Every Super Bowl Rematch in NFL History (and What It Means for Chiefs vs. Eagles)
For just the 10th time in Super Bowl history, we'll have a rematch in the Big Game with the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles facing off in Super Bowl 2025 on Sunday, Feb. 9, at 6:30 p.m. ET (FOX) from the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
Every era has its handful of dominant franchises, and the result can lead to Super Bowl rematches as those heavyweights aim to settle the score. We'll be treated to another this year with Chiefs vs. Eagles after those teams met two years ago - which resulted in a 38-35 win for Kansas City that launched its current dynastic run.
Let's look back at every Super Bowl rematch in NFL history, which includes a pair of legacy teams clashing three times and these very Chiefs reigning supreme in a rematch last year.
Super Bowl rematches
Super Bowl 59 will mark the 10th time in league history that two teams will face off after previously meeting in the Super Bowl.
That typically hasn't gone well for the losing team in its second shot at glory, as only three teams have exacted revenge. The Dallas Cowboys even needed two cracks at it to finally break through.
Here's a look at every Super Bowl rematch across the 58-year history of the Big Game:
Every Super Bowl rematch in NFL history
| Years | Teams | Results |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 and 1983 | Miami Dolphins vs. Washington Commanders | 14-7 Dolphins, 27-17 Commanders |
| 1976, 1979, and 1996 | Dallas Cowboys vs. Pittsburgh Steelers | 21-17 Steelers, 35-31 Steelers, 27-17 Cowboys |
| 1982 and 1989 | San Francisco 49ers vs. Cincinnati Bengals | 26-21 49ers, 20-16 49ers |
| 1991 and 1992 | Dallas Cowboys vs. Buffalo Bills | 52-17 Cowboys, 30-13 Cowboys |
| 2002 and 2019 | Los Angeles Rams vs. New England Patriots | 20-17 Patriots, 13-3 Patriots |
| 2005 and 2018 | Philadelphia Eagles vs. New England Patriots | 24-21 Patriots, 41-33 Eagles |
| 2008 and 2012 | New York Giants vs. New England Patriots | 17-14 Giants, 21-17 Giants |
| 2020 and 2024 | Kansas City Chiefs vs. San Francisco 49ers | 31-20 Chiefs, 25-22 Chiefs |
Here are a few quick observations:
- Most of these rematches are predictably in the same era as the first meeting, as both teams remain in the league's upper echelon at the same time
- The Patriots were an era unto themselves while remaining in that top tier for the better part of two decades, and they were incredibly part of three separate rematches
- The Cowboys and Bills are the only teams to meet in back-to-back years, while the next-shortest time between rematches is three years, which the Chiefs and Eagles will soon top with only two years dividing their clashes
- Of the seven times when teams have met just twice, there have been five sweeps, and the Chiefs will go for a sixth during this year's Super Bowl after already dealing that fate to the 49ers last year
- The games that took place within five years were generally tight, coming with an average margin of victory sitting at eight points - and that's even with the Cowboys-Bills blowouts skewing the average
How do teams perform in Super Bowl rematches?
Shield your eyes, Philadelphia fans. The history for losing teams in the Super Bowl rematch doesn't exactly offer a vote of confidence for the Eagles' Super Bowl odds.
Of the nine previous Super Bowl rematches, the losing team in the first meeting won the subsequent clash just three times. That includes the Cowboys winning a third bout with the Steelers two decades after Dallas' initial loss in Super Bowl 10.
As we laid out in our breakdown of this Chiefs vs. Eagles rematch, it's even tougher to flip the script when the rematch comes within five years. While fewer than 10 points on average has been the margin of victory in those games, the original winner is 4-0 in the rematch.
That includes the Chiefs beating the 49ers last year in a rematch from their first meeting four years earlier, which feels eerily similar to this rematch with the Eagles.
Top moments from Super Bowl rematches
While the results haven't changed all that often the second time around, we've been treated to some legendary moments in Super Bowl history between teams with bad blood.
Giants vs. Patriots, 2012 Super Bowl
The helmet catch of 2008 was a difficult moment to top. But the Patriots and Giants sure tried, especially the latter with another unlikely hero emerging en route to a second upset of New England.
