NEW ORLEANS — As he stood on a stage shaped like the NFL shield surrounded by falling green, white and silver confetti, Jalen Hurts smiled and licked his lips in humble satisfaction. The Eagles quarterback’s long-awaited moment in the spotlight was delayed, but not denied.

Hurts was named Super Bowl LIX most valuable player after he threw for 221 yards and two touchdowns while completing 17 of 22 passes in the Eagles’ 40-22 rout over the Kansas City Chiefs. He added a Super Bowl quarterback record 72 yards rushing with another score on the ground.

The Eagles’ quarterback was every bit as magnificent as he was three years ago against the Chiefs when he threw for 304 yards and one touchdown on 27-of-38 passing and rushed for 70 more yards with three touchdowns.

The only improvement was the result.

“Things come right on time,” said Hurts, who lost on a last-second field goal in his last Super Bowl experience. “And the last time around, it wasn’t our time.”

Hurts is the fourth quarterback to win a Super Bowl after losing his first Super Bowl start.

Even after spoiling Hurts’ Super Bowl debut, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was confident Hurts would return to the sport’s biggest stage. When the game ended Sunday, Hurts made an immediate beeline to the middle of the field to meet Mahomes and wrap his quarterback counterpart in a hug.

“The one thing that I’ve always respected about Jalen is that he’s a winner,” Mahomes said. “Some people take that as like it’s not a good thing, but you have to find ways to win with your football team that you have around you. … If he needs to run the ball, he will run it. If he needs to throw the ball, he will throw it. And if he needs to make a big play, he will make the big play.”

With star running back Saquon Barkley limited to just 57 yards rushing, his lowest total since Oct. 13, Hurts delivered every necessary lift.

He broke his own record for rushing yards by a quarterback in a Super Bowl, helping the Eagles finish the season with 16 wins in their last 17 games.

Entering the off week at 2-2, Hurts and the Eagles were under fire for the disappointing start. He had four passes intercepted compared to four touchdown passes.

But like his never-flinching demeanor Sunday, Hurts remained composed throughout the year.

“I don’t know what it is,” Eagles left tackle Jordan Mailata said. “In the biggest moments when there’s the biggest haters and doubters this man just, I don’t know, just outshines and takes command.”

Hurts is the first quarterback with at least 200 passing yards and 50 rushing yards in multiple Super Bowls.

The coronation in New Orleans came after heartache for the former Alabama quarterback who lost in the national championship game as a freshman.

As a sophomore, he was benched at halftime of the national championship and watched from the sideline as Tua Tagovailoa led the Crimson Tide to a comeback victory.

He didn’t regain a full-time starting role until he transferred to Oklahoma.

Hearing each struggle repeated back to him as a reporter asked a question, Hurts didn’t shrink away or deflect the harsh memories. He instead smiled.

“It’s been a very unprecedented journey,” Hurts said.

He explained he tries to balance every challenge and every joy of his career and process them as one in a journey he insisted is still only starting.

“It’s only the beginning until it’s the end,” Hurts said. “And the end ain’t coming any time soon.”