As Americans around the nation gather in living rooms and Caesars Superdome to watch the Super Bowl, men of faith will compete in the nation’s most highly anticipated sports game. Who among the players is an outspoken believer?

From The Christian Post. Super Bowl LIX will kick off at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Sunday, with the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles squaring off for the second time in the last three Super Bowls.

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A victory for the Chiefs would mark a third consecutive Super Bowl victory for them while the Eagles are searching for their first title since 2018.

As two of the most prolific teams in the league, players on both sidelines place a high emphasis on their Christian faith on and off the field.

Here are six Christians playing in Super Bowl LIX.

1. Harrison Butker

Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker, an outspoken Roman Catholic, sparked a national media firestorm last May when he delivered the commencement speech at Benedictine College, a Catholic institution of higher education based in Kansas.

During his address, Butker condemned what he viewed as an inadequate witness by public figures identifying as Catholic yet openly advocating for practices that directly contradict Church teaching.

Butker, 29, elaborated on his faith in an interview with EWTN last year.

He discussed how he was working to instill a love of the rosary in his children and sought to attend mass with his family every Sunday, even amid the demands of football season.

“I can’t miss out on these moments with my children, and I prioritized that this season and it’s amazing that God allowed me to have the best season of my career,” he said.

Butker also praised the Traditional Latin Mass, describing the liturgy as “amazing” and noting how the Fraternity of St. Peter has “been able to provide priests for all the away games Saturday night before the games in the hotels to celebrate this beautiful liturgy.”

In his speech at Benedictine College, Butker didn’t hold back his views about former President Joe Biden.

“Our own nation is led by a man who publicly and proudly proclaims his Catholic faith but at the same time is delusional enough to make the sign of the cross during a pro-abortion rally,” Butker asserted. “He has been so vocal in his support for the murder of innocent babies that I’m sure to many people, it appears that you can be both Catholic and pro-choice.”

Butker delivered a call to action to the graduates gathered in the audience, stressing to them that “Being Catholic alone doesn’t cut it.”

“We must always speak and act in charity but never mistake charity for cowardice,” he said.

Urging the crowd to follow his lead and “speak more boldly and directly” in defense of the Catholic faith, Butker insisted, “It is our duty and ultimately privilege to be authentically and unapologetically Catholic.”

2. Saquon Barkley

In an X post on Jan. 27, the day after the Eagles won the NFC Championship, star running back Saquon Barkley, who rushed for over 2,000 yards this season, wrote, “God is great !! 1 more to go … see ya in New Orleans.”

When delivering remarks to reporters ahead of the Super Bowl this week, Barkley suggested that there was a direct correlation between his growth as a Christian and his athletic success.

“I don’t think it’s ironic the year that I try to really hone in and grow in my faith, I happen to have, you know, my best season. I don’t think that’s ironic at all.”

Barkley said the Bible is something he is challenging himself to “get better at,” considering himself “really lucky” that his agent is a pastor and “able to have Bible studies with him.”

“I think that’s what religion and faith is — is having a relationship with God and understanding who Jesus is and that’s what I’ve been trying to do this year,” he detailed. “I’m going to continue to try and get better at it.”

“I know that I wouldn’t be here without the Man above,” he concluded.

In 2019, after winning the Breakthrough Athlete of the Year Award at the 2019 ESPY Awards while he was a member of the New York Giants, Barkley recognized God in his acceptance speech.

“First and foremost, I want to say thank you to God for blessing me with the opportunity to wake up every single day and play the sport I love and have impact on others.”

3. Patrick Mahomes

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is no stranger to touting his Christian faith on the field. He did so as recently as Jan. 26, when his team secured a spot in the Super Bowl by beating the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship.

“I want to give all glory to God,” he said in a postgame interview with CBS Sports.

“Without Him, none of this is possible, and I truly mean that,” the Texas native added, giving thanks to God for the athletic achievement on social media.

In an X post published shortly after the Chiefs won the close game, Mahomes declared, “Thank you, God!”

After the Chiefs won Super Bowl LIV five years ago, Mahomes discussed how his faith has “always been big with me.”

Although he did not deny his desire to “win every game,” he said using his platform for “glorifying Him every single time I’m out there” is an important aspect of his professional football career.

“As long as I’m doing everything the right way and the way that He would want me to do it, then I can walk off the field with my head held high and be able to be the man that I am.”

Three years later, as the Chiefs advanced to Super Bowl LVII in 2023, Mahomes thanked God for his recovery from an injury he sustained a week earlier that threatened to keep him on the sidelines for the AFC Championship.

“He healed my body this week to battle through that. He gave me the strength to be out here.”

After his team’s victory in last year’s Super Bowl LVIII, Mahomes proclaimed, “I give God the glory,” and asserted, “He challenged us to make us better.”

4. Jalen Hurts

Jalen Hurts, the first Eagles quarterback to reach two Super Bowls, began a postgame press conference following the Jan. 26 NFC Championship victory against the Washington Commanders by proclaiming, “Thank God for the opportunity.”

As he spoke to reporters with a cross around his neck, Hurts expressed gratitude to God for “giving me focus and resilience.”

Ahead of Super Bowl LVII in 2023, where the Eagles lost to the Chiefs, Hurts told Sports Spectrum that John 13:7 is a Bible verse that he leaned on “heavily,” summarizing the Scripture text as “stating “you may not know now, but later you’ll understand.”

“I have a lot of faith, and I put a lot of work in, and I never stop believing in myself and believing what could be,” Hurts, 26, said.

“I have limitless possibilities. And I know where my strength comes from. It comes from God,” he added. “I know what my foundation is with my faith, and nothing goes on without God. My favorite Scripture … just reminds me to continue to be patient, continue to remain diligent, steadfast, keep going … and keep God at the center regardless of what the circumstance is.”

5. Chris Jones

Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones discussed his Christian faith in an interview with Sports Spectrum in 2020.

He highlighted the Christian messages present on two of the wristbands he wears. One of the wristbands has the words “I am second” emblazoned on it. As Jones explained, the words reflect the belief that “I am second, God is first.”

Another of his wristbands features the words “I play for Him.” He cited the message as consistent with his background as a “very religious guy,” adding, “I believe my faith is everything, and that’s what I live by.”

Jones credited his Christian faith with helping him achieve the pinnacle of athletic success by winning Super Bowl LIV in 2020.

“I feel like my faith and my belief helped me stay grounded within [the season] because, through my tough times, I try to go look at the Bible and look at Bible quotes … and try to relate those to my situations,” he said. “And that kind of helped me get through.”

Referring to the story of David and Goliath, Jones detailed how his favorite Bible passage “more so put in my head that anyone could be defeated no matter how big or how small you are.” He spoke favorably of the underlying message, “Whatever you dream, you can accomplish.”

6. AJ Brown

Eagles star receiver A.J. Brown is another player who has spoken about his Bible engagement in the past.

In 2023, before Super Bowl LVII, Brown said that he reads the Bible “a lot.”

“I read the Bible a lot because that’s how I fight my problems,” he told reporters. “I’m not trying to stand over here and say I’m a perfect guy. Because I’m not. Nobody is. But, I just lean heavy on my faith and try to let Him direct my paths.”

The Bible verse that Brown said resonates for him is Romans 8:18, which states: “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”

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This article was originally published at The Christian Post. Used with permission. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons.