Andrew Mukuba Tilts Super Bowl Rematch: 'He Has a Knack for Finding the Football'

KANSAS CITY – With Super Bowl winners all over the field, the biggest play of the most anticipated game of the 2025 NFL season came from a rookie playing just his second game as a pro.

In the fourth quarter, with the Eagles clinging to a three-point lead on the road, the Chiefs had driven from their 20 to the Philadelphia 6-yard line, well within range of a tying field goal and threatening to take the lead. Patrick Mahomes threw a quick pass to tight end Travis Kelce, but the ball bounced off his hands and directly into the arms of Eagles rookie safety Andrew Mukuba, who not only held on for the pick but returned the interception 41 yards.

"I broke on the ball, and the ball was in the air," said the 22-year-old Mukuba, a second-round pick from Texas. "I feel like I do good around the ball. The ball happened to find my hands."

The Eagles showed last year they can have supreme confidence in rookie defensive backs, as corner Quinyon Mitchell and nickel Cooper DeJean were key parts of their run to a championship. As a new season begins, they're again trusting a rookie in a crucial position. Sunday illustrated why they have such confidence in his still-growing skills.

"He has a knack for finding the football," Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said. "You can see it on his college tape. Some guys have that."

Mukuba, born in Zimbabwe, moved to the United States with his family when he was 8 years old. He discovered football in Austin, Texas, and was the ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year as a freshman at Clemson. He really found himself last season when he transferred to Texas, getting five interceptions and establishing himself as an NFL prospect.

"The big thing about Drew is he came in and was a sponge with (veterans) Reed