NFL

5 Players Who Are Making Their Super Bowl Debut In 2025

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The Eagles, and certainly the Chiefs, are no strangers to the Super Bowl. Philadelphia will be making their third appearance in the last eight years on February 9th, and the Chiefs have played in the big game in five of their last six tries. The rosters haven’t seen many drastic changes since their last appearances, as most of the key players have stuck around for this year’s contest.

But there are a few big-name contributors that will be making their Super Bowl debuts in a couple of weeks, in search of the championship rings that have evaded them thus far in their careers.

Five Players Who Are Making Their Super Bowl Debuts In 2025

Here are five players who will be playing under the brightest of lights for the first time in 2025:

Saquon Barkley

The acquisition of Saquon Barkley by the Eagles turned out to be the best roster move of the off-season. He came within 100 yards of breaking the single-season rushing record, and scored five touchdowns in Philadelphia’s final two playoff games to get them to their second Super Bowl in three years.

And while he has long been considered one of the better running backs in the NFL, he played in just two playoff games in his six seasons with the New York Giants. He will not only be making his Super Bowl debut on February 9th, but figures to be one of the biggest factors in the game for the Eagles, and currently has the second-best odds of being named MVP.

DeAndre Hopkins

DeAndre Hopkins is well removed from being one of the best wide receivers in all of football. He was named to an All-Pro team in five of his first eight seasons in the league, with multiple 1,500+ yard seasons and a league-leading 13 touchdowns in 2017. He had his best years while playing for the Texans, and had a nice one-year resurgence in 2023 when he eclipsed 1,000 yards for the first time in three years.

But during his first 11 years in the league, Hopkins was just 2-4 in postseason games that he played in, and hadn’t participated in one since the 2019 season. But that all changed upon being traded to the Chiefs earlier this season, and he will make his Super Bowl debut this year with Kansas City. Hopkins was targeted three times in the two playoff games leading up, and has just one catch this postseason for 11 yards.

Mekhi Becton

The early career of Mekhi Becton has been a disappointing one. The offensive guard has struggled with injuries, having played in just one game between the 2021 and 2022 seasons, and struggled with his performance during his final season with the New York Jets in 2023.

But he had a career resurgence this past season after signing a one-year contract with the Eagles. He proved to be a key piece in Philadelphia’s dominant rushing attack, which carried over into the postseason, as he played in 100% of his team’s offensive snaps in their three games. He will make his Super Bowl debut in a couple of weeks, and may be in for a nice pay day when he becomes a free agent this off-season.

Hollywood Brown

He was supposed to be one of the players that helped Lamar Jackson make it to a Super Bowl, but Brown was traded by the Ravens in 2022 per his request. He had solid seasons with the Cardinals in 2022 and 2023, but never played in a playoff game with Arizona.

It looked as though he might flame out in Kansas City, too, as it was thought that he’d miss the entire 2024 campaign after being injured in the preseason. But he was able to make a return late in the year, and has given Patrick Mahomes another option in the passing game for the Chiefs’ postseason run. Brown had a solid performance in the AFC Championship game by catching three passes for 35 yards.

Nolan Smith

His career is still budding, as Smith was drafted by the Eagles in 2023. He was still in college when Philadelphia last met the Chiefs in the Super Bowl two years ago, but he could be one of the key defensive pieces that can help his team pull off an upset. After a somewhat disappointing rookie season in 2023, Smith became one of the most reliable defenders for the team in 2024, finishing with the second-most sacks of anyone on the roster.

He played a key role in the NFC Championship game, racking up 4 combined tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss, and a hit on the QB.