Super Bowl

Image source, BBC Sport

Julian Edelman is sick of accusations that the league or the referees are biased towards Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.

A three-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots as they dominated the NFL - he knows success often brings jealousy.

"It's apparent when you're on top everyone wants to try and bring you down," he told the Rich Eisen Podcast. "It's a bunch of baloney that the league is helping the Kansas City Chiefs

"If you've got a problem with it – go beat them. The refs aren't involved when you throw interceptions, when you fumble the ball, when you jump offsides, when you don't convert third down or fourth down. They can't control that.

"If you want to beat them go beat them. Don't just talk about it, do do it. I'm so sick and tired of hearing people say that about the Chiefs.

"These whole graphics about they get the calls off the refs - it's because they're coached better."

Super Bowl 59 will take place at the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The stadium hosted its first Super Bowl in 1978 and has staged the NFL's championship game more times than any other stadium (seven).

This year will be the first time since 2013 that the game has been played in New Orleans and the 11th overall - a joint record with Miami - which is why the locals like to call it the 'city of Super Bowls'.

Home to the New Orleans Saints, the Superdome opened in 1975 so this year's Super Bowl coincides with the stadium's 50th anniversary.

It has a capacity of about 75,000 and underwent a five-year renovation costing $560m (£458.7m), which was completed in time for this season.

Image source, Getty Images

Philadelphia Eagles standout right tackle Lane Johnson is clear Super Bowl 59 will not be his final game.

"I'm definitely not retiring after this game, win or lose," said Johnson, 34, who is playing in his 12th NFL season.

"I'm definitely playing next year. That's really how you take it, I guess, when you get up in age, is take it one year at a time.

"But physically, I feel a lot better than I have the past, probably, couple years."

Johnson was chosen for his sixth Pro Bowl this season after being part of a standout line that helped running back Saquon Barkley top 2,000 rushing yards.

He won Super Bowl in 2017 with the Eagles and Johnson wants to make up for the 2022 defeat against the Kansas City Chiefs when the two teams face off again on Sunday in New Orleans.

"We didn't finish what we started a couple years ago," Johnson said. "We have a big chance to go play well [on Sunday] and do something special."

Super Bowl 59 will be available to watch live on ITV1, Sky Sports and DAZN. Fox will be the host broadcasters this year in the US.

We will be bringing you live text coverage of the game via the BBC Sport website and app, or alternatively you can listen along on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds.