Category: NFL News

Since the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs faced off in Super Bowl I in 1967, thousands of players have taken part in the Super Bowl. Several of those players became household names by virtue of their performance in the big game. Tom Brady, Joe Montana and many others etched their name in football lore after leading their teams to victory multiple times. 

With Super Bowl LVIII just around the corner, we decided to take on the task of creating an all-time, 53-man roster comprised of some of the best players in Super Bowl history. The construction of our roster included the following criteria:

• Super Bowl MVPs weighed heavily
• Multiple Super Bowl appearances are an advantage 
• Did their performance significantly contribute to the success of their team?
• Was their performance critical to the outcome of the game(s)? 

Choosing performance over a specific player also played a role in the building of the roster. Yes, being a big name certainly doesn’t hurt, but this is not a roster of the biggest names that have played in the Super Bowl. If that was the case, Walter Payton, arguably the greatest running back in NFL history, would have made the list. 

Without further ado, let’s take a look at the all-time, 53-man Super Bowl roster, with a practice squad to boot.

Offense

Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Joe Montana, and Terry Bradshaw are a combined 15-3 in Super Bowl competition, with 10 MVP trophies to boot. Brady currently holds the Super Bowl single-game passing record (505 yards), a record that had been previously held by both Montana and Bradshaw. Brady’s greatest Super Bowl moment may have been his first one when he led the Patriots past the heavily-favored Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI. Montana’s signature Super Bowl moment took place in Super Bowl XXIII, when he led the 49ers on a 92-yard, game-winning drive that was capped off with his game-winning pass to John Taylor. A decade earlier, Bradshaw threw for then-Super Bowl records 318 yards and four touchdowns in Pittsburgh’s 35-31 win over Dallas. 

Running backs: The MVP of Super Bowl XXVIII, Emmitt Smith is the Super Bowl’s all-time leader in rushing touchdowns. Franco Harris, who took home MVP honors in Super Bowl IX, is the Super Bowl’s career rushing leader with 354 yards. Terrell Davis tallied 321 yards and three touchdowns in Denver’s back-to-back Super Bowl wins. His 157 yards and three touchdowns in Super Bowl XXXII helped Denver upset the defending-champion Packers to end the NFC’s run of 13 consecutive Super Bowl wins. 

Receivers: Jerry Rice is the Super Bowl’s all-time leader in catches (28), yards (589) and touchdowns (8). His 215 receiving yards in Super Bowl XXIII is still the single-game record. Flanking Rice in the starting lineup is Super Bowl X MVP Lynn Swann, who caught 16 passes for 364 yards and three touchdowns in his last three Super Bowls. 

Also cracking the starting lineup is former Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin, who caught 16 passes and two touchdowns in three Super Bowl wins. Stallworth caught a combined six passes for 236 yards and three touchdowns in Super Bowls XIII and XIV. Cliff Branch caught three Super Bowl touchdowns while helping the Raiders win three rings in a seven-year span. Julian Edelman caught 24 passes for 337 yards in New England’s three most recent Super Bowl wins. He was named Super Bowl LIII MVP after catching 10 passes for 141 yards. Edelman also made several clutch catches in the Patriots’ Super Bowl wins over the Seahawks and Falcons. 

Tight ends: Rob Gronkowski caught 21 passes for 271 yards and three touchdowns in his three Super Bowl wins in New England. He caught two touchdown passes from Brady in Tampa Bay’s 31-9 win over Kansas City in Super Bowl LV. In three Super Bowls, Kelce has caught 22 passes for 257 yards and two scores. He led the Chiefs with 81 yards and a touchdown on six catches in Super Bowl LVII. 

Offensive line: You’d be hard-pressed to find a better offensive line than this one. Art Shell and Gene Upshaw anchored a powerful Raiders offensive line that had their way against the Vikings and Eagles in Super Bowls XI and XV. Mike Webster started in three of the Steelers’ four Super Bowls during the ’70s. Larry Little and Forrest Gregg both won back-to-back Super Bowls as members of the Dolphins and Packers, respectively. Little helped pave the way for Larry Csonka, Mercury Morris and Jim Kiick in three straight Super Bowls. One of the key cogs in Vince Lombardi’s legendary Packers sweep, Gregg helped Green Bay win the first two Super Bowls and three straight NFL titles. 

Orlando Pace protected Kurt Warner’s blind side during both of his Super Bowls with the Rams. Newton helped plow open running lanes for Emmitt Smith. Tom Nalen and Mark Schlereth won a combined five Super Bowls that included two rings as teammates in Denver. In losing efforts, Anthony Munoz played well in the Bengals’ two Super Bowl matchups with the 49ers.

Defense

Defensive line: This group is as good as it gets. Reggie White, who retired as the NFL’s career sack leader, tallied three sacks in Green Bay’s win over New England in Super Bowl XXXI. Joe Greene was the anchor of four Super Bowl championship defenses in Pittsburgh. His interception and fumble recovery in Super Bowl IX helped the Steelers become the second team to shut out an opposing offense in the Super Bowl. Randy White’s dominance in Super Bowl XII earned him co-MVP honors. 

Richard Dent’s 1.5 sacks and two forced fumbles earned him MVP honors in Super Bowl XX. Bruce Smith, Alan Page and L.C. Greenwood each played in four Super Bowls. Smith recorded a safety in Super Bowl XXV, while Greenwood’s three deflected passes helped neutralize Frank Tarkenton in Super Bowl IX. A year later, Greenwood sacked Roger Staubach three times in Pittsburgh’s 21-17 win over Dallas. Manny Fernandez recorded a whopping 17 tackles while leading Miami’s “No Name” defense in Super Bowl VII. 

Aaron Donald became the only active player to make the roster after leading the Rams to a comeback win over Cincinnati in Super Bowl LVI. Donald, who helped hold the Patriots to 13 points in Super Bowl LIII, had two sacks of Joe Burrow along with his crucial pressure on Cincinnati’s final play that prevented Burrow from finding Ja’Marr Chase downfield. 

The defensive line’s lucky charm is its least-known member. In Super Bowls XV and XVIII, Reggie Kinlaw wreaked havoc on Philadelphia and Washington. With Kinlaw plugging the middle, the Raiders’ defense held Wilbert Montgomery and John Riggins (the MVP of the previous year’s Super Bowl) to a combined 110 yards on 42 carries (a 2.62 yards per carry average). 

Linebackers: A player who revolutionized the linebacker position, Lawrence Taylor’s tackle of John Elway in Super Bowl XXI was part of a crucial goal-line stand by the Giants. Jack Lambert played big in each of Pittsburgh’s four Super Bowl wins during the ’70s. His 14 tackles in Super Bowl X led both teams. In Super Bowl XIV, his fourth-quarter interception set up the Steelers’ game-clinching score. 

Ray Lewis, the MVP of Super Bowl XXXV, won two Super Bowls with the Ravens. Jack Ham’s quickness and savviness helped the Steelers dominate opposing rushing attacks. En route to becoming the first player to win five Super Bowls, Charles Haley recorded 4.5 sacks for the 49ers and Cowboys. In Super Bowl XXVII, his sack/forced fumble of Jim Kelly set up a touchdown by teammate Jimmy Jones, as Dallas took the lead for good. Mike Singletary and Derrick Brooks presided over legendary defenses. Von Miller’s 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in Super Bowl 50 earned him Super Bowl MVP honors. He had two more sacks in the Rams’ Super Bowl win over Cincinnati. 

Secondary: Mel Blount, whose physical dominance over receivers ushered in new league rules, picked off two passes in Super Bowl play. In Super Bowl XIII, his second-quarter interception set up the Steelers’ go-ahead touchdown. Herb Adderley, who won Super Bowls with the Packers and Cowboys, had a 60-yard pick six in Green Bay’s win over Oakland in Super Bowl II. Safety Ronnie Lott led the 49ers to their first Super Bowl win as a rookie. Seven years later, his jarring hit of Bengals running back Ickey Woods helped set the tone for the 49ers’ victory. Lott is flanked by Ed Reed, who recorded an interception in his only Super Bowl appearance. 

Lester Hayes, the 1980 Defensive Player of the Year, won his second ring after shutting down Washington’s talented receiving corps in Super Bowl XVIII. Willie Wood, Adderley’s teammate on those legendary Packers defenses, recorded a game-changing interception during the second half of Green Bay’s win over Kansas City in Super Bowl I. A stabilizing force in the Steelers’ secondary, Donnie Shell’s clutch tackle in Super Bowl XIV prevented an early Rams touchdown. 

Ironically, Sanders’ best play in a Super Bowl was his 47-yard catch in Super Bowl XXX that set up the Cowboys’ first touchdown. 

Special teams

A four-time champion, Adam Vinatieri made two game-winning field goals with the Patriots. Ray Guy, the only punter who resides in the Hall of Fame, saved a potential disaster when he made a one-handed catch following a high snap in Super Bowl XVIII. Desmond Howard, the only special teams player to win Super Bowl MVP, returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown in Green Bay’s 35-21 win over New England. Howard also tallied 90 yards on punt returns. 

Practice squad

• CB Richard Sherman 
• RB Larry Csonka
• WR Paul Warfield 
• OT Winston Hill 
• DT Warren Sapp 
• DT/DE Richard Seymour
• LB Willie Lanier 
• LB Chuck Howley
• LB Nick Buoniconti 
• FS Jake Scott

Super Bowl LVIII goes down Feb. 11 on CBS. The game will also be broadcast on Nickelodeon and streamed on Paramount+.  

Ever since the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs faced off in 1967 for Super Bowl I, thousands of football players have taken part in one of the sport world’s biggest games. Several of those players have become household names by virtue of their performance in the big game. Tom Brady, Joe Montana and many others etched their name in football lore after leading their teams to victory multiple times. 

With Super Bowl LVIII just six days away, we decided to take on the task of creating an all-time, 53-man roster comprised of some of the best players in Super Bowl history. The construction of our roster included the following criteria:

• Super Bowl MVPs weighed heavily
• Multiple Super Bowl appearances are an advantage 
• Did their performance significantly contribute to the success of their team?
• Was their performance critical to the outcome of the game(s)? 

Choosing performance over a specific player also played a role in the building of the roster. Yes, being a big name certainly doesn’t hurt, but this is not a roster of the biggest names that have played in the Super Bowl. If that was the case, Walter Payton, arguably the greatest running back in NFL history, would have made the list. 

Without further ado, let’s take a look at the all-time, 53-man Super Bowl roster, with a practice squad to boot.

Offense

Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Joe Montana, and Terry Bradshaw are a combined 15-3 in Super Bowl competition, with 10 MVP trophies to boot. Brady currently holds the Super Bowl single-game passing record (505 yards), a record that had been previously held by both Montana and Bradshaw. Brady’s greatest Super Bowl moment may have been his first one when he led the Patriots past the heavily-favored Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI. Montana’s signature Super Bowl moment took place in Super Bowl XXIII, when he led the 49ers on a 92-yard, game-winning drive that was capped off with his game-winning pass to John Taylor. A decade earlier, Bradshaw threw for then-Super Bowl records 318 yards and four touchdowns in Pittsburgh’s 35-31 win over Dallas. 

Running backs: The MVP of Super Bowl XXVIII, Emmitt Smith is the Super Bowl’s all-time leader in rushing touchdowns. Franco Harris, who took home MVP honors in Super Bowl IX, is the Super Bowl’s career rushing leader with 354 yards. Terrell Davis tallied 321 yards and three touchdowns in Denver’s back-to-back Super Bowl wins. His 157 yards and three touchdowns in Super Bowl XXXII helped Denver upset the defending-champion Packers to end the NFC’s run of 13 consecutive Super Bowl wins. 

Receivers: Jerry Rice is the Super Bowl’s all-time leader in catches (28), yards (589) and touchdowns (8). His 215 receiving yards in Super Bowl XXIII is still the single-game record. Flanking Rice in the starting lineup is Super Bowl X MVP Lynn Swann, who caught 16 passes for 364 yards and three touchdowns in his last three Super Bowls. 

Also cracking the starting lineup is former Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin, who caught 16 passes and two touchdowns in three Super Bowl wins. Stallworth caught a combined six passes for 236 yards and three touchdowns in Super Bowls XIII and XIV. Cliff Branch caught three Super Bowl touchdowns while helping the Raiders win three rings in a seven-year span. Julian Edelman caught 24 passes for 337 yards in New England’s three most recent Super Bowl wins. He was named Super Bowl LIII MVP after catching 10 passes for 141 yards. Edelman also made several clutch catches in the Patriots’ Super Bowl wins over the Seahawks and Falcons. 

Tight ends: Rob Gronkowski caught 21 passes for 271 yards and three touchdowns in his three Super Bowl wins in New England. He caught two touchdown passes from Brady in Tampa Bay’s 31-9 win over Kansas City in Super Bowl LV. In three Super Bowls, Kelce has caught 22 passes for 257 yards and two scores. He led the Chiefs with 81 yards and a touchdown on six catches in Super Bowl LVII. 

Offensive line: You’d be hard-pressed to find a better offensive line than this one. Art Shell and Gene Upshaw anchored a powerful Raiders offensive line that had their way against the Vikings and Eagles in Super Bowls XI and XV. Mike Webster started in three of the Steelers’ four Super Bowls during the ’70s. Larry Little and Forrest Gregg both won back-to-back Super Bowls as members of the Dolphins and Packers, respectively. Little helped pave the way for Larry Csonka, Mercury Morris and Jim Kiick in three straight Super Bowls. One of the key cogs in Vince Lombardi’s legendary Packers sweep, Gregg helped Green Bay win the first two Super Bowls and three straight NFL titles. 

Orlando Pace protected Kurt Warner’s blind side during both of his Super Bowls with the Rams. Newton helped plow open running lanes for Emmitt Smith. Tom Nalen and Mark Schlereth won a combined five Super Bowls that included two rings as teammates in Denver. In losing efforts, Anthony Munoz played well in the Bengals’ two Super Bowl matchups with the 49ers.

Defense

Defensive line: This group is as good as it gets. Reggie White, who retired as the NFL’s career sack leader, tallied three sacks in Green Bay’s win over New England in Super Bowl XXXI. Joe Greene was the anchor of four Super Bowl championship defenses in Pittsburgh. His interception and fumble recovery in Super Bowl IX helped the Steelers become the second team to shut out an opposing offense in the Super Bowl. Randy White’s dominance in Super Bowl XII earned him co-MVP honors. 

Richard Dent’s 1.5 sacks and two forced fumbles earned him MVP honors in Super Bowl XX. Bruce Smith, Alan Page and L.C. Greenwood each played in four Super Bowls. Smith recorded a safety in Super Bowl XXV, while Greenwood’s three deflected passes helped neutralize Frank Tarkenton in Super Bowl IX. A year later, Greenwood sacked Roger Staubach three times in Pittsburgh’s 21-17 win over Dallas. Manny Fernandez recorded a whopping 17 tackles while leading Miami’s “No Name” defense in Super Bowl VII. 

Aaron Donald became the only active player to make the roster after leading the Rams to a comeback win over Cincinnati in Super Bowl LVI. Donald, who helped hold the Patriots to 13 points in Super Bowl LIII, had two sacks of Joe Burrow along with his crucial pressure on Cincinnati’s final play that prevented Burrow from finding Ja’Marr Chase downfield. 

The defensive line’s lucky charm is its least-known member. In Super Bowls XV and XVIII, Reggie Kinlaw wreaked havoc on Philadelphia and Washington. With Kinlaw plugging the middle, the Raiders’ defense held Wilbert Montgomery and John Riggins (the MVP of the previous year’s Super Bowl) to a combined 110 yards on 42 carries (a 2.62 yards per carry average). 

Linebackers: A player who revolutionized the linebacker position, Lawrence Taylor’s tackle of John Elway in Super Bowl XXI was part of a crucial goal-line stand by the Giants. Jack Lambert played big in each of Pittsburgh’s four Super Bowl wins during the ’70s. His 14 tackles in Super Bowl X led both teams. In Super Bowl XIV, his fourth-quarter interception set up the Steelers’ game-clinching score. 

Ray Lewis, the MVP of Super Bowl XXXV, won two Super Bowls with the Ravens. Jack Ham’s quickness and savviness helped the Steelers dominate opposing rushing attacks. En route to becoming the first player to win five Super Bowls, Charles Haley recorded 4.5 sacks for the 49ers and Cowboys. In Super Bowl XXVII, his sack/forced fumble of Jim Kelly set up a touchdown by teammate Jimmy Jones, as Dallas took the lead for good. Mike Singletary and Derrick Brooks presided over legendary defenses. Von Miller’s 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in Super Bowl 50 earned him Super Bowl MVP honors. He had two more sacks in the Rams’ Super Bowl win over Cincinnati. 

Secondary: Mel Blount, whose physical dominance over receivers ushered in new league rules, picked off two passes in Super Bowl play. In Super Bowl XIII, his second-quarter interception set up the Steelers’ go-ahead touchdown. Herb Adderley, who won Super Bowls with the Packers and Cowboys, had a 60-yard pick six in Green Bay’s win over Oakland in Super Bowl II. Safety Ronnie Lott led the 49ers to their first Super Bowl win as a rookie. Seven years later, his jarring hit of Bengals running back Ickey Woods helped set the tone for the 49ers’ victory. Lott is flanked by Ed Reed, who recorded an interception in his only Super Bowl appearance. 

Lester Hayes, the 1980 Defensive Player of the Year, won his second ring after shutting down Washington’s talented receiving corps in Super Bowl XVIII. Willie Wood, Adderley’s teammate on those legendary Packers defenses, recorded a game-changing interception during the second half of Green Bay’s win over Kansas City in Super Bowl I. A stabilizing force in the Steelers’ secondary, Donnie Shell’s clutch tackle in Super Bowl XIV prevented an early Rams touchdown. 

Ironically, Sanders’ best play in a Super Bowl was his 47-yard catch in Super Bowl XXX that set up the Cowboys’ first touchdown. 

Special teams

A four-time champion, Adam Vinatieri made two game-winning field goals with the Patriots. Ray Guy, the only punter who resides in the Hall of Fame, saved a potential disaster when he made a one-handed catch following a high snap in Super Bowl XVIII. Desmond Howard, the only special teams player to win Super Bowl MVP, returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown in Green Bay’s 35-21 win over New England. Howard also tallied 90 yards on punt returns. 

Practice squad

• CB Richard Sherman 
• RB Larry Csonka
• WR Paul Warfield 
• OT Winston Hill 
• DT Warren Sapp 
• DT/DE Richard Seymour
• LB Willie Lanier 
• LB Chuck Howley
• LB Nick Buoniconti 
• FS Jake Scott

Super Bowl LVIII goes down Feb. 11 on CBS. The game will also be broadcast on Nickelodeon and streamed on Paramount+.  

Since the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs faced off in 1967 for Super Bowl I, countless players have taken part in pro football’s biggest game. Several of those players became household names by virtue of their performance in the big game. Tom Brady, Joe Montana and many others etched their name in football lore after leading their teams to victory multiple times. 

With Super Bowl LVIII just around the corner, we decided to take on the task of creating an all-time, 53-man roster comprised of some of the best players in Super Bowl history. The construction of our roster included the following criteria:

• Super Bowl MVPs weighed heavily
• Multiple Super Bowl appearances are an advantage 
• Did their performance significantly contribute to the success of their team?
• Was their performance critical to the outcome of the game(s)? 

Choosing performance over a specific player also played a role in the building of the roster. Yes, being a big name certainly doesn’t hurt, but this is not a roster of the biggest names that have played in the Super Bowl. If that was the case, Walter Payton, arguably the greatest running back in NFL history, would have made the list. 

Without further ado, let’s take a look at the all-time, 53-man Super Bowl roster, with a practice squad to boot.

Offense

Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Joe Montana, and Terry Bradshaw are a combined 15-3 in Super Bowl competition, with 10 MVP trophies to boot. Brady currently holds the Super Bowl single-game passing record (505 yards), a record that had been previously held by both Montana and Bradshaw. Brady’s greatest Super Bowl moment may have been his first one when he led the Patriots past the heavily-favored Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI. Montana’s signature Super Bowl moment took place in Super Bowl XXIII, when he led the 49ers on a 92-yard, game-winning drive that was capped off with his game-winning pass to John Taylor. A decade earlier, Bradshaw threw for then-Super Bowl records 318 yards and four touchdowns in Pittsburgh’s 35-31 win over Dallas. 

Running backs: The MVP of Super Bowl XXVIII, Emmitt Smith is the Super Bowl’s all-time leader in rushing touchdowns. Franco Harris, who took home MVP honors in Super Bowl IX, is the Super Bowl’s career rushing leader with 354 yards. Terrell Davis tallied 321 yards and three touchdowns in Denver’s back-to-back Super Bowl wins. His 157 yards and three touchdowns in Super Bowl XXXII helped Denver upset the defending-champion Packers to end the NFC’s run of 13 consecutive Super Bowl wins. 

Receivers: Jerry Rice is the Super Bowl’s all-time leader in catches (28), yards (589) and touchdowns (8). His 215 receiving yards in Super Bowl XXIII is still the single-game record. Flanking Rice in the starting lineup is Super Bowl X MVP Lynn Swann, who caught 16 passes for 364 yards and three touchdowns in his last three Super Bowls. 

Also cracking the starting lineup is former Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin, who caught 16 passes and two touchdowns in three Super Bowl wins. Stallworth caught a combined six passes for 236 yards and three touchdowns in Super Bowls XIII and XIV. Cliff Branch caught three Super Bowl touchdowns while helping the Raiders win three rings in a seven-year span. Julian Edelman caught 24 passes for 337 yards in New England’s three most recent Super Bowl wins. He was named Super Bowl LIII MVP after catching 10 passes for 141 yards. Edelman also made several clutch catches in the Patriots’ Super Bowl wins over the Seahawks and Falcons. 

Tight ends: Rob Gronkowski caught 21 passes for 271 yards and three touchdowns in his three Super Bowl wins in New England. He caught two touchdown passes from Brady in Tampa Bay’s 31-9 win over Kansas City in Super Bowl LV. In three Super Bowls, Kelce has caught 22 passes for 257 yards and two scores. He led the Chiefs with 81 yards and a touchdown on six catches in Super Bowl LVII. 

Offensive line: You’d be hard-pressed to find a better offensive line than this one. Art Shell and Gene Upshaw anchored a powerful Raiders offensive line that had their way against the Vikings and Eagles in Super Bowls XI and XV. Mike Webster started in three of the Steelers’ four Super Bowls during the ’70s. Larry Little and Forrest Gregg both won back-to-back Super Bowls as members of the Dolphins and Packers, respectively. Little helped pave the way for Larry Csonka, Mercury Morris and Jim Kiick in three straight Super Bowls. One of the key cogs in Vince Lombardi’s legendary Packers sweep, Gregg helped Green Bay win the first two Super Bowls and three straight NFL titles. 

Orlando Pace protected Kurt Warner’s blind side during both of his Super Bowls with the Rams. Newton helped plow open running lanes for Emmitt Smith. Tom Nalen and Mark Schlereth won a combined five Super Bowls that included two rings as teammates in Denver. In losing efforts, Anthony Munoz played well in the Bengals’ two Super Bowl matchups with the 49ers.

Defense

Defensive line: This group is as good as it gets. Reggie White, who retired as the NFL’s career sack leader, tallied three sacks in Green Bay’s win over New England in Super Bowl XXXI. Joe Greene was the anchor of four Super Bowl championship defenses in Pittsburgh. His interception and fumble recovery in Super Bowl IX helped the Steelers become the second team to shut out an opposing offense in the Super Bowl. Randy White’s dominance in Super Bowl XII earned him co-MVP honors. 

Richard Dent’s 1.5 sacks and two forced fumbles earned him MVP honors in Super Bowl XX. Bruce Smith, Alan Page and L.C. Greenwood each played in four Super Bowls. Smith recorded a safety in Super Bowl XXV, while Greenwood’s three deflected passes helped neutralize Frank Tarkenton in Super Bowl IX. A year later, Greenwood sacked Roger Staubach three times in Pittsburgh’s 21-17 win over Dallas. Manny Fernandez recorded a whopping 17 tackles while leading Miami’s “No Name” defense in Super Bowl VII. 

Aaron Donald became the only active player to make the roster after leading the Rams to a comeback win over Cincinnati in Super Bowl LVI. Donald, who helped hold the Patriots to 13 points in Super Bowl LIII, had two sacks of Joe Burrow along with his crucial pressure on Cincinnati’s final play that prevented Burrow from finding Ja’Marr Chase downfield. 

The defensive line’s lucky charm is its least-known member. In Super Bowls XV and XVIII, Reggie Kinlaw wreaked havoc on Philadelphia and Washington. With Kinlaw plugging the middle, the Raiders’ defense held Wilbert Montgomery and John Riggins (the MVP of the previous year’s Super Bowl) to a combined 110 yards on 42 carries (a 2.62 yards per carry average). 

Linebackers: A player who revolutionized the linebacker position, Lawrence Taylor’s tackle of John Elway in Super Bowl XXI was part of a crucial goal-line stand by the Giants. Jack Lambert played big in each of Pittsburgh’s four Super Bowl wins during the ’70s. His 14 tackles in Super Bowl X led both teams. In Super Bowl XIV, his fourth-quarter interception set up the Steelers’ game-clinching score. 

Ray Lewis, the MVP of Super Bowl XXXV, won two Super Bowls with the Ravens. Jack Ham’s quickness and savviness helped the Steelers dominate opposing rushing attacks. En route to becoming the first player to win five Super Bowls, Charles Haley recorded 4.5 sacks for the 49ers and Cowboys. In Super Bowl XXVII, his sack/forced fumble of Jim Kelly set up a touchdown by teammate Jimmy Jones, as Dallas took the lead for good. Mike Singletary and Derrick Brooks presided over legendary defenses. Von Miller’s 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in Super Bowl 50 earned him Super Bowl MVP honors. He had two more sacks in the Rams’ Super Bowl win over Cincinnati. 

Secondary: Mel Blount, whose physical dominance over receivers ushered in new league rules, picked off two passes in Super Bowl play. In Super Bowl XIII, his second-quarter interception set up the Steelers’ go-ahead touchdown. Herb Adderley, who won Super Bowls with the Packers and Cowboys, had a 60-yard pick six in Green Bay’s win over Oakland in Super Bowl II. Safety Ronnie Lott led the 49ers to their first Super Bowl win as a rookie. Seven years later, his jarring hit of Bengals running back Ickey Woods helped set the tone for the 49ers’ victory. Lott is flanked by Ed Reed, who recorded an interception in his only Super Bowl appearance. 

Lester Hayes, the 1980 Defensive Player of the Year, won his second ring after shutting down Washington’s talented receiving corps in Super Bowl XVIII. Willie Wood, Adderley’s teammate on those legendary Packers defenses, recorded a game-changing interception during the second half of Green Bay’s win over Kansas City in Super Bowl I. A stabilizing force in the Steelers’ secondary, Donnie Shell’s clutch tackle in Super Bowl XIV prevented an early Rams touchdown. 

Ironically, Sanders’ best play in a Super Bowl was his 47-yard catch in Super Bowl XXX that set up the Cowboys’ first touchdown. 

Special teams

A four-time champion, Adam Vinatieri made two game-winning field goals with the Patriots. Ray Guy, the only punter who resides in the Hall of Fame, saved a potential disaster when he made a one-handed catch following a high snap in Super Bowl XVIII. Desmond Howard, the only special teams player to win Super Bowl MVP, returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown in Green Bay’s 35-21 win over New England. Howard also tallied 90 yards on punt returns. 

Practice squad

• CB Richard Sherman 
• RB Larry Csonka
• WR Paul Warfield 
• OT Winston Hill 
• DT Warren Sapp 
• DT/DE Richard Seymour
• LB Willie Lanier 
• LB Chuck Howley
• LB Nick Buoniconti 
• FS Jake Scott

Super Bowl LVIII goes down Feb. 11 on CBS. The game will also be broadcast on Nickelodeon and streamed on Paramount+.  