This was an incredibly narrow defensive battle, as the Patriots entered the fourth quarter with a mere 17-15 lead. Whether it was an overthrow from Tom Brady or a drop from Wes Welker is up for debate (unless your name is Gisele Bundchen), but the result was a Patriots miscue on a key late drive when they could have lengthened their lead.
That opened the door for more heroics from Eli Manning. And like David Tyree before, his target was an unlikely one.
Remember, this is coming at the end of a season when Victor Cruz was at his peak for the Giants, as was Hakeem Nicks. Cruz finished the regular season with 1,536 receiving yards, while Nicks posted 1,192, and both of those totals would eventually stand as career highs.
Mario Manningham was fourth on the team at 523 yards, behind tight end Jake Ballard. Yet there he was with three minutes and 46 seconds left during a two-point game, with his outstretched hands cradling the ball 38 yards downfield, and his toes remaining in bounds between two Patriots defenders after Manning dropped the ball into the laughably tight window.
A few plays later, the Giants scored what would hold up as the game-winning touchdown to extend Tom Brady's misery against New York.
Eagles vs. Patriots, 2018 Super Bowl
There's too much distance between the first Eagles vs. Patriots clash in 2005 and this rematch for much continuity to exist among these rosters, beyond the looming presence of Brady and Bill Belichick during the height of the Patriots' powers.
That's part of what makes the upcoming Chiefs vs. Eagles tilt so intriguing, and it takes some of the luster away from this rematch in 2018. Still, this game produced one of the most iconic moments in Super Bowl history, and it's since been made into so very many T-shirts, tattoos, sandwiches, and even a statue of Nick Foles and Doug Pederson.
The Eagles faced 4th-and-goal from New England's 1-yard line with 34 seconds left in the first half while nursing a 3-point lead. Head coach Doug Pederson decided to go for it, wanting to score a key touchdown to stretch the lead to 10 points heading into halftime.
Pederson called a timeout when his team first lined up. Through the mic he was wearing, Foles is later heard asking Pederson, "You want Philly Philly?" to which his coach says, "Yeah, let's do it."
The creativity that followed featured Foles walking up to the line and signaling before a direct snap to tight end Trey Burton, who then threw a pass to his wide-open quarterback.
The second half went back and forth, and more clutch play from Foles was needed for Philadelphia. But that bit of goal-line trickery will forever live in Super Bowl lore.
Chiefs vs. 49ers, 2024 Super Bowl
The Chiefs are about to appear in five of the last six Super Bowls. It's been a rotating cast of characters opposing them, with the Eagles about to get a second crack, and the San Francisco 49ers still smarting from being dismissed for a second time in 2024.
The rematch was tight throughout, with largely a defensive battle taking place early. The first quarter was scoreless, and the first touchdown didn't come until there were four minutes and 23 seconds remaining in the opening half.
The defensive slugfest continued, with both teams held under 20 points during regulation, and overtime needed for just the second time in Super Bowl history.
Arguably, the key moment for this Super Bowl didn't happen during game play. It occurred during the coin toss prior to overtime, when 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan inspired countless hours of talk radio chatter by deciding to take the ball to begin the extra frame.
That resulted in the Chiefs getting possession with an opportunity to win through a touchdown after the 49ers tallied a field goal to open the overtime period.
That result always felt inevitable, with the Chiefs methodically marching downfield, and a 19-yard run from Mahomes featuring prominently. Two plays later, he connected with a wide-open Mecole Hardman on a short pass to the right.
The win sealed not only the Chiefs' second straight Super Bowl and their third over the past five years, but also a second defeat of the Niners in short order during the Big Game.
What to know about Chiefs vs. Eagles Super Bowl
- Super Bowl by the numbers
- Andy Reid vs. Nick Sirianni comparison
- Tom Brady vs. Patrick Mahomes GOAT debate
- Chiefs vs. Eagles rematch
- Chiefs vs. Eagles history
- Every Super Bowl rematch in NFL history
- New Orleans Super Bowl history
- Ranking Super Bowl rings
- Do NFL bye weeks in predicting the Super Bowl winner
- Chiefs postseason winning streak
- Chiefs Super Bowl history
- Eagles Super Bowl history
- Chiefs Super Bowl three-peat
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