The San Francisco 49ers became the first team to do something in the Super Bowl since the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2006.
The 49ers became the first team to have a wide receiver throw a touchdown pass in the big game since Antwaan Randle El did it for the Steelers in Super Bowl XL.
Wide receiver Jauan Jennings caught a lateral from quarterback Brock Purdy late in the second quarter, and threw the ball back across the field to running back Christian McCaffrey, who caught it and ran 21 yards for a touchdown.
The score gave the 49ers a 10-0 lead over the Kansas City Chiefs late in the second quarter. The Chiefs responded to trail, 10-3 at halftime.
The last time a wide receiver threw a Super Bowl touchdown pass was also a key score in the game. Randle El’s 43-yard touchdown pass to Hines Ward gave the Steelers a two-score lead over the Seattle Seahawks in 2006, and the Steelers went on to win their fifth Super Bowl.
Randle El took a handoff from running back Willie Parker, who had received a toss from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, before heaving it downfield to Ward.
Both Randle El and Jennings have quarterbacking backgrounds. Randle El played quarterback in college at Indiana before being drafted by the Steelers. Jennings was one of the top quarterback recruits in the country coming out of high school before he was converted to wide receiver at Tennessee.
In total, six non-quarterbacks have thrown touchdowns in Super Bowls. Fullback Robert Newhouse threw for a score for Dallas Cowboys against the Denver Broncos in 1978. The Steelers were on the defensive end of a running back pass in 1980, when Los Angeles Rams running back Lawrence McCutchen threw a 24-yard score to Ron Smith.
Since Randle El’s strike to Ward, tight end Trey Burton threw to quarterback Nick Foles for the Philly Special touchdown in 2018 and Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon threw a touchdown to Tee Higgins in Super Bowl LVI two years ago.
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