For every outstanding NFL player whose career is defined by Super Bowl glory, there is at least one all-time great who came up short in their quest to win the big game. 

The list is endless, and it will continue to be added to. Bills fans, who have already had to watch several of their iconic players retire without a Super Bowl win, are hoping that Josh Allen’s name isn’t added to the list of players who never got to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy before he hangs up his cleats. 

While Allen isn’t on this list yet, here’s who did crack my top-25 list of NFL players who did not win a Super Bowl during their otherwise incredible careers. 

The only criteria for this list was that the player had to play his entire career during the Super Bowl era. That’s why Bears legends Gale Sayers and Dick Butkus aren’t included. 

25. Cris Carter 

Best chance: Carter and the Vikings led the Falcons 27-20 late in the 1998 NFC title game. Minnesota squandered a chance to ice the game when Gary Anderson missed his first and only field goal try of the season late in the fourth quarter. Atlanta took advantage by forcing overtime, then shocking the heavily-favored Vikings in the extra time. 

24. Brian Urlacher

Best chance: Urlacher led the Bears to Super Bowl XLI. Chicago’s defense was OK that night, but the unit could not overcome an offense that turned the ball over five times in a 29-17 loss. 

23. Jack Youngblood 

Best chance: Youngblood came painfully close to winning a Super Bowl, both literally and physically. The Rams’ standout defensive end played in Super Bowl XIV despite having a broken leg. His presence helped the Rams take a 19-17 lead over the defending champion Steelers going into the fourth quarter. 

It took two huge completions from Terry Bradshaw to John Stallworth in the fourth quarter for the Steelers to avoid a huge upset against Youngblood and Los Angles, whose gritty performance that day won’t soon be forgotten. 

22. John Hannah 

Best chance: How good was Hannah? He was the best player on the Patriots’ first Super Bowl team. But Hannah’s team was no match for the ’85 Bears, one of the greatest teams of all-time. Super Bowl XX was the final game in a Hall of Fame career for Hannah, who is regarded as one of the greatest interior offensive  linemen in NFL history. 

21. Dermontti Dawson

Best chance: Dawson is the greatest center in NFL history, according to Pro Football Reference’s Hall of Fame monitor. He played in one Super Bowl, and it was one of the most bazaar ones the NFL has ever seen. The Steelers dominated the second half of Super Bowl XXX, but could not overcome two dreadful interceptions that set up 14 Cowboys points. 

20. Champ Bailey 

Best chance: One of the best cornerbacks of his era, Bailey didn’t play in a Super Bowl until his final season. Unfortunately for Bailey, his Broncos team didn’t stand a chance against the Seahawks, who recorded one of the most lopsided wins in Super Bowl history. 

19. Randall McDaniel 

Best chance: McDaniel’s best shot at ring came during the 1998 season as a member of the Vikings. Had the Vikings beaten the Falcons in that year’s NFC title game, they would have faced John Elway and the defending champion Broncos in what could have been an epic showdown. 

The ’98 Vikings featured nine Pro Bowlers that included McDaniel, a 1990s All-Decade Team guard whose streak of consecutive Pro Bowl selections spanned three decades. 

18. Joe Thomas 

Best chance: He didn’t know it at the time, but Thomas’ rookie reason represented his best shot at winning a ring. The Browns finished 10-6, and it was the only season of Thomas’ career where Cleveland finished with a winning record. Cleveland missed the playoffs, however, after losing a tiebreaker with division champion Pittsburgh. 

17. Steve Largent 

Best chance: Largent and the Seahawks swept the Raiders during the 1983 regular season. The Raiders turned the tables, however, in that year’s AFC title game. One reason why was the addition of Hall of Fame cornerback Mike Haynes, who was acquired by the Raiders late in the regular season. With Haynes and fellow cornerback Lester Hayes watching his every move, Largent caught just two passes in Seattle’s 30-14 loss. 

16. Bruce Matthews 

Best chance: At age 38, Matthews finally reached a Super Bowl with the Titans at the end of the 1999 season. In one of the best Super Bowls ever, the Titans fought from 16 points down to pull even late in the game. 

The Rams quickly re-gained the lead on a Kurt Warner to Isaac Bruce touchdown. But Steve McNair led the Titans on a furious, last minute drive that ended just short of the goal line. 

15. O.J. Simpson

Best chance: The NFL’s first 2,000-yard rusher played in just one playoff game, and it came against one of the greatest teams of all-time. In fact, the Steelers’ blowout win over Simpson and the Bills in the ’74 divisional round was the beginning of a run that saw Pittsburgh win four Super Bowls over a six-year span. 

While he caught a touchdown pass, Simpson was held to just 49 yards on 15 carries in Buffalo’s 32-14 loss. 

14. Adrian Peterson 

Best chance: Peterson’s 122 yards and three touchdowns in 2009 NFC title game wasn’t enough to lift the Vikings past the Saints, who edged Minnesota in one of the greatest championship games in history. A crucial interception by Brett Favre late in regulation prevented the Vikings from attempting a game-winning field goal. The Saints took advantage in overtime, winning the game and capturing the franchise’s only Super Bowl title two weeks later. 

13. JJ Watt 

Best chance: Watt recently told CBS Sports that the 2012 Texans was Houston’s best team during his time there. Houston won a defensive battle against Cincinnati in the wild card round, but weren’t able to keep pace with Tom Brady and the Patriots in the divisional round a week later. Houston’s offense played well that night but was ultimately on the short end of a 41-28 final score. 

12. Eric Dickerson 

Best chance: Dickerson and Marino were the NFL’s top-two players in 1985. Both players, though, saw their seasons end one game shy of the Super Bowl. For Dickerson, his Rams squad was no match for eventual Super Bowl champion Bears, whose defense scored more points in that year’s NFC title game than Los Angeles’ offense. 

11. Fran Tarkenton 

Best chance: The NFL’s career passing leader until Marino passed him in 1995, Tarkenton played in three Super Bowls during his Hall of Fame career. Super Bowl IX was the only one that was still competitive in the fourth quarter. The Steelers ultimately won, 16-6, behind the running of Franco Harris and a defense that held Tarkenton and the rest of the Vikings’ offense to 121 total yards. 

10. Larry Fitzgerald 

Best chance: Fitzgerald was bottled up for the first three quarters of Super Bowl XLIII. He caught fire in the fourth quarter, however, catching two touchdown passes that included a go-ahead, 64-yard catch and run with 2:37 left.  

With Fitzgerald watching on the sideline, the Steelers mounted an 88-yard drive that was punctuated by Ben Roethlisberger’s game-winning touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes. The Cardinals lost, 27-23, despite a MVP-worthy game from Fitzgerald, who caught seven passes for 127 yards along with his two touchdowns. 

9. LaDainian Tomlinson 

Best chance: While he played in two AFC title games, Tomlinson’s best shot at a ring was in 2006 as a member of the 14-2 Chargers. But San Diego was upset by the Patriots in the divisional round despite Tomlinson’s 187 total yards and two touchdowns. The Chargers led 14-3 before falling victim of a vintage Tom Brady comeback.  

Had they won that game, the Chargers would have hosted Peyton Manning’s Colts in the AFC title game. The Chargers, not the Colts, likely would have defeated the Bears in the Super Bowl had they been able to get past Indianapolis. 

8. Tony Gonzalez 

Best chance: Despite starring on several talented Chiefs teams, Gonzalez’s first playoff win did not come until his 16th season. A member of the Falcons by that time, Gonzalez’s 10-yard touchdown reception gave Atlanta a 10-point lead over the 49ers in the divisional round of the 2012 playoffs.  

The Falcons were unable to hang onto their lead, however, as two touchdowns by Frank Gore (another great player that didn’t win a Super Bowl) lifted San Francisco to a 28-24 win. Gonzalez retired after the following season as the most prolific tight end in NFL history. 

7. Junior Seau 

Best chance: Seau’s best shot at a ring came as a member of the almost undefeated Patriots. While he and his defensive teammates mostly shut down the Giants, they fell victim to one of the most unbelievable plays in NFL history. They also weren’t helped by an offense that scored just 14 points.  

Arguably the NFL’s best defensive player throughout the 1990s, Seau was the best player on a Chargers team that made an unexpected Super Bowl run in 1994. That remains the Chargers’ only appearance in the big game. 

6. Alan Page 

Best chance: Page and the Vikings weren’t really close in any of their four Super Bowl appearances. Their most competitive Super Bowl occurred against the Steelers in Super Bowl IX. A special teams score briefly gave the Vikings hope, but those hopes were dashed moments later when Terry Bradshaw led the Steelers on a game-clinching scoring drive.  

It should be noted that Page — the first defensive player to win NFL MVP — did win an NFL championship in 1969. The Vikings then lost to the Chiefs in Super Bowl IV in what was the final game before the AFL-NFL merger. 

5. Anthony Munoz 

Best chance: Munoz played in two tightly contested Super Bowls against the 49ers. Both times, Munoz and the Bengals came up short, with their second loss coming after Montana led the 49ers on their famous 92-yard, game-winning drive to win Super Bowl XXIII. 

While he didn’t get a Super Bowl ring, Munoz owns the unofficial title as the greatest offensive tackle in league history. 

4. Bruce Smith 

Best chance: Smith’s safety in Super Bowl XXV gave Buffalo a 12-3 early lead over the Giants. But the Bills would score only one more time and ended up on the short end of closest Super Bowl ever. Down 20-19 with eight seconds left, Smith and his teammates locked arms on the sideline as Scott Norwood’s 47-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right.  

The NFL’s all-time leader with 200 sacks, Smith and the Bills would play in the next three Super Bowls while becoming the only team to play in the big game four straight years. But they were defeated each time by a combined score of 119-54. 

3. Randy Moss 

Best chance: Similar to Michael Jordan and LeBron James, there is an open debate as it relates to either Jerry Rice or Randy Moss as the greatest receiver of all-time. An athletic marvel, Moss flourished when he arrived in New England in 2007. Paired with Tom Brady, Moss caught a single season NFL record 22 touchdowns while helping the Patriots cap off a perfect regular season.  

Moss was on the doorstep of winning his first ring after catching the go-ahead touchdown late in that year’s Super Bowl. But the Giants countered when Eli Manning’s miraculous completion to David Tyree set up his go-ahead touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress.  

With seconds left, Moss and Brady nearly connected on a deep throw that would have made things interesting. But the duo could not complete the throw, and Moss and Co. were denied a place in football immortality. 

2. Barry Sanders 

Best chance: The supremely talented Sanders led the Lions to their only playoff win in the last 65 years when the Lions romped the Cowboys to earn a spot in the 1991 NFC title game.  

Detroit would be on the other side of a blowout against Washington, however, as the eventual Super Bowl champs held Sanders to 59 all-purpose yards.  

Sanders’ next and last “best chance” at a title occurred two years later. Despite Sanders’ 169 yards rushing, the Lions were upset by the Packers in Brett Favre’s first playoff win. Favre’s 40-yard touchdown pass to Sterling Sharpe late in the fourth quarter gave Green Bay a 28-24 victory.  

1. Dan Marino 

Best chance: Marino led the Dolphins to the big game in his just second season. It was an MVP year for Marino, who threw for then NFL records of 5,084 yards and 48 touchdowns. In that year’s Super Bowl, Marino was part of one of the greatest big game quarterback matchups in history between himself and Joe Montana, who three years earlier led the 49ers to their first title. 

Marino threw for 318 yards and a touchdown, but Montana accounted for over 400 yards and four touchdowns as San Francisco recorded a 38-16 win. It was the first and last Super Bowl appearance for Marino, who retired as the NFL’s all-time career passing leader. 

For every outstanding NFL player whose career is defined by Super Bowl glory, there is at least one all-time great who came up short in their quest to win the big game. 

The list is endless, and it will continue to be added to. Bills fans, who have already had to watch several of their iconic players retire without a Super Bowl win, are hoping that Josh Allen’s name isn’t added to the list of players who never got to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy before he hangs up his cleats. 

While Allen isn’t on this list yet, here’s who did crack my top-25 list of NFL players who did not win a Super Bowl during their otherwise incredible careers. 

The only criteria for this list was that the player had to play his entire career during the Super Bowl era. That’s why Bears legends Gale Sayers and Dick Butkus aren’t included. 

25. Cris Carter 

Best chance: Carter and the Vikings led the Falcons 27-20 late in the 1998 NFC title game. Minnesota squandered a chance to ice the game when Gary Anderson missed his first and only field goal try of the season late in the fourth quarter. Atlanta took advantage by forcing overtime, then shocking the heavily-favored Vikings in the extra time. 

24. Brian Urlacher

Best chance: Urlacher led the Bears to Super Bowl XLI. Chicago’s defense was OK that night, but the unit could not overcome an offense that turned the ball over five times in a 29-17 loss. 

23. Jack Youngblood 

Best chance: Youngblood came painfully close to winning a Super Bowl, both literally and physically. The Rams’ standout defensive end played in Super Bowl XIV despite having a broken leg. His presence helped the Rams take a 19-17 lead over the defending champion Steelers going into the fourth quarter. 

It took two huge completions from Terry Bradshaw to John Stallworth in the fourth quarter for the Steelers to avoid a huge upset against Youngblood and Los Angles, whose gritty performance that day won’t soon be forgotten. 

22. John Hannah 

Best chance: How good was Hannah? He was the best player on the Patriots’ first Super Bowl team. But Hannah’s team was no match for the ’85 Bears, one of the greatest teams of all-time. Super Bowl XX was the final game in a Hall of Fame career for Hannah, who is regarded as one of the greatest interior offensive  linemen in NFL history. 

21. Dermontti Dawson

Best chance: Dawson is the greatest center in NFL history, according to Pro Football Reference’s Hall of Fame monitor. He played in one Super Bowl, and it was one of the most bazaar ones the NFL has ever seen. The Steelers dominated the second half of Super Bowl XXX, but could not overcome two dreadful interceptions that set up 14 Cowboys points. 

