argument too. Now that everyone knows he’s where Mahomes’ eyes will go first, does that make him emboldened to have his best game of the season? Or does he crack under the pressure? I’m betting on the former.

While Kenneth Gainwell will get his touches in the Super Bowl, Sanders will be the running back between either team who gets the most carries on Sunday and I don’t think it will be particularly close. Sanders finished the season with 259 carries for 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns. His accomplishments behind one of the best offensive lines in football and a wide receiving corps with a ton of talent have kept defenses guessing the entire year. And Sanders plays arguably the most important role in the offense aside from Hurts.

It’s about time we had some defense on this list. Bolton is the best tackler on the Chiefs’ defense and has truly solidified himself as one of the best young linebackers in the NFL during his sophomore season in Kansas City. Bolton isn’t the fastest or strongest linebacker that’ll be on the field on Sunday night, but it’s likely he’ll be the smartest. There’ll be no wasted motion and if there’s an opportunity for him to make a game-changing play, it’s a done deal.

He’s the best wide receiver that’ll play in Super Bowl LVII. He’s got a few years in the league on Smith and outgained him this season. The duo obviously benefits from having another downfield threat among the Eagles’ 11 playing at any given time. Brown has amassed nearly 1,500 yards this season including the playoffs and if the Chiefs key in on Smith, Brown should have a monster day and make it a second straight season with a wide receiver winning Super Bowl MVP.

No rookie has ever won Super Bowl MVP. Pacheco has the best chance to break that trend of anyone in the game. He’s a seventh-round draft pick from football powerhouse Rutgers. All jokes aside, he’s gone from one of the consistently worst Power Five Conference football programs to one of the best teams in the NFL and has proven his skill over the last several weeks. He’s underrated but could make a huge difference if Mahomes still has limited mobility on Sunday.

On a menacing Eagles’ defense, Reddick is the leader and most-feared individual. Reddick has turned into one of the best defenders in the league. It’s his third team in three years and he’s had double-digit sacks all the way through. His first year in Philadelphia was by far the best effort of his career, turning in 16 sacks. He’ll have to get through an improved Chiefs’ offensive line, but him dominating is absolutely not out of the question.

He’s pretty far down the depth chart in the Chiefs’ wide receiver room. But as a kick returner and punt returner for Kansas City, Moore doing his Devin Hester impression and breaking a game-winning touchdown can happen. Without his critical return late in the fourth quarter of the AFC Championship, the Chiefs wouldn’t have had great field position. And Joseph Ossai’s 15-yard penalty wouldn’t have basically clinched the Chiefs’ advancing to the Super Bowl.

The longtime Detroit Lion has been with the Eagles since 2020 and like many others in Philadelphia, he had a phenomenal season. His stats might not reflect that notion, but anyone who’s watched the Eagles play can see how much he stands out in every game. Slay will likely be tasked with guarding JuJu Smith-Schuster for the majority of the game. And if he wins that battle and gets an interception, the Eagles’ chances of winning skyrocket.

A kicker?!?!? Yes, kickers are people, too, and they need love, too. Butker has hit plenty of clutch kicks over the years and already overcame a gnarly ankle injury suffered in Week 1. Despite the hype surrounding both quarterbacks, it’s not hard to imagine both defenses stepping up and having a low-scoring game. When every point matters, getting a trio of them at a time is a luxury and Butker is in one heck of a position in a low-scoring game to contribute on a huge level.

Did you really think I was going to include only one Kelce brother on this countdown? Please, with all the spotlight the duo is receiving ahead of the big game, having Jason also make a huge difference is expected. He’s one of the best centers, if not a premier offensive lineman, in the entire league. He’ll do his best in the trenches to keep everything moving for Philadelphia as it has for the majority of this season. And maybe we’ll get some more sweet dance moves too.

The postseason is a lot about a team’s momentum and while Clark has been a solid defender for a long time, some of his best games in a Chiefs’ uniform have come in his last two. He was integral in the victories over the Jacksonville Jaguars and Cincinnati Bengals. Another stellar performance would greatly help keep the Eagles in check and not repeat the blowout Super Bowl loss of 2021. We should see a ton of Clark matched up against Jason Kelce.