Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs has a double reason to root for the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII – the former Alabama teammates on the Eagles and their opponents, the Kansas City Chiefs.

“They asked me yesterday who I was rooting for, and I’m like, ‘Obviously, the Eagles,’” Jacobs said while at the Pro Bowl Games. “They got some guys that I came into school with that I done seen grow and develop.

“And, man, I hate the Chiefs.”

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At Alabama, Jacobs played three seasons with Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts, two with wide receiver DeVonta Smith and one with cornerback Josh Jobe.

“I’m always going to root for the guys I know, the guys that I’ve really grinded with and got to know and developed with, sweated with,” Jacobs said during an appearance on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football.” “Jalen, I’ve seen him come through to be at the top, at the highest peak, and then Tua (Tagovailoa) come in and he dropped down to the bottom and then he come back up, so for him, it’s just a blessing. I think his story and everything that he’s doing right now is amazing.

“Smitty’s on that team, too, so anytime it’s a Bama guy, I’m definitely going to root for him.”

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Although Jacobs could be a free agent next month and leave the Raiders-Chiefs rivalry, he hasn’t given up the animosity that dates to the teams’ days in the AFL. The franchises have squared off 125 times during the regular season and three times in the playoffs.

Jacobs won the NFL rushing crown for the 2022 season with 1,653 yards. But in Las Vegas’ final game of the season, the Chiefs held Jacobs to 45 yards on 17 rushing attempts in a 31-13 victory over the Raiders.

In the teams’ first meeting of the 2022 campaign, Jacobs ran for 154 yards and one touchdown on 21 carries in a 30-29 loss to Kansas City. At the time, that was the most rushing yards in one game for Jacobs in his career.

Jacobs has played against the Chiefs eight times in his career. Kansas City has won seven of those games.

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The Eagles and Chiefs square off in Super Bowl LVII at 5:30 p.m. CST Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. FOX will televise the game.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.