20. Champ Bailey 

Best chance: One of the best cornerbacks of his era, Bailey didn’t play in a Super Bowl until his final season. Unfortunately for Bailey, his Broncos team didn’t stand a chance against the Seahawks, who recorded one of the most lopsided wins in Super Bowl history. 

19. Randall McDaniel 

Best chance: McDaniel’s best shot at ring came during the 1998 season as a member of the Vikings. Had the Vikings beaten the Falcons in that year’s NFC title game, they would have faced John Elway and the defending champion Broncos in what could have been an epic showdown. 

The ’98 Vikings featured nine Pro Bowlers that included McDaniel, a 1990s All-Decade Team guard whose streak of consecutive Pro Bowl selections spanned three decades. 

18. Joe Thomas 

Best chance: He didn’t know it at the time, but Thomas’ rookie reason represented his best shot at winning a ring. The Browns finished 10-6, and it was the only season of Thomas’ career where Cleveland finished with a winning record. Cleveland missed the playoffs, however, after losing a tiebreaker with division champion Pittsburgh. 

17. Steve Largent 

Best chance: Largent and the Seahawks swept the Raiders during the 1983 regular season. The Raiders turned the tables, however, in that year’s AFC title game. One reason why was the addition of Hall of Fame cornerback Mike Haynes, who was acquired by the Raiders late in the regular season. With Haynes and fellow cornerback Lester Hayes watching his every move, Largent caught just two passes in Seattle’s 30-14 loss. 

16. Bruce Matthews 

Best chance: At age 38, Matthews finally reached a Super Bowl with the Titans at the end of the 1999 season. In one of the best Super Bowls ever, the Titans fought from 16 points down to pull even late in the game. 

The Rams quickly re-gained the lead on a Kurt Warner to Isaac Bruce touchdown. But Steve McNair led the Titans on a furious, last minute drive that ended just short of the goal line. 

15. O.J. Simpson

Best chance: The NFL’s first 2,000-yard rusher played in just one playoff game, and it came against one of the greatest teams of all-time. In fact, the Steelers’ blowout win over Simpson and the Bills in the ’74 divisional round was the beginning of a run that saw Pittsburgh win four Super Bowls over a six-year span. 

While he caught a touchdown pass, Simpson was held to just 49 yards on 15 carries in Buffalo’s 32-14 loss. 

14. Adrian Peterson 

Best chance: Peterson’s 122 yards and three touchdowns in 2009 NFC title game wasn’t enough to lift the Vikings past the Saints, who edged Minnesota in one of the greatest championship games in history. A crucial interception by Brett Favre late in regulation prevented the Vikings from attempting a game-winning field goal. The Saints took advantage in overtime, winning the game and capturing the franchise’s only Super Bowl title two weeks later. 

13. JJ Watt 

Best chance: Watt recently told CBS Sports that the 2012 Texans was Houston’s best team during his time there. Houston won a defensive battle against Cincinnati in the wild card round, but weren’t able to keep pace with Tom Brady and the Patriots in the divisional round a week later. Houston’s offense played well that night but was ultimately on the short end of a 41-28 final score. 

12. Eric Dickerson 

Best chance: Dickerson and Marino were the NFL’s top-two players in 1985. Both players, though, saw their seasons end one game shy of the Super Bowl. For Dickerson, his Rams squad was no match for eventual Super Bowl champion Bears, whose defense scored more points in that year’s NFC title game than Los Angeles’ offense. 

11. Fran Tarkenton 

Best chance: The NFL’s career passing leader until Marino passed him in 1995, Tarkenton played in three Super Bowls during his Hall of Fame career. Super Bowl IX was the only one that was still competitive in the fourth quarter. The Steelers ultimately won, 16-6, behind the running of Franco Harris and a defense that held Tarkenton and the rest of the Vikings’ offense to 121 total yards. 

10. Larry Fitzgerald 

Best chance: Fitzgerald was bottled up for the first three quarters of Super Bowl XLIII. He caught fire in the fourth quarter, however, catching two touchdown passes that included a go-ahead, 64-yard catch and run with 2:37 left.  

With Fitzgerald watching on the sideline, the Steelers mounted an 88-yard drive that was punctuated by Ben Roethlisberger’s game-winning touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes. The Cardinals lost, 27-23, despite a MVP-worthy game from Fitzgerald, who caught seven passes for 127 yards along with his two touchdowns. 

9. LaDainian Tomlinson 

Best chance: While he played in two AFC title games, Tomlinson’s best shot at a ring was in 2006 as a member of the 14-2 Chargers. But San Diego was upset by the Patriots in the divisional round despite Tomlinson’s 187 total yards and two touchdowns. The Chargers led 14-3 before falling victim of a vintage Tom Brady comeback.  

Had they won that game, the Chargers would have hosted Peyton Manning’s Colts in the AFC title game. The Chargers, not the Colts, likely would have defeated the Bears in the Super Bowl had they been able to get past Indianapolis. 

8. Tony Gonzalez 

Best chance: Despite starring on several talented Chiefs teams, Gonzalez’s first playoff win did not come until his 16th season. A member of the Falcons by that time, Gonzalez’s 10-yard touchdown reception gave Atlanta a 10-point lead over the 49ers in the divisional round of the 2012 playoffs.  

The Falcons were unable to hang onto their lead, however, as two touchdowns by Frank Gore (another great player that didn’t win a Super Bowl) lifted San Francisco to a 28-24 win. Gonzalez retired after the following season as the most prolific tight end in NFL history. 

7. Junior Seau 

Best chance: Seau’s best shot at a ring came as a member of the almost undefeated Patriots. While he and his defensive teammates mostly shut down the Giants, they fell victim to one of the most unbelievable plays in NFL history. They also weren’t helped by an offense that scored just 14 points.  

Arguably the NFL’s best defensive player throughout the 1990s, Seau was the best player on a Chargers team that made an unexpected Super Bowl run in 1994. That remains the Chargers’ only appearance in the big game. 

6. Alan Page 

Best chance: Page and the Vikings weren’t really close in any of their four Super Bowl appearances. Their most competitive Super Bowl occurred against the Steelers in Super Bowl IX. A special teams score briefly gave the Vikings hope, but those hopes were dashed moments later when Terry Bradshaw led the Steelers on a game-clinching scoring drive.  

It should be noted that Page — the first defensive player to win NFL MVP — did win an NFL championship in 1969. The Vikings then lost to the Chiefs in Super Bowl IV in what was the final game before the AFL-NFL merger. 

5. Anthony Munoz 

Best chance: Munoz played in two tightly contested Super Bowls against the 49ers. Both times, Munoz and the Bengals came up short, with their second loss coming after Montana led the 49ers on their famous 92-yard, game-winning drive to win Super Bowl XXIII. 

While he didn’t get a Super Bowl ring, Munoz owns the unofficial title as the greatest offensive tackle in league history. 

4. Bruce Smith 

Best chance: Smith’s safety in Super Bowl XXV gave Buffalo a 12-3 early lead over the Giants. But the Bills would score only one more time and ended up on the short end of closest Super Bowl ever. Down 20-19 with eight seconds left, Smith and his teammates locked arms on the sideline as Scott Norwood’s 47-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right.  

The NFL’s all-time leader with 200 sacks, Smith and the Bills would play in the next three Super Bowls while becoming the only team to play in the big game four straight years. But they were defeated each time by a combined score of 119-54. 

3. Randy Moss 

Best chance: Similar to Michael Jordan and LeBron James, there is an open debate as it relates to either Jerry Rice or Randy Moss as the greatest receiver of all-time. An athletic marvel, Moss flourished when he arrived in New England in 2007. Paired with Tom Brady, Moss caught a single season NFL record 22 touchdowns while helping the Patriots cap off a perfect regular season.  

Moss was on the doorstep of winning his first ring after catching the go-ahead touchdown late in that year’s Super Bowl. But the Giants countered when Eli Manning’s miraculous completion to David Tyree set up his go-ahead touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress.  

With seconds left, Moss and Brady nearly connected on a deep throw that would have made things interesting. But the duo could not complete the throw, and Moss and Co. were denied a place in football immortality. 

2. Barry Sanders 

Best chance: The supremely talented Sanders led the Lions to their only playoff win in the last 65 years when the Lions romped the Cowboys to earn a spot in the 1991 NFC title game.  

Detroit would be on the other side of a blowout against Washington, however, as the eventual Super Bowl champs held Sanders to 59 all-purpose yards.  

Sanders’ next and last “best chance” at a title occurred two years later. Despite Sanders’ 169 yards rushing, the Lions were upset by the Packers in Brett Favre’s first playoff win. Favre’s 40-yard touchdown pass to Sterling Sharpe late in the fourth quarter gave Green Bay a 28-24 victory.  

1. Dan Marino 

Best chance: Marino led the Dolphins to the big game in his just second season. It was an MVP year for Marino, who threw for then NFL records of 5,084 yards and 48 touchdowns. In that year’s Super Bowl, Marino was part of one of the greatest big game quarterback matchups in history between himself and Joe Montana, who three years earlier led the 49ers to their first title. 

Marino threw for 318 yards and a touchdown, but Montana accounted for over 400 yards and four touchdowns as San Francisco recorded a 38-16 win. It was the first and last Super Bowl appearance for Marino, who retired as the NFL’s all-time career passing leader. 

For every outstanding NFL player whose career is defined by Super Bowl glory, there is at least one all-time great who came up short in their quest to win the big game. 

The list is endless, and it will continue to be added to. Bills fans, who have already had to watch several of their iconic players retire without a Super Bowl win, are hoping that Josh Allen’s name isn’t added to the list of players who never got to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy before he hangs up his cleats. 

While Allen isn’t on this list yet, here’s who did crack my top-25 list of NFL players who did not win a Super Bowl during their otherwise incredible careers. 

The only criteria for this list was that the player had to play his entire career during the Super Bowl era. That’s why Bears legends Gale Sayers and Dick Butkus aren’t included. 

25. Cris Carter 

Best chance: Carter and the Vikings led the Falcons 27-20 late in the 1998 NFC title game. Minnesota squandered a chance to ice the game when Gary Anderson missed his first and only field goal try of the season late in the fourth quarter. Atlanta took advantage by forcing overtime, then shocking the heavily-favored Vikings in the extra time. 

24. Brian Urlacher

Best chance: Urlacher led the Bears to Super Bowl XLI. Chicago’s defense was OK that night, but the unit could not overcome an offense that turned the ball over five times in a 29-17 loss. 

23. Jack Youngblood 

Best chance: Youngblood came painfully close to winning a Super Bowl, both literally and physically. The Rams’ standout defensive end played in Super Bowl XIV despite having a broken leg. His presence helped the Rams take a 19-17 lead over the defending champion Steelers going into the fourth quarter. 

It took two huge completions from Terry Bradshaw to John Stallworth in the fourth quarter for the Steelers to avoid a huge upset against Youngblood and Los Angles, whose gritty performance that day won’t soon be forgotten. 

22. John Hannah 

Best chance: How good was Hannah? He was the best player on the Patriots’ first Super Bowl team. But Hannah’s team was no match for the ’85 Bears, one of the greatest teams of all-time. Super Bowl XX was the final game in a Hall of Fame career for Hannah, who is regarded as one of the greatest interior offensive  linemen in NFL history. 

21. Dermontti Dawson

Best chance: Dawson is the greatest center in NFL history, according to Pro Football Reference’s Hall of Fame monitor. He played in one Super Bowl, and it was one of the most bazaar ones the NFL has ever seen. The Steelers dominated the second half of Super Bowl XXX, but could not overcome two dreadful interceptions that set up 14 Cowboys points. 

20. Champ Bailey 

Best chance: One of the best cornerbacks of his era, Bailey didn’t play in a Super Bowl until his final season. Unfortunately for Bailey, his Broncos team didn’t stand a chance against the Seahawks, who recorded one of the most lopsided wins in Super Bowl history. 

19. Randall McDaniel 

Best chance: McDaniel’s best shot at ring came during the 1998 season as a member of the Vikings. Had the Vikings beaten the Falcons in that year’s NFC title game, they would have faced John Elway and the defending champion Broncos in what could have been an epic showdown. 

The ’98 Vikings featured nine Pro Bowlers that included McDaniel, a 1990s All-Decade Team guard whose streak of consecutive Pro Bowl selections spanned three decades. 

18. Joe Thomas 

Best chance: He didn’t know it at the time, but Thomas’ rookie reason represented his best shot at winning a ring. The Browns finished 10-6, and it was the only season of Thomas’ career where Cleveland finished with a winning record. Cleveland missed the playoffs, however, after losing a tiebreaker with division champion Pittsburgh. 

17. Steve Largent 

Best chance: Largent and the Seahawks swept the Raiders during the 1983 regular season. The Raiders turned the tables, however, in that year’s AFC title game. One reason why was the addition of Hall of Fame cornerback Mike Haynes, who was acquired by the Raiders late in the regular season. With Haynes and fellow cornerback Lester Hayes watching his every move, Largent caught just two passes in Seattle’s 30-14 loss. 

16. Bruce Matthews 

Best chance: At age 38, Matthews finally reached a Super Bowl with the Titans at the end of the 1999 season. In one of the best Super Bowls ever, the Titans fought from 16 points down to pull even late in the game. 

The Rams quickly re-gained the lead on a Kurt Warner to Isaac Bruce touchdown. But Steve McNair led the Titans on a furious, last minute drive that ended just short of the goal line. 

15. O.J. Simpson

Best chance: The NFL’s first 2,000-yard rusher played in just one playoff game, and it came against one of the greatest teams of all-time. In fact, the Steelers’ blowout win over Simpson and the Bills in the ’74 divisional round was the beginning of a run that saw Pittsburgh win four Super Bowls over a six-year span. 

While he caught a touchdown pass, Simpson was held to just 49 yards on 15 carries in Buffalo’s 32-14 loss. 

14. Adrian Peterson 

Best chance: Peterson’s 122 yards and three touchdowns in 2009 NFC title game wasn’t enough to lift the Vikings past the Saints, who edged Minnesota in one of the greatest championship games in history. A crucial interception by Brett Favre late in regulation prevented the Vikings from attempting a game-winning field goal. The Saints took advantage in overtime, winning the game and capturing the franchise’s only Super Bowl title two weeks later. 

