For the fifth straight year, someone with a Utah tie will win a Super Bowl ring when Super Bowl LX kicks off at Levi’s Stadium in the Bay Area on Feb. 8.
Last season, it was former University of Utah and Timpview High star Britain Covey with the Philadelphia Eagles.
The couple of years before that, Kansas City coach Andy Reid, the former BYU player and graduate assistant, won his second and third Super Bowl rings as head coach alongside a group of other Utah ties that included Matt Bushman (BYU), Porter Ellett (BYU) and Alex Whittingham (Utah).
Zayne Anderson (BYU, Stansbury High) and Marcus Kemp (Layton High) were also around for one of those Super Bowl-winning seasons with the Chiefs.
Four years back, former University of Utah safety Eric Weddle came out of retirement and won his first Super Bowl ring with the Los Angeles Rams, alongside two other former Utes, kicker Matt Gay (who prepped at Orem High) and safety Terrell Burgess.
You’ve got to go back to that Rams team four years ago for the last time that any of these Utah ties made a significant contribution on the field during the title game in a winning effort.
Others, like San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner, the former BYU star, have played — and made big plays — in recent Super Bowls, but they came out on the losing end.
In that Super Bowl LVI back in February 2022, Weddle had five tackles, while Gay hit a couple of extra points and made a 41-yard field goal.
This year, however, there should be one or two Utah ties, perhaps more, who make notable contributions on the field during the Super Bowl.
Every single one of the four remaining teams heading into the NFL conference championship weekend has at least one starter with a Utah tie.
In total, there are 11 players with Utah ties still alive in this year’s postseason. On Sunday, the Super Bowl LX matchup will be determined when the Denver Broncos host the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game (1 p.m. MST, CBS), followed by the Seattle Seahawks hosting the Los Angeles Rams (4:30 p.m. MST, Fox).
Here are the names to watch for in this weekend’s AFC and NFC conference championship games.
Puka Nacua
There’s good reason that Nacua, the former BYU and Orem High wide receiver, leads this list.
In just his third season, the All-Pro Rams receiver has turned into one of the NFL’s most recognizable names. This year, he led the league in receptions (129) and was second in receiving yards (1,715), while adding 11 touchdowns (10 receiving, one rushing).
That production has carried over to the postseason.
In a wild-card win over Carolina, Nacua scored twice (one receiving, one rushing) and had 10 catches for 111 yards in a 34-31 victory.
While he didn’t score in a 20-17 overtime win over the Chicago Bears in last Sunday’s divisional round, Nacua caught five passes for 56 yards and had two carries for 6 yards.
Every possession that Nacua touched the ball, the Rams scored, including the game-winning field goal in the extra session.
Now, Nacua is as close to the Super Bowl as he’s ever been. Two years ago, the Rams lost in the wild-card round, and last year, it was in the divisional round.
Getting to the Super Bowl requires beating a Seahawks team at Lumen Field in Seattle, a place where Los Angeles blew a 30-14 fourth-quarter lead against the Seahawks in Week 16.
“It’ll be a great challenge for us, and we’re excited for it,” Nacua told reporters after Sunday’s divisional-round win.
Nacua is considered to be one of the favorites under consideration for AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors, though it’s expected that will go to Seattle wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Pro Football Focus, however, has already named Nacua its 2025 NFL Offensive Player of the Year, with the data to back it up. PFF gave Nacua a 96.1 receiving grade against zone coverage, with a 92.4 mark against man coverage.
That led the NFL in both categories.
“At just 24 years old, Nacua is performing well beyond his years. From generating separation to hauling in difficult catches, there’s nothing he can’t do,” PFF’s Mason Cameron wrote.
“But perhaps his most impressive skill is his ability to snag contested catches. His 27 contested grabs this season now stand as the most by any receiver in the two decades that PFF has been charting data. With a 71.0% contested-catch rate, Nacua led all receivers with at least 15 contested targets by more than 6 percentage points.”
Garett Bolles
This is as close to the Super Bowl as Bolles, the former University of Utah, Snow College and Westlake High offensive tackle, has been in his nine-year NFL career.
In fact, after Denver missed the playoffs each of his first seven seasons in the league, Bolles has only been a part of one postseason win during his time with the Broncos.
That came in last week’s divisional-round overtime victory over Buffalo.
Behind third-year head coach Sean Payton, though, the Broncos have earned their right to host the AFC title game after a 14-3 regular season.
The big question for Denver will be how backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham performs in replacing starter Bo Nix, who broke a bone in his ankle late in the 33-30 win over the Bills, and Bolles, the franchise’s starting left tackle since 2017, will play a huge role in protecting the new QB.
Bolles is coming off his best season — he is one of four Denver players who was named first-team All-Pro.
Pro Football Focus tabbed him as their “Best Pass Blocker” in the 2025 season, as he led all offensive linemen in PFF pass-blocking grade (90.8) was first among offensive tackles in pressure rate allowed (3.1%).
“He was also the only left tackle to play at least 230 pass-blocking snaps — logging 714 — without allowing a sack," PFF wrote.
Can Bolles and the Broncos move one step closer to the NFL’s ultimate prize when they face the Patriots on Sunday?
“Obviously, we’re having a (expletive) of a season. We’re having obviously the best season I’ve had since I’ve been here,” Bolles said in December, per Sports Illustrated. “Having all my teammates with me, seeing everybody get the awards that they deserve, is a special moment for all of us, and I couldn’t have been more proud of all of them.”
The Elliss brothers, Christian and Jonah
The AFC championship game will also pit two brothers with deep Utah ties against each other.
Patriots linebacker Christian Elliss played high school football at Judge Memorial High, while Jonah Elliss was a standout edge rusher at the University of Utah.
Their father is also Luther Elliss, the former Utes star defensive tackle who was a first-round NFL draft pick by Detroit in 1995. Dad Luther has been Utah’s defensive tackles coach since 2022.
Five years in age separate the two brothers — 27-year-old Christian entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2021, while 22-year-old Jonah declared for the NFL draft following his junior year at Utah and was a third-round pick in 2023.
This will be the first time the brothers face each other on the football field.
“He’s one of my best friends in the world, and now he’s my little big brother because he’s bigger than me. I’m excited. I’m really excited for that opportunity to be able to play against him. It’s not something you get often,” Christian Elliss told MassLive.
Christian Elliss has been to the Super Bowl before — he is the only Utah tie left in the playoff race that can say that — when he played on special teams for Philadelphia in Super Bowl LVIII three years ago. That came in a 38-35 loss to Kansas City.
Now, the elder Elliss is a starter for New England, and he had 94 tackles, three pass deflections and a forced fumble during the regular season.
In the Patriots’ 16-3 wild-card win over the Los Angeles Chargers, he had eight tackles and a fumble recovery.
Through his first two NFL seasons, brother Jonah Elliss has 7.5 sacks, including 2.5 during the 2025 regular season.
This year, he played on 38.3% of Denver’s total defensive snaps. Jonah Elliss also has played 71.8% of the Broncos’ special teams snaps and has 28 tackles on the year, with five tackles for loss.
Guaranteed, one of these brothers will be playing in Super Bowl LX in a couple weeks.
“We’re excited. It’s a huge blessing for our family,” Christian Elliss told MassLive. “You know, one of us is going to the Super Bowl one way or the other. So we’re very excited. For me, it’s a little bit of smack talking, a little bit of, we have something between him, and we’ll have a little side bet, and the loser will be reminded forever.”
Rashid Shaheed
Thanks to a midseason trade, Shaheed, the former Weber State wide receiver and return specialist, is now in contention for a Super Bowl appearance with Seattle.
Shaheed, who carved out a name for himself with the New Orleans Saints after going undrafted in 2022, is now a key piece for the Seahawks.
He started Seattle’s 41-6 divisional-round victory over San Francisco with a bang, returning the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown.
That set the tone as the Seahawks outscored the 49ers 17-0 in the first quarter on their way to a blowout win.
The speedy Shaheed can also be a weapon at receiver, as evidenced by his 59 receptions for 687 yards and two touchdowns this season, though the Seahawks have utilized him far less as a receiver than New Orleans did.
Shaheed’s impact as a returner also played a critical role in one of the Seahawks’ key regular-season wins.
In Week 16 against the Rams, Shaheed’s 58-yard punt return for a touchdown sparked a rally that helped Seattle overcome a 16-point fourth-quarter deficit to win in overtime, and that victory helped the Seahawks land the NFC’s No. 1 seed.
This is the deepest playoff run for Shaheed, who never played a postseason game with the Saint.
Khyiris Tonga
Tonga, the former BYU and Granger High defensive tackle, has been a journeyman in his five years in the NFL.
He’s played for four different teams — and was an offseason addition for another at one point — during his pro career, though he’s found a place where he fits in New England.
During the regular season, Tonga had 24 tackles, as well as a pair of pass deflections.
This is the second playoff appearance for Tonga, who also played in the postseason with the Minnesota Vikings in 2023.
In the Patriots’ 28-16 divisional-round win over Houston last weekend, he had arguably his best game of the season, after coming back from a foot injury that forced him to miss three weeks.
Tonga ended up with his first career solo sack, taking down Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud in the fourth quarter, and also had three tackles and two QB hits in the win.