A former UK player could make NFL history in an unexpected way if Eagles win Super Bowl
If the Philadelphia Eagles end the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl streak, a former Kentucky football player could make history without even seeing the field.
Eagles reserve offensive lineman Darian Kinnard would earn his third Super Bowl ring in three professional seasons with a Philadelphia victory. To date, only one player has won a Super Bowl in three consecutive seasons: Ken Norton Jr. with the Cowboys in 1992 and 1993 and 49ers in 1994. A Chiefs win would dramatically expand that list since the franchise would become the first ever to win three consecutive Super Bowls, but even if the Chiefs lose Norton will have new company.
Since Kinnard, a 2022 fifth-round pick of the Chiefs, spent the first two seasons of his career with Kansas City before signing with Philadelphia last winter, an Eagles win would put him alongside Norton in the three-consecutive-Super-Bowl-wins club. Kinnard’s distinction in that club would be even more unusual since he has only rarely played in his three professional seasons.
Assuming he does not play in the game — as has been the case in all but two games this season — Kinnard would leave New Orleans with the same number of Super Bowl rings as career games played in the event of an Eagles victory.
Kinnard played in one game as a rookie with the Chiefs in 2022. He spent the entire 2023 season on the Chiefs’ practice squad. After signing with the Eagles in February, Kinnard played in two games for Philadelphia this season, making his first career start in week 18 while the Eagles rested many of their normal starters.
While Kinnard has spent the whole season on Philadelphia’s 53-man roster, he has only been included on the 48-man active roster on game day three times. He was active but did not play in Week 4 at Tampa Bay. He played three snaps off the bench in Week 8 at Cincinnati. He started at right tackle and played 68 snaps in Week 18 against the New York Giants. Kinnard has been inactive for each of the Eagles’ first three playoff games.
If the Eagles beat the Chiefs with Kinnard inactive as usual, he would receive his third Super Bowl ring without ever actually playing in the Super Bowl. Still, that would make him the first former Kentucky player to win three Super Bowls.
Kinnard is tied with former UK teammate Mike Edwards (2021 and 2024) and former Wildcat Larry Seiple (1973 and 1974) with two Super Bowl rings. Seiple is the only former UK player to play for a team that reached three consecutive Super Bowls prior to Kinnard, but Seiple played in all three Super Bowls his team reached.
Kinnard is one of 18 former Wildcats to earn a Super Bowl ring as a player.
2025 Super Bowl
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles
When: 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 9
Where: Superdome in New Orleans
TV: Fox