13. JJ Watt 

Best chance: Watt recently told CBS Sports that the 2012 Texans was Houston’s best team during his time there. Houston won a defensive battle against Cincinnati in the wild card round, but weren’t able to keep pace with Tom Brady and the Patriots in the divisional round a week later. Houston’s offense played well that night but was ultimately on the short end of a 41-28 final score. 

12. Eric Dickerson 

Best chance: Dickerson and Marino were the NFL’s top-two players in 1985. Both players, though, saw their seasons end one game shy of the Super Bowl. For Dickerson, his Rams squad was no match for eventual Super Bowl champion Bears, whose defense scored more points in that year’s NFC title game than Los Angeles’ offense. 

11. Fran Tarkenton 

Best chance: The NFL’s career passing leader until Marino passed him in 1995, Tarkenton played in three Super Bowls during his Hall of Fame career. Super Bowl IX was the only one that was still competitive in the fourth quarter. The Steelers ultimately won, 16-6, behind the running of Franco Harris and a defense that held Tarkenton and the rest of the Vikings’ offense to 121 total yards. 

10. Larry Fitzgerald 

Best chance: Fitzgerald was bottled up for the first three quarters of Super Bowl XLIII. He caught fire in the fourth quarter, however, catching two touchdown passes that included a go-ahead, 64-yard catch and run with 2:37 left.  

With Fitzgerald watching on the sideline, the Steelers mounted an 88-yard drive that was punctuated by Ben Roethlisberger’s game-winning touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes. The Cardinals lost, 27-23, despite a MVP-worthy game from Fitzgerald, who caught seven passes for 127 yards along with his two touchdowns. 

9. LaDainian Tomlinson 

Best chance: While he played in two AFC title games, Tomlinson’s best shot at a ring was in 2006 as a member of the 14-2 Chargers. But San Diego was upset by the Patriots in the divisional round despite Tomlinson’s 187 total yards and two touchdowns. The Chargers led 14-3 before falling victim of a vintage Tom Brady comeback.  

Had they won that game, the Chargers would have hosted Peyton Manning’s Colts in the AFC title game. The Chargers, not the Colts, likely would have defeated the Bears in the Super Bowl had they been able to get past Indianapolis. 

8. Tony Gonzalez 

Best chance: Despite starring on several talented Chiefs teams, Gonzalez’s first playoff win did not come until his 16th season. A member of the Falcons by that time, Gonzalez’s 10-yard touchdown reception gave Atlanta a 10-point lead over the 49ers in the divisional round of the 2012 playoffs.  

The Falcons were unable to hang onto their lead, however, as two touchdowns by Frank Gore (another great player that didn’t win a Super Bowl) lifted San Francisco to a 28-24 win. Gonzalez retired after the following season as the most prolific tight end in NFL history. 

7. Junior Seau 

Best chance: Seau’s best shot at a ring came as a member of the almost undefeated Patriots. While he and his defensive teammates mostly shut down the Giants, they fell victim to one of the most unbelievable plays in NFL history. They also weren’t helped by an offense that scored just 14 points.  

Arguably the NFL’s best defensive player throughout the 1990s, Seau was the best player on a Chargers team that made an unexpected Super Bowl run in 1994. That remains the Chargers’ only appearance in the big game. 

6. Alan Page 

Best chance: Page and the Vikings weren’t really close in any of their four Super Bowl appearances. Their most competitive Super Bowl occurred against the Steelers in Super Bowl IX. A special teams score briefly gave the Vikings hope, but those hopes were dashed moments later when Terry Bradshaw led the Steelers on a game-clinching scoring drive.  

It should be noted that Page — the first defensive player to win NFL MVP — did win an NFL championship in 1969. The Vikings then lost to the Chiefs in Super Bowl IV in what was the final game before the AFL-NFL merger. 

5. Anthony Munoz 

Best chance: Munoz played in two tightly contested Super Bowls against the 49ers. Both times, Munoz and the Bengals came up short, with their second loss coming after Montana led the 49ers on their famous 92-yard, game-winning drive to win Super Bowl XXIII. 

While he didn’t get a Super Bowl ring, Munoz owns the unofficial title as the greatest offensive tackle in league history. 

4. Bruce Smith 

Best chance: Smith’s safety in Super Bowl XXV gave Buffalo a 12-3 early lead over the Giants. But the Bills would score only one more time and ended up on the short end of closest Super Bowl ever. Down 20-19 with eight seconds left, Smith and his teammates locked arms on the sideline as Scott Norwood’s 47-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right.  

The NFL’s all-time leader with 200 sacks, Smith and the Bills would play in the next three Super Bowls while becoming the only team to play in the big game four straight years. But they were defeated each time by a combined score of 119-54. 

3. Randy Moss 

Best chance: Similar to Michael Jordan and LeBron James, there is an open debate as it relates to either Jerry Rice or Randy Moss as the greatest receiver of all-time. An athletic marvel, Moss flourished when he arrived in New England in 2007. Paired with Tom Brady, Moss caught a single season NFL record 22 touchdowns while helping the Patriots cap off a perfect regular season.  

Moss was on the doorstep of winning his first ring after catching the go-ahead touchdown late in that year’s Super Bowl. But the Giants countered when Eli Manning’s miraculous completion to David Tyree set up his go-ahead touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress.  

With seconds left, Moss and Brady nearly connected on a deep throw that would have made things interesting. But the duo could not complete the throw, and Moss and Co. were denied a place in football immortality. 

2. Barry Sanders 

Best chance: The supremely talented Sanders led the Lions to their only playoff win in the last 65 years when the Lions romped the Cowboys to earn a spot in the 1991 NFC title game.  

Detroit would be on the other side of a blowout against Washington, however, as the eventual Super Bowl champs held Sanders to 59 all-purpose yards.  

Sanders’ next and last “best chance” at a title occurred two years later. Despite Sanders’ 169 yards rushing, the Lions were upset by the Packers in Brett Favre’s first playoff win. Favre’s 40-yard touchdown pass to Sterling Sharpe late in the fourth quarter gave Green Bay a 28-24 victory.  

1. Dan Marino 

Best chance: Marino led the Dolphins to the big game in his just second season. It was an MVP year for Marino, who threw for then NFL records of 5,084 yards and 48 touchdowns. In that year’s Super Bowl, Marino was part of one of the greatest big game quarterback matchups in history between himself and Joe Montana, who three years earlier led the 49ers to their first title. 

Marino threw for 318 yards and a touchdown, but Montana accounted for over 400 yards and four touchdowns as San Francisco recorded a 38-16 win. It was the first and last Super Bowl appearance for Marino, who retired as the NFL’s all-time career passing leader. 

For every outstanding NFL player whose career is defined by Super Bowl glory, there is at least one all-time great who came up short in their quest to win the big game. 

The list is endless, and it will continue to be added to. Bills fans, who have already had to watch several of their iconic players retire without a Super Bowl win, are hoping that Josh Allen’s name isn’t added to the list of players who never got to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy before he hangs up his cleats. 

While Allen isn’t on this list yet, here’s who did crack my top-25 list of NFL players who did not win a Super Bowl during their otherwise incredible careers. 

The only criteria for this list was that the player had to play his entire career during the Super Bowl era. That’s why Bears legends Gale Sayers and Dick Butkus aren’t included. 

25. Cris Carter 

Best chance: Carter and the Vikings led the Falcons 27-20 late in the 1998 NFC title game. Minnesota squandered a chance to ice the game when Gary Anderson missed his first and only field goal try of the season late in the fourth quarter. Atlanta took advantage by forcing overtime, then shocking the heavily-favored Vikings in the extra time. 

24. Brian Urlacher

Best chance: Urlacher led the Bears to Super Bowl XLI. Chicago’s defense was OK that night, but the unit could not overcome an offense that turned the ball over five times in a 29-17 loss. 

23. Jack Youngblood 

Best chance: Youngblood came painfully close to winning a Super Bowl, both literally and physically. The Rams’ standout defensive end played in Super Bowl XIV despite having a broken leg. His presence helped the Rams take a 19-17 lead over the defending champion Steelers going into the fourth quarter. 

It took two huge completions from Terry Bradshaw to John Stallworth in the fourth quarter for the Steelers to avoid a huge upset against Youngblood and Los Angles, whose gritty performance that day won’t soon be forgotten. 

22. John Hannah 

Best chance: How good was Hannah? He was the best player on the Patriots’ first Super Bowl team. But Hannah’s team was no match for the ’85 Bears, one of the greatest teams of all-time. Super Bowl XX was the final game in a Hall of Fame career for Hannah, who is regarded as one of the greatest interior offensive  linemen in NFL history. 

21. Dermontti Dawson

Best chance: Dawson is the greatest center in NFL history, according to Pro Football Reference’s Hall of Fame monitor. He played in one Super Bowl, and it was one of the most bazaar ones the NFL has ever seen. The Steelers dominated the second half of Super Bowl XXX, but could not overcome two dreadful interceptions that set up 14 Cowboys points. 

20. Champ Bailey 

Best chance: One of the best cornerbacks of his era, Bailey didn’t play in a Super Bowl until his final season. Unfortunately for Bailey, his Broncos team didn’t stand a chance against the Seahawks, who recorded one of the most lopsided wins in Super Bowl history. 

19. Randall McDaniel 

Best chance: McDaniel’s best shot at ring came during the 1998 season as a member of the Vikings. Had the Vikings beaten the Falcons in that year’s NFC title game, they would have faced John Elway and the defending champion Broncos in what could have been an epic showdown. 

The ’98 Vikings featured nine Pro Bowlers that included McDaniel, a 1990s All-Decade Team guard whose streak of consecutive Pro Bowl selections spanned three decades. 

18. Joe Thomas 

Best chance: He didn’t know it at the time, but Thomas’ rookie reason represented his best shot at winning a ring. The Browns finished 10-6, and it was the only season of Thomas’ career where Cleveland finished with a winning record. Cleveland missed the playoffs, however, after losing a tiebreaker with division champion Pittsburgh. 

17. Steve Largent 

Best chance: Largent and the Seahawks swept the Raiders during the 1983 regular season. The Raiders turned the tables, however, in that year’s AFC title game. One reason why was the addition of Hall of Fame cornerback Mike Haynes, who was acquired by the Raiders late in the regular season. With Haynes and fellow cornerback Lester Hayes watching his every move, Largent caught just two passes in Seattle’s 30-14 loss. 

16. Bruce Matthews 

Best chance: At age 38, Matthews finally reached a Super Bowl with the Titans at the end of the 1999 season. In one of the best Super Bowls ever, the Titans fought from 16 points down to pull even late in the game. 

The Rams quickly re-gained the lead on a Kurt Warner to Isaac Bruce touchdown. But Steve McNair led the Titans on a furious, last minute drive that ended just short of the goal line. 

15. O.J. Simpson

Best chance: The NFL’s first 2,000-yard rusher played in just one playoff game, and it came against one of the greatest teams of all-time. In fact, the Steelers’ blowout win over Simpson and the Bills in the ’74 divisional round was the beginning of a run that saw Pittsburgh win four Super Bowls over a six-year span. 

While he caught a touchdown pass, Simpson was held to just 49 yards on 15 carries in Buffalo’s 32-14 loss. 

14. Adrian Peterson 

Best chance: Peterson’s 122 yards and three touchdowns in 2009 NFC title game wasn’t enough to lift the Vikings past the Saints, who edged Minnesota in one of the greatest championship games in history. A crucial interception by Brett Favre late in regulation prevented the Vikings from attempting a game-winning field goal. The Saints took advantage in overtime, winning the game and capturing the franchise’s only Super Bowl title two weeks later. 

13. JJ Watt 

Best chance: Watt recently told CBS Sports that the 2012 Texans was Houston’s best team during his time there. Houston won a defensive battle against Cincinnati in the wild card round, but weren’t able to keep pace with Tom Brady and the Patriots in the divisional round a week later. Houston’s offense played well that night but was ultimately on the short end of a 41-28 final score. 

12. Eric Dickerson 

Best chance: Dickerson and Marino were the NFL’s top-two players in 1985. Both players, though, saw their seasons end one game shy of the Super Bowl. For Dickerson, his Rams squad was no match for eventual Super Bowl champion Bears, whose defense scored more points in that year’s NFC title game than Los Angeles’ offense. 

11. Fran Tarkenton 

Best chance: The NFL’s career passing leader until Marino passed him in 1995, Tarkenton played in three Super Bowls during his Hall of Fame career. Super Bowl IX was the only one that was still competitive in the fourth quarter. The Steelers ultimately won, 16-6, behind the running of Franco Harris and a defense that held Tarkenton and the rest of the Vikings’ offense to 121 total yards. 

10. Larry Fitzgerald 

Best chance: Fitzgerald was bottled up for the first three quarters of Super Bowl XLIII. He caught fire in the fourth quarter, however, catching two touchdown passes that included a go-ahead, 64-yard catch and run with 2:37 left.  

With Fitzgerald watching on the sideline, the Steelers mounted an 88-yard drive that was punctuated by Ben Roethlisberger’s game-winning touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes. The Cardinals lost, 27-23, despite a MVP-worthy game from Fitzgerald, who caught seven passes for 127 yards along with his two touchdowns. 

9. LaDainian Tomlinson 

Best chance: While he played in two AFC title games, Tomlinson’s best shot at a ring was in 2006 as a member of the 14-2 Chargers. But San Diego was upset by the Patriots in the divisional round despite Tomlinson’s 187 total yards and two touchdowns. The Chargers led 14-3 before falling victim of a vintage Tom Brady comeback.  

Had they won that game, the Chargers would have hosted Peyton Manning’s Colts in the AFC title game. The Chargers, not the Colts, likely would have defeated the Bears in the Super Bowl had they been able to get past Indianapolis. 

8. Tony Gonzalez 

Best chance: Despite starring on several talented Chiefs teams, Gonzalez’s first playoff win did not come until his 16th season. A member of the Falcons by that time, Gonzalez’s 10-yard touchdown reception gave Atlanta a 10-point lead over the 49ers in the divisional round of the 2012 playoffs.  

The Falcons were unable to hang onto their lead, however, as two touchdowns by Frank Gore (another great player that didn’t win a Super Bowl) lifted San Francisco to a 28-24 win. Gonzalez retired after the following season as the most prolific tight end in NFL history. 

7. Junior Seau 

Best chance: Seau’s best shot at a ring came as a member of the almost undefeated Patriots. While he and his defensive teammates mostly shut down the Giants, they fell victim to one of the most unbelievable plays in NFL history. They also weren’t helped by an offense that scored just 14 points.  

Arguably the NFL’s best defensive player throughout the 1990s, Seau was the best player on a Chargers team that made an unexpected Super Bowl run in 1994. That remains the Chargers’ only appearance in the big game. 

6. Alan Page 

Best chance: Page and the Vikings weren’t really close in any of their four Super Bowl appearances. Their most competitive Super Bowl occurred against the Steelers in Super Bowl IX. A special teams score briefly gave the Vikings hope, but those hopes were dashed moments later when Terry Bradshaw led the Steelers on a game-clinching scoring drive.  

It should be noted that Page — the first defensive player to win NFL MVP — did win an NFL championship in 1969. The Vikings then lost to the Chiefs in Super Bowl IV in what was the final game before the AFL-NFL merger. 

5. Anthony Munoz 

Best chance: Munoz played in two tightly contested Super Bowls against the 49ers. Both times, Munoz and the Bengals came up short, with their second loss coming after Montana led the 49ers on their famous 92-yard, game-winning drive to win Super Bowl XXIII. 

While he didn’t get a Super Bowl ring, Munoz owns the unofficial title as the greatest offensive tackle in league history. 

4. Bruce Smith 

Best chance: Smith’s safety in Super Bowl XXV gave Buffalo a 12-3 early lead over the Giants. But the Bills would score only one more time and ended up on the short end of closest Super Bowl ever. Down 20-19 with eight seconds left, Smith and his teammates locked arms on the sideline as Scott Norwood’s 47-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right.  

The NFL’s all-time leader with 200 sacks, Smith and the Bills would play in the next three Super Bowls while becoming the only team to play in the big game four straight years. But they were defeated each time by a combined score of 119-54. 

3. Randy Moss 

Best chance: Similar to Michael Jordan and LeBron James, there is an open debate as it relates to either Jerry Rice or Randy Moss as the greatest receiver of all-time. An athletic marvel, Moss flourished when he arrived in New England in 2007. Paired with Tom Brady, Moss caught a single season NFL record 22 touchdowns while helping the Patriots cap off a perfect regular season.  

Moss was on the doorstep of winning his first ring after catching the go-ahead touchdown late in that year’s Super Bowl. But the Giants countered when Eli Manning’s miraculous completion to David Tyree set up his go-ahead touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress.  

With seconds left, Moss and Brady nearly connected on a deep throw that would have made things interesting. But the duo could not complete the throw, and Moss and Co. were denied a place in football immortality. 

2. Barry Sanders 

Best chance: The supremely talented Sanders led the Lions to their only playoff win in the last 65 years when the Lions romped the Cowboys to earn a spot in the 1991 NFC title game.  

Detroit would be on the other side of a blowout against Washington, however, as the eventual Super Bowl champs held Sanders to 59 all-purpose yards.  

Sanders’ next and last “best chance” at a title occurred two years later. Despite Sanders’ 169 yards rushing, the Lions were upset by the Packers in Brett Favre’s first playoff win. Favre’s 40-yard touchdown pass to Sterling Sharpe late in the fourth quarter gave Green Bay a 28-24 victory.  

1. Dan Marino 

Best chance: Marino led the Dolphins to the big game in his just second season. It was an MVP year for Marino, who threw for then NFL records of 5,084 yards and 48 touchdowns. In that year’s Super Bowl, Marino was part of one of the greatest big game quarterback matchups in history between himself and Joe Montana, who three years earlier led the 49ers to their first title. 

Marino threw for 318 yards and a touchdown, but Montana accounted for over 400 yards and four touchdowns as San Francisco recorded a 38-16 win. It was the first and last Super Bowl appearance for Marino, who retired as the NFL’s all-time career passing leader. 

For every outstanding NFL player whose career is defined by Super Bowl glory, there is at least one all-time great who came up short in their quest to win the big game. 

The list is endless, and it will continue to be added to. Bills fans, who have already had to watch several of their iconic players retire without a Super Bowl win, are hoping that Josh Allen’s name isn’t added to the list of players who never got to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy before he hangs up his cleats. 

While Allen isn’t on this list yet, here’s who did crack my top-25 list of NFL players who did not win a Super Bowl during their otherwise incredible careers. 

The only criteria for this list was that the player had to play his entire career during the Super Bowl era. That’s why Bears legends Gale Sayers and Dick Butkus aren’t included. 

25. Cris Carter 

Best chance: Carter and the Vikings led the Falcons 27-20 late in the 1998 NFC title game. Minnesota squandered a chance to ice the game when Gary Anderson missed his first and only field goal try of the season late in the fourth quarter. Atlanta took advantage by forcing overtime, then shocking the heavily-favored Vikings in the extra time. 

24. Brian Urlacher

Best chance: Urlacher led the Bears to Super Bowl XLI. Chicago’s defense was OK that night, but the unit could not overcome an offense that turned the ball over five times in a 29-17 loss. 

23. Jack Youngblood 

Best chance: Youngblood came painfully close to winning a Super Bowl, both literally and physically. The Rams’ standout defensive end played in Super Bowl XIV despite having a broken leg. His presence helped the Rams take a 19-17 lead over the defending champion Steelers going into the fourth quarter. 

It took two huge completions from Terry Bradshaw to John Stallworth in the fourth quarter for the Steelers to avoid a huge upset against Youngblood and Los Angles, whose gritty performance that day won’t soon be forgotten. 

22. John Hannah 

Best chance: How good was Hannah? He was the best player on the Patriots’ first Super Bowl team. But Hannah’s team was no match for the ’85 Bears, one of the greatest teams of all-time. Super Bowl XX was the final game in a Hall of Fame career for Hannah, who is regarded as one of the greatest interior offensive  linemen in NFL history. 

21. Dermontti Dawson

Best chance: Dawson is the greatest center in NFL history, according to Pro Football Reference’s Hall of Fame monitor. He played in one Super Bowl, and it was one of the most bazaar ones the NFL has ever seen. The Steelers dominated the second half of Super Bowl XXX, but could not overcome two dreadful interceptions that set up 14 Cowboys points. 

20. Champ Bailey 

Best chance: One of the best cornerbacks of his era, Bailey didn’t play in a Super Bowl until his final season. Unfortunately for Bailey, his Broncos team didn’t stand a chance against the Seahawks, who recorded one of the most lopsided wins in Super Bowl history. 

19. Randall McDaniel 

Best chance: McDaniel’s best shot at ring came during the 1998 season as a member of the Vikings. Had the Vikings beaten the Falcons in that year’s NFC title game, they would have faced John Elway and the defending champion Broncos in what could have been an epic showdown. 

The ’98 Vikings featured nine Pro Bowlers that included McDaniel, a 1990s All-Decade Team guard whose streak of consecutive Pro Bowl selections spanned three decades. 

18. Joe Thomas 

Best chance: He didn’t know it at the time, but Thomas’ rookie reason represented his best shot at winning a ring. The Browns finished 10-6, and it was the only season of Thomas’ career where Cleveland finished with a winning record. Cleveland missed the playoffs, however, after losing a tiebreaker with division champion Pittsburgh. 

17. Steve Largent 

Best chance: Largent and the Seahawks swept the Raiders during the 1983 regular season. The Raiders turned the tables, however, in that year’s AFC title game. One reason why was the addition of Hall of Fame cornerback Mike Haynes, who was acquired by the Raiders late in the regular season. With Haynes and fellow cornerback Lester Hayes watching his every move, Largent caught just two passes in Seattle’s 30-14 loss. 

16. Bruce Matthews 

Best chance: At age 38, Matthews finally reached a Super Bowl with the Titans at the end of the 1999 season. In one of the best Super Bowls ever, the Titans fought from 16 points down to pull even late in the game. 

The Rams quickly re-gained the lead on a Kurt Warner to Isaac Bruce touchdown. But Steve McNair led the Titans on a furious, last minute drive that ended just short of the goal line. 

15. O.J. Simpson

Best chance: The NFL’s first 2,000-yard rusher played in just one playoff game, and it came against one of the greatest teams of all-time. In fact, the Steelers’ blowout win over Simpson and the Bills in the ’74 divisional round was the beginning of a run that saw Pittsburgh win four Super Bowls over a six-year span. 

While he caught a touchdown pass, Simpson was held to just 49 yards on 15 carries in Buffalo’s 32-14 loss. 

14. Adrian Peterson 

Best chance: Peterson’s 122 yards and three touchdowns in 2009 NFC title game wasn’t enough to lift the Vikings past the Saints, who edged Minnesota in one of the greatest championship games in history. A crucial interception by Brett Favre late in regulation prevented the Vikings from attempting a game-winning field goal. The Saints took advantage in overtime, winning the game and capturing the franchise’s only Super Bowl title two weeks later. 

13. JJ Watt 

Best chance: Watt recently told CBS Sports that the 2012 Texans was Houston’s best team during his time there. Houston won a defensive battle against Cincinnati in the wild card round, but weren’t able to keep pace with Tom Brady and the Patriots in the divisional round a week later. Houston’s offense played well that night but was ultimately on the short end of a 41-28 final score. 

12. Eric Dickerson 

Best chance: Dickerson and Marino were the NFL’s top-two players in 1985. Both players, though, saw their seasons end one game shy of the Super Bowl. For Dickerson, his Rams squad was no match for eventual Super Bowl champion Bears, whose defense scored more points in that year’s NFC title game than Los Angeles’ offense. 

11. Fran Tarkenton 

Best chance: The NFL’s career passing leader until Marino passed him in 1995, Tarkenton played in three Super Bowls during his Hall of Fame career. Super Bowl IX was the only one that was still competitive in the fourth quarter. The Steelers ultimately won, 16-6, behind the running of Franco Harris and a defense that held Tarkenton and the rest of the Vikings’ offense to 121 total yards. 

10. Larry Fitzgerald 

Best chance: Fitzgerald was bottled up for the first three quarters of Super Bowl XLIII. He caught fire in the fourth quarter, however, catching two touchdown passes that included a go-ahead, 64-yard catch and run with 2:37 left.  

With Fitzgerald watching on the sideline, the Steelers mounted an 88-yard drive that was punctuated by Ben Roethlisberger’s game-winning touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes. The Cardinals lost, 27-23, despite a MVP-worthy game from Fitzgerald, who caught seven passes for 127 yards along with his two touchdowns. 

9. LaDainian Tomlinson 

Best chance: While he played in two AFC title games, Tomlinson’s best shot at a ring was in 2006 as a member of the 14-2 Chargers. But San Diego was upset by the Patriots in the divisional round despite Tomlinson’s 187 total yards and two touchdowns. The Chargers led 14-3 before falling victim of a vintage Tom Brady comeback.  

Had they won that game, the Chargers would have hosted Peyton Manning’s Colts in the AFC title game. The Chargers, not the Colts, likely would have defeated the Bears in the Super Bowl had they been able to get past Indianapolis. 

8. Tony Gonzalez 

Best chance: Despite starring on several talented Chiefs teams, Gonzalez’s first playoff win did not come until his 16th season. A member of the Falcons by that time, Gonzalez’s 10-yard touchdown reception gave Atlanta a 10-point lead over the 49ers in the divisional round of the 2012 playoffs.  

The Falcons were unable to hang onto their lead, however, as two touchdowns by Frank Gore (another great player that didn’t win a Super Bowl) lifted San Francisco to a 28-24 win. Gonzalez retired after the following season as the most prolific tight end in NFL history. 

7. Junior Seau 

Best chance: Seau’s best shot at a ring came as a member of the almost undefeated Patriots. While he and his defensive teammates mostly shut down the Giants, they fell victim to one of the most unbelievable plays in NFL history. They also weren’t helped by an offense that scored just 14 points.  

Arguably the NFL’s best defensive player throughout the 1990s, Seau was the best player on a Chargers team that made an unexpected Super Bowl run in 1994. That remains the Chargers’ only appearance in the big game. 

6. Alan Page 

Best chance: Page and the Vikings weren’t really close in any of their four Super Bowl appearances. Their most competitive Super Bowl occurred against the Steelers in Super Bowl IX. A special teams score briefly gave the Vikings hope, but those hopes were dashed moments later when Terry Bradshaw led the Steelers on a game-clinching scoring drive.  

It should be noted that Page — the first defensive player to win NFL MVP — did win an NFL championship in 1969. The Vikings then lost to the Chiefs in Super Bowl IV in what was the final game before the AFL-NFL merger. 

5. Anthony Munoz 

Best chance: Munoz played in two tightly contested Super Bowls against the 49ers. Both times, Munoz and the Bengals came up short, with their second loss coming after Montana led the 49ers on their famous 92-yard, game-winning drive to win Super Bowl XXIII. 

While he didn’t get a Super Bowl ring, Munoz owns the unofficial title as the greatest offensive tackle in league history. 

4. Bruce Smith 

Best chance: Smith’s safety in Super Bowl XXV gave Buffalo a 12-3 early lead over the Giants. But the Bills would score only one more time and ended up on the short end of closest Super Bowl ever. Down 20-19 with eight seconds left, Smith and his teammates locked arms on the sideline as Scott Norwood’s 47-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right.  

The NFL’s all-time leader with 200 sacks, Smith and the Bills would play in the next three Super Bowls while becoming the only team to play in the big game four straight years. But they were defeated each time by a combined score of 119-54. 

3. Randy Moss 

Best chance: Similar to Michael Jordan and LeBron James, there is an open debate as it relates to either Jerry Rice or Randy Moss as the greatest receiver of all-time. An athletic marvel, Moss flourished when he arrived in New England in 2007. Paired with Tom Brady, Moss caught a single season NFL record 22 touchdowns while helping the Patriots cap off a perfect regular season.  

Moss was on the doorstep of winning his first ring after catching the go-ahead touchdown late in that year’s Super Bowl. But the Giants countered when Eli Manning’s miraculous completion to David Tyree set up his go-ahead touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress.  

With seconds left, Moss and Brady nearly connected on a deep throw that would have made things interesting. But the duo could not complete the throw, and Moss and Co. were denied a place in football immortality. 

2. Barry Sanders 

Best chance: The supremely talented Sanders led the Lions to their only playoff win in the last 65 years when the Lions romped the Cowboys to earn a spot in the 1991 NFC title game.  

Detroit would be on the other side of a blowout against Washington, however, as the eventual Super Bowl champs held Sanders to 59 all-purpose yards.  

Sanders’ next and last “best chance” at a title occurred two years later. Despite Sanders’ 169 yards rushing, the Lions were upset by the Packers in Brett Favre’s first playoff win. Favre’s 40-yard touchdown pass to Sterling Sharpe late in the fourth quarter gave Green Bay a 28-24 victory.  

1. Dan Marino 

Best chance: Marino led the Dolphins to the big game in his just second season. It was an MVP year for Marino, who threw for then NFL records of 5,084 yards and 48 touchdowns. In that year’s Super Bowl, Marino was part of one of the greatest big game quarterback matchups in history between himself and Joe Montana, who three years earlier led the 49ers to their first title. 

Marino threw for 318 yards and a touchdown, but Montana accounted for over 400 yards and four touchdowns as San Francisco recorded a 38-16 win. It was the first and last Super Bowl appearance for Marino, who retired as the NFL’s all-time career passing leader. 

It’s been 18 years since Jerome Bettis retired at the podium after helping the Steelers win Super Bowl XL. Since then, the player known affectionately as “The Bus” has been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as well as the Steelers Hall of Honor. Bettis also hosts a show in Pittsburgh, where he has continued to work with his foundation. 

The 10th overall pick in the 1993 NFL Draft, Bettis entered the league as a fullback before quickly making the transition to running back. He had an extremely rare combination of size (5-foot-11 and about 250 pounds), agility and speed that allowed him to rush for 13,662 yards and 91 touchdowns during his 13-year career. Bettis’ physicality and energetic personality made him an instant fan favorite in Pittsburgh, where he helped the franchise win five division titles as well as the franchise’s fifth Lombardi Trophy. 

As he celebrates his 52nd birthday, here are five fast facts about Bettis’ NFL career. 

Rookie of the Year 

Bettis overcame a slow start to capture Offensive Rookie of the Year honors during the 1993 season. Bettis won the award despite making just one start in the season’s first five weeks. He got the ball rolling with a 102-yard performance against the Saints in Week 5. Bettis would record six more 100-yard rushing performances that season that included a career-high 212 yards in New Orleans in Week 15. Bettis also tallied the longest run of his career in that game, a 72-yard touchdown. Ironically, Bettis’ first-career touchdown was a 29-yard run against the Steelers in Week 2. 

Bettis finished the season with 1,429 yards, the second-highest total in the NFL behind Emmitt Smith, who won league and Super Bowl MVP honors that season. 

Almost an Oiler 

The Rams agreed to trade Bettis following his third season in Los Angeles. When looking for his next team, Bettis narrowed his choices down to either the Oilers or the Steelers. The Steelers’ recent Super Bowl appearance was one of two factors that convinced Bettis to come to Pittsburgh. 

“My agent, he had another running back that was coming out in the draft. His name was Eddie George,” Bettis said during a February 2021 appearance on the “All Things Covered” podcast. “So whichever team I picked, Eddie was going to go to the other team. So I needed to make sure I picked right, because I knew that Eddie was going to go to the other team. 

“My agent selfishly wanted me to go to Pittsburgh because Houston was picking higher. It made sense for everybody, right? Everybody was happy when I chose Pittsburgh. Eddie ended up going to Houston and had an amazing career. He was Rookie of the Year when he came out. It all worked.” 

During his first season in Pittsburgh, Bettis earned his second All-Pro selection after rushing for 1,431 yards and 11 touchdowns. Among his big performances that season was his 129-yard, two-touchdown performance in Pittsburgh’s 42-6 win over the Rams. Bettis rumbled for a 50-yard score in that game, his longest run as a member of the Steelers. 

Best season? 

Bettis may have been on his way to an MVP season in 2001 after rushing for nearly 1,100 yards in the season’s first 11 games. But an injury prematurely ended his season as well as his hopes to become the first Steelers player since Terry Bradshaw to win league MVP. As it stands, Bettis’ best statistical season took place in 1997, his second season with the Steelers. 

In 15 games, Bettis rushed for 1,665 yards and seven touchdowns while helping the Steelers capture a fourth straight AFC Central division title. He tallied 10 100-yard rushing performances for a second straight season; his 20 100-yard games over a two-year span is the most in franchise history. Bettis would have broken Barry Foster’s single season franchise record had he played in Pittsburgh’s regular season finale. Instead of going for the record, Bettis made the unselfish decision to rest with the Steelers having already clinched a playoff bye. 

1,000-yard warrior 

Bettis passed the 1,000-yard rushing barrier in each of his first six seasons in Pittsburgh. Emmitt Smith and Curtis Martin were the only other running backs in the NFL had that many 1,000-yard seasons over that span. The only Steelers player to begin his career in Pittsburgh with six straight 1,000-yard seasons, Bettis matched Franco Harris’ record for the most consecutive 1,000-yard seasons by a Steelers running back. Of the Steelers’ 27 1,000-yard rushing campaigns, 14 of those were authored by either Harris or Bettis. 

From backup to Pro Bowler 

At 32 years old, Bettis started the 2004 season as a backup to Duce Staley, a free agent pickup out of Philadelphia. An injury to Staley in Week 7 propelled Bettis back into the starting lineup, where he rushed for 149 yards a week later in Pittsburgh’s 27-3 romp of the Eagles. It was the first of six 100-yard games for Bettis, who recorded a career-high 13 rushing touchdowns that season while earning the last of his six Pro Bowl selections. Bettis helped then-rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger win each of his 13 regular-season starts. Roethlisberger returned the favor the following season by helping Bettis retire as a Super Bowl champion. 

Amazing quarterback performances have become synonymous with the Super Bowl. Almost as much as commercials, food and the halftime shows. Almost annually, a quarterback has a performance in the big game that becomes the stuff of legend. Last year, for example, both Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts recorded performances that were among the best by a quarterback in Super Bowl history. 

The Kansas City Chiefs superstar signal-caller will look to do so again in this year’s Super Bowl. 

With Super Bowl LVIII between the Chiefs and the 49ers just one week away, we’ve decided to come up with a ranking of the top quarterback performances in Super Bowl history. This was the criteria used when making the list:

• Statistical excellence 
• Big plays 
• Quality of the opponent 
• How much their performances impacted the game’s outcome 
• Did the QB win the game 

30. Steve McNair, Super Bowl XXXIV (Rams 23, Titans 16) 

• 22 of 36, 214 yards 

McNair and running back Eddie George put the Titans’ offense on their shoulders after falling behind 16-0. George’s two touchdowns momentarily tied the score, and after falling behind again with two minutes left, McNair led a furious drive that included a 16-yard completion that saw him break two tackles before delivering the throw. 

McNair’s final pass, a completion to Kevin Dyson, fell one yard short of the goal line as time expired. Had the game gone into overtime, there’s a very good chance that McNair and the Titans would have prevailed. His 64 rushing yards — which was the most a the Super Bowl for a quarterback — had left the Rams’ defense exhausted by the end of regulation. 

29. Joe Flacco, Super Bowl XLVII (Ravens 34, 49ers 31) 

• 22 of 33, 287 yards, 3 TD 

Flacco capped off a memorable postseason with an MVP performance against the 49ers. His third touchdown, a 56-yard completion to Jacoby Jones, gave the Ravens a 21-6 lead. Flacco didn’t do much in the second half, but he avoided committing any critical turnovers while helping deliver Baltimore’s second Super Bowl win. 

28. Brett Favre, Super Bowl XXXI (Packers 35, Patriots 21) 

• 14 of 27, 246 yards, 2 TD

His numbers weren’t great, but how many quarterbacks can say that they defeated a Bill Belichick defense in a Super Bowl? Favre did by calling two audibles that led to 54 and 81-yard touchdown passes. His touchdown run just before halftime proved to the game-winning score. 

27. Tom Brady, Super Bowl LII (Eagles 41, Patriots 33) 

• 28 of 48, 505 yards, 3 TD

One of just three losing performances to crack the list, Brady threw for a Super Bowl record 505 yards while keeping the Patriots in the game. He set the record by having three teammates reach 100 receiving yards: Rob Gronkowski, Danny Amendola and Chris Hogan. A dropped pass, however, is how many people remember his performance in his third Super Bowl loss. 

26. Tom Brady, Super Bowl LV (Buccaneers 31, Chiefs 9)

• 21 of 29, 201 yards, 3 TD

With his defense terrorizing Mahomes, Brady picked apart Kansas City’s defense. He threw two touchdowns to Rob Gronkowski and a third to Antonio Brown in the first half alone. His 125.8 passer rating for the game was over 70 points higher than Patrick Mahomes, who threw three interceptions while being under constant pressure. 

25. Jalen Hurts, Super Bowl LVII (Chiefs 38, Eagles 35)

• 27 of 38, 304 yards, 1 TD; 3 TD runs 

Hurts gets my unofficial title as having the greatest Super Bowl performance by a losing quarterback. In defeat, Hurts threw for 304 yards and a touchdown while becoming the second player to run for three touchdowns in a Super Bowl. His 70 yards on the ground broke McNair’s Super Bowl single-game mark for a quarterback. 

Hurts would be even higher on this list if not for his fumble that led to a Chiefs touchdown. 

24. Terry Bradshaw, Super Bowl XIV (Steelers 31, Rams 19) 

• 14 of 21 fo 309 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT

The only quarterback to win MVP honors with three interceptions. Bradshaw’s picks were overshadowed by three big completions that determined the outcome: a 47-yard touchdown pass to Lynn Swann to start the second half, a 73-yard touchdown pass to John Stallworth that gave Pittsburgh the lead for good, and a 45-yard completion to Stallworth that put the game away. 

23. Patrick Mahomes, Super Bowl LVII (Chiefs 38, Eagles 35)

• 21 of 27, 182 yards, 3 TD

 Mahomes has yet to have a monster Super Bowl, but his performance against the Eagles was still pretty epic. Playing through a painful ankle injury, Mahomes threw three touchdowns while taking care of the ball against a talented Philadelphia defense. His 26-yard run with 2:55 remaining helped set up the game-winning field goal. 

22. Mark Rypien, Super Bowl XXVI (Washington 37, Bills 24) 

• 18 of 33, 292 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT 

Of the Bills’ four straight Super Bowl losses, nobody threw for more yards against them than Rypien, whose 30-yard, third quarter touchdown pass to Gary Clark ended any hopes of a Buffalo comeback. He had two 100-yard receivers that day in Clark and Hall of Famer Art Monk. 

21. Matthew Stafford, Super Bowl LVI (Rams 23, Bengals 20) 

• 26 of 40, 283 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT

Stafford was on his way to a big day before Odell Beckham Jr. suffered an injury a minute into the second quarter. With Beckham out and his running game nonexistent, Stafford was still able to lead Los Angeles on two second-half scoring drives that included a 15-play possession that ended with his game-winning touchdown pass to Cooper Kupp. The drive also included Stafford’s no-look pass to Kupp that quickly vent viral following the Rams’ victory. 

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20. Tom Brady, Super Bowl XXXVI (Patriots 20, Rams 17)

• 16 of 27, 145 yards, 1 TD

Easily his most underwhelming Super Bowl from a statistical standpoint, but this Super Bowl is remembered for being the berth of the Patriots’ dynasty. Brady’s five completions on the Patriots’ last drive set up Adam Vinatieri’s game-winning, 48-yard field goal as time expired. 

19. Jim Plunkett, Super Bowl XV (Raiders 27, Eagles 10) 

• 13 of 21, 261 yards 3 TD 

The former Heisman Trophy winner light up an Eagles defense that sacked him eight times when the two teams faced each other in the regular season. He threw two touchdown passes to Cliff Branch, who this summer will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Plunkett’s 80-yard touchdown pass to Kenny King was at the time the longest touchdown pass in Super Bowl annals. 

18. John Elway, Super Bowl XXXIII (Broncos 34, Falcons 19)

• 18 of 29, 336 yards, 1 TD 

Everyone expected the Broncos to lean on league MVP Terrell Davis. Instead, Davis served as a decoy while allowing Elway the chance to star in in his final game. Elway’s 80-yard touchdown pass to Rod Smith helped turn a close game into a runaway. His 3-yard touchdown run stretched Denver’s lead to 31-6 early in the fourth quarter. 

17. Tom Brady, Super Bowl XXXVIII (Patriots 32, Panthers 29)

• 32 of 48, 354 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT

In a wild game, Brady won a shootout against Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme. He led the Patriots on three fourth quarter scoring drives that included a last-minute, game winning drive for his second Super Bowl win. His favorite target was future Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch, who caught 10 of 13 targets for 143 yards and a score. 

16. Ben Roethlisberger, Super Bowl XLIII (Steelers 27, Cardinals 23) 

• 21 of 30, 256 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT 

Roethlisberger’s numbers weren’t eye-popping, but he played his best on Pittsburgh’s 88-yard, game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter. His game-winning touchdown pass has gone down as one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history.

15. Joe Namath, Super Bowl III (Jets 16, Colts 7) 

• 17 of 26, 206 yards 

Namath played the NFL’s top-ranked defense like a fiddle while leading the greatest upset in pro football history. He shortened his drop to offset the Colts’ ferocious pass rush, led by linebacker Mike Curtis. The result was an extremely efficient, mistake-free game while leading four Colts scoring drives. With a 16-0 lead, Namath didn’t call a single running play during the game’s final quarter. His favorite receiver was George Sauer, who caught 8 passes for 133 yards. 

14. Aaron Rodgers, Super Bowl XLV (Packers 31, Steelers 25)

• 24 of 39, 304 yards, 3 TD 

Often overlooked, Rodgers defeated a Steelers defense that featured two Defensive Player of the Year winners in James Harrison and Troy Polamalu. Two big completions to Greg Jennings in the second half prevented the Steelers from catching the Packers, who took a 21-3 first half lead largely on the strength of Rodgers’ right arm. Several dropped passes prevented Rodgers from having an even bigger performance.

13. Nick Foles, Super Bowl LII (Eagles 41, Patriots 33) 

• 28 of 43, 373 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT

Against the Patriots, Foles completed one of the most improbable playoff runs in recent memory. Matching Brady score for score, Foles gave the Eagles the lead for good on a touchdown pass to Zach Ertz with 2:21 left. He was also on the receiving end of the “Philly Special,” a play that will forever be celebrated in the City of Brotherly Love. 

12. Eli Manning, Super Bowl XLII (Giants 17, Patriots 14)  

• 19 of 34, 255 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

You can’t tell the history of Super Bowls without talking about Manning and the Giants slaying the dragon that was the previously undefeated Patriots. Sans his stats, Manning’s performance checked every other box. His dramatic, 32-yard completion to David Tyree is one of the most memorable plays in NFL history. He followed it up by hitting Plaxico Burress for the game-winning score.  

11. Doug Williams, Super Bowl XXII (Washington 42, Broncos 10) 

• 18 of 29, 340 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT

Williams engineered the greatest quarter of offensive football in Super Bowl history. Trailing the Broncos 10-0 after one quarter, Williams threw four touchdowns in the second quarter as Washington scored a Super Bowl record 35 points during the quarter. Williams got things going with an 80-yard touchdown pass to Ricky Sanders, who later in the quarter caught a 50-yard bomb by Williams. 

10. Troy Aikman, Super Bowl XXVII (Cowboys 27, Bills 23) 

• 22 of 30, 273 yards, 4 TD

After a slow start, Aikman was unstoppable in leading the Cowboys to the third-greatest margin of victory in Super Bowl history. He threw two touchdowns to Michael Irvin while completing seven passes (including his first touchdown) to tight end Jay Novacek. His 45-yard touchdown pass to Alvin Harper to start the fourth quarter ended any thoughts of a Buffalo comeback. 

9. Kurt Warner, Super Bowl XXXIV (Rams 23, Titans 16) 

• 24 of 45, 414 yards, 2 TD

Warner led three drives that ended in field goals in the first half. He saved his best work for the second half, as he stretched the Rams’ lead to 16-0 on a touchdown pass to Torry Holt. After the Titans had tied the score, Warner stood tall in the pocket before finding Isaac Bruce, who scored the game-winning, 73-yard touchdown. 

8. Joe Montana, Super Bowl XIX (49ers 38, Dolphins 16)

• 24 of 35, 331 yards, 3 TD

As 49ers lineman Randy Cross said near the end of the game, “They came to see an offense, and the wrong one showed up.” In a duel between two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks, it was Montana who shined brightest. Trailing 10-7 after one quarter, Montana led three consecutive scoring drives as the 49ers led 28-10. He also ran for 59 yards and a touchdown as the 49ers capped off their second Super Bowl win of the 1980s. 

7. Joe Montana, Super Bowl XXIII (49ers 20, Bengals 16) 

• 23 of 36, 357 yards, 2 TD

Montana set a then-Super Bowl record for passing yards while engineering arguably the most famous game-winning drive in Super Bowl history. Down 16-13 with just over three minutes left, Montana led an 11-play, 92-yard drive that was capped off with his 10-yard touchdown pass to John Taylor with 34 seconds left. Montana took advantage of his legendary chemistry with Jerry Rice, who caught 11 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown while winning MVP honors. 

6. Tom Brady, Super Bowl XLIX (Patriots 28, Seahawks 24)

• 37 of 50, 328 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT

Trailing by 10 points and facing Seattle’s “Legion of Boom” defense, Brady kept the Patriots alive with a third-down completion to Julian Edelman with under nine minutes left. He got New England closer with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Danny Amendola, and his 3-yard strike to Edelman with 2:06 left put the Patriots in front to stay.  

5. Phil Simms, Super Bowl XXI (Giants 39, Broncos 20) 

• 22 of 25, 268 yards, 3 TD 

Masterful can be used to describe Simms’ performance. He completed all 10 of his passes with two touchdowns in the second half. His 88% completion percentage is still the Super Bowl record. Simms completed passes to nine different teammates and threw touchdowns to three different Giants.

4. Steve Young, Super Bowl XXIX (49ers 49, Chargers 26) 

• 24 of 36, 325 yards, 6 TD

Young overwhelmed the Chargers right from the start. He threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to Jerry Rice on the third play of the game and didn’t stop until he had set the new Super Bowl record for touchdown passes. Young threw three touchdown passes to Rice and two more to running back Ricky Watters. He was also the game’s leading rusher with 49 yards. 

3. Terry Bradshaw, Super Bowl XIII (Steelers 35, Cowboys 31) 

• 17 of 30, 318 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT 

Bradshaw shredded the Cowboys’ “Doomsday” defense. After turning the ball over twice, Bradshaw rallied with touchdown passes to John Stallworth and Rocky Bleier to give the Steelers a 21-14 halftime lead. His fourth quarter touchdown pass to Lynn Swann proved to be the game-winning score. And unlike most of the quarterbacks on this list, Bradshaw called his own plays, which helped move his performance higher up on this list. 

2. Joe Montana, Super Bowl XXIV (49ers 55, Broncos 10) 

• 22 of 29, 297 yards, 5 TD

Montana said that he never had more fun in a Super Bowl, and it’s easy to see why. He threw two touchdown passes in the first quarter, one in the second and two more in the third quarter before leaving the game to a shower of cheers early in the fourth quarter. He threw three of his touchdown passes to Jerry Rice, who caught 7 passes for 148 yards. Montana won his then-record third MVP trophy while improving to 4-0 in Super Bowls. 

1. Tom Brady, Super Bowl LI (Patriots 34, Falcons 28) 

• 43 of 62, 466 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

I’m sure you’re surprised to see Brady at the top of this list. But Brady’s performance in this Super Bowl is more than deserving of having top billing. 

Down 28-3, Brady led the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history. The comeback started with Brady’s touchdown pass to James White. A touchdown pass to Danny Amendola, two two-point conversion completions, and a jaw-dropping completion to Julian Edelman helped force overtime. In overtime, Brady completed five straight passes to set up James White’s game-winning score. 

Epic quarterback performances has become synonymous with the Super Bowl. Almost as much as commercials, food and the halftime shows. Almost annually, a quarterback has a performance in the big game that becomes the stuff of legend. Last year, for example, both Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts recorded performances that were among the best by a quarterback in Super Bowl history. 

The Kansas City Chiefs superstar signal-caller will look to do so again in this year’s Super Bowl. 

With Super Bowl LVIII between the Chiefs and the 49ers just one week away, we’ve decided to come up with a ranking of the top quarterback performances in Super Bowl history. This was the criteria used when making the list:

• Statistical excellence 
• Big plays 
• Quality of the opponent 
• How much their performances impacted the game’s outcome 
• Did the QB win the game 

30. Steve McNair, Super Bowl XXXIV (Rams 23, Titans 16) 

• 22 of 36, 214 yards 

McNair and running back Eddie George put the Titans’ offense on their shoulders after falling behind 16-0. George’s two touchdowns momentarily tied the score, and after falling behind again with two minutes left, McNair led a furious drive that included a 16-yard completion that saw him break two tackles before delivering the throw. 

McNair’s final pass, a completion to Kevin Dyson, fell one yard short of the goal line as time expired. Had the game gone into overtime, there’s a very good chance that McNair and the Titans would have prevailed. His 64 rushing yards — which was the most a the Super Bowl for a quarterback — had left the Rams’ defense exhausted by the end of regulation. 

29. Joe Flacco, Super Bowl XLVII (Ravens 34, 49ers 31) 

• 22 of 33, 287 yards, 3 TD 

Flacco capped off a memorable postseason with an MVP performance against the 49ers. His third touchdown, a 56-yard completion to Jacoby Jones, gave the Ravens a 21-6 lead. Flacco didn’t do much in the second half, but he avoided committing any critical turnovers while helping deliver Baltimore’s second Super Bowl win. 

28. Brett Favre, Super Bowl XXXI (Packers 35, Patriots 21) 

• 14 of 27, 246 yards, 2 TD

His numbers weren’t great, but how many quarterbacks can say that they defeated a Bill Belichick defense in a Super Bowl? Favre did by calling two audibles that led to 54 and 81-yard touchdown passes. His touchdown run just before halftime proved to the game-winning score. 

27. Tom Brady, Super Bowl LII (Eagles 41, Patriots 33) 

• 28 of 48, 505 yards, 3 TD

One of just three losing performances to crack the list, Brady threw for a Super Bowl record 505 yards while keeping the Patriots in the game. He set the record by having three teammates reach 100 receiving yards: Rob Gronkowski, Danny Amendola and Chris Hogan. A dropped pass, however, is how many people remember his performance in his third Super Bowl loss. 

26. Tom Brady, Super Bowl LV (Buccaneers 31, Chiefs 9)

• 21 of 29, 201 yards, 3 TD

With his defense terrorizing Mahomes, Brady picked apart Kansas City’s defense. He threw two touchdowns to Rob Gronkowski and a third to Antonio Brown in the first half alone. His 125.8 passer rating for the game was over 70 points higher than Patrick Mahomes, who threw three interceptions while being under constant pressure. 

25. Jalen Hurts, Super Bowl LVII (Chiefs 38, Eagles 35)

• 27 of 38, 304 yards, 1 TD; 3 TD runs 

Hurts gets my unofficial title as having the greatest Super Bowl performance by a losing quarterback. In defeat, Hurts threw for 304 yards and a touchdown while becoming the second player to run for three touchdowns in a Super Bowl. His 70 yards on the ground broke McNair’s Super Bowl single-game mark for a quarterback. 

Hurts would be even higher on this list if not for his fumble that led to a Chiefs touchdown. 

24. Terry Bradshaw, Super Bowl XIV (Steelers 31, Rams 19) 

• 14 of 21 fo 309 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT

The only quarterback to win MVP honors with three interceptions. Bradshaw’s picks were overshadowed by three big completions that determined the outcome: a 47-yard touchdown pass to Lynn Swann to start the second half, a 73-yard touchdown pass to John Stallworth that gave Pittsburgh the lead for good, and a 45-yard completion to Stallworth that put the game away. 

23. Patrick Mahomes, Super Bowl LVII (Chiefs 38, Eagles 35)

• 21 of 27, 182 yards, 3 TD

 Mahomes has yet to have a monster Super Bowl, but his performance against the Eagles was still pretty epic. Playing through a painful ankle injury, Mahomes threw three touchdowns while taking care of the ball against a talented Philadelphia defense. His 26-yard run with 2:55 remaining helped set up the game-winning field goal. 

22. Mark Rypien, Super Bowl XXVI (Washington 37, Bills 24) 

• 18 of 33, 292 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT 

Of the Bills’ four straight Super Bowl losses, nobody threw for more yards against them than Rypien, whose 30-yard, third quarter touchdown pass to Gary Clark ended any hopes of a Buffalo comeback. He had two 100-yard receivers that day in Clark and Hall of Famer Art Monk. 

21. Matthew Stafford, Super Bowl LVI (Rams 23, Bengals 20) 

• 26 of 40, 283 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT

Stafford was on his way to a big day before Odell Beckham Jr. suffered an injury a minute into the second quarter. With Beckham out and his running game nonexistent, Stafford was still able to lead Los Angeles on two second-half scoring drives that included a 15-play possession that ended with his game-winning touchdown pass to Cooper Kupp. The drive also included Stafford’s no-look pass to Kupp that quickly vent viral following the Rams’ victory. 

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20. Tom Brady, Super Bowl XXXVI (Patriots 20, Rams 17)

• 16 of 27, 145 yards, 1 TD

Easily his most underwhelming Super Bowl from a statistical standpoint, but this Super Bowl is remembered for being the berth of the Patriots’ dynasty. Brady’s five completions on the Patriots’ last drive set up Adam Vinatieri’s game-winning, 48-yard field goal as time expired. 

19. Jim Plunkett, Super Bowl XV (Raiders 27, Eagles 10) 

• 13 of 21, 261 yards 3 TD 

The former Heisman Trophy winner light up an Eagles defense that sacked him eight times when the two teams faced each other in the regular season. He threw two touchdown passes to Cliff Branch, who this summer will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Plunkett’s 80-yard touchdown pass to Kenny King was at the time the longest touchdown pass in Super Bowl annals. 

18. John Elway, Super Bowl XXXIII (Broncos 34, Falcons 19)

• 18 of 29, 336 yards, 1 TD 

Everyone expected the Broncos to lean on league MVP Terrell Davis. Instead, Davis served as a decoy while allowing Elway the chance to star in in his final game. Elway’s 80-yard touchdown pass to Rod Smith helped turn a close game into a runaway. His 3-yard touchdown run stretched Denver’s lead to 31-6 early in the fourth quarter. 

17. Tom Brady, Super Bowl XXXVIII (Patriots 32, Panthers 29)

• 32 of 48, 354 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT

In a wild game, Brady won a shootout against Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme. He led the Patriots on three fourth quarter scoring drives that included a last-minute, game winning drive for his second Super Bowl win. His favorite target was future Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch, who caught 10 of 13 targets for 143 yards and a score. 

16. Ben Roethlisberger, Super Bowl XLIII (Steelers 27, Cardinals 23) 

• 21 of 30, 256 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT 

Roethlisberger’s numbers weren’t eye-popping, but he played his best on Pittsburgh’s 88-yard, game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter. His game-winning touchdown pass has gone down