Louisville football's Lamar Jackson seeks Super Bowl bid. Here are others from Kentucky
The NFL playoffs are down to the final four teams.
On Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs are scheduled to play the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens in the AFC championship game, and the Detroit Lions will travel to California to face the top-seeded 49ers in the NFC title game.
The championship games will feature players who played high school or college football in Kentucky.
Here is a list of players from the state who are scheduled to suit up Sunday:
AFC championship game
Lamar Jackson, QB
Team: Baltimore Ravens
College: Louisville
Ties to the area: During his sophomore season with Louisville, Lamar Jackson became the youngest player to win the Heisman Trophy; he also won the Maxwell and Davey O'Brien awards. Jackson passed for 8,748 yards with 68 touchdowns and rushed for 3,970 yards with 48 touchdowns.
Season stats: 3,678 passing yards, 24 touchdowns. Jackson rushed for 821 yards and five touchdowns.
Malik Cunningham, QB
Team: Baltimore Ravens
College: Louisville
Ties to the area: He passed for 9,308 yards with 69 touchdowns for Louisville. He holds the school record for passing efficiency in a season at 194.45.
Mike Edwards, S
Team: Kansas City Chiefs
College: Kentucky
Ties to the area: Had 44 consecutive starts for the Wildcats, was a three-time All-SEC selection and ranks second in UK history in tackles among defensive backs with 318.
Season stats: 51 total tackles, one interception and two fumble recoveries
Darian Kinnard, OL
Team: Kansas City Chiefs
College: Kentucky
Ties to the area: Played in 46 games for Kentucky, won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy in 2021 and was the first UK offensive lineman to be named a first-team All-American since 1965.
NFC championship game
Teddy Bridgewater, QB
Team: Detroit Lions
College: Louisville
Ties to the area: Teddy Bridgewater threw for 9,817 yards and 72 touchdowns in his three seasons with the Cardinals and holds numerous passing records:
Winning percentage as a starting quarterback for a season: 92.3
Lowest interception percentage for a career: 2.10
Career wins as a starting quarterback: 28
Passing touchdowns in a season: 31
Top-25 wins as a starting quarterback: 5
Brodric Martin, DT
Team: Detroit Lions
College: Western Kentucky
Ties to the area: Brodric Martin started all 14 games his senior year with the Hilltoppers at defensive tackle; he tallied 31 tackles, with 1.5 sacks. He was a C-USA honorable mention selection and earned an invite to the 2023 East-West Shrine Bowl.
Season stats: Martin has played in three games and recorded three tackles as a rookie.
Joshua Paschal, DE
Team: Detroit Lions
College: Kentucky
Ties to the area: Joshua Paschal was named first-team All-SEC as a redshirt senior after recording 52 tackles and five sacks.
Season stats: 25 total tackles, one sack and one fumble recovery
Derrick Barnes, LB
Team: Detroit Lions
College: Purdue
Ties to the area: Derrick Barnes graduated from Holy Cross High School in Louisville. During his senior year, he recorded 126 total tackles, forced four fumbles and intercepted three passes. He also rushed for 1,567 yards and 22 touchdowns. Barnes was named first-team All-State by The Courier Journal and Class 2A, District Six Player of the Year by the Kentucky Football Coaches Association.
Season stats: 81 total tackles, one sack and one forced fumble. In the divisional round, Barnes had the game-sealing interception against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which propelled the Lions to the NFC championship game.
Reach sports reporter Prince James Story at pstory@gannett.com and follow him on X at @PrinceJStory.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: NFL playoffs: Lamar Jackson, others from Kentucky seek Super Bowl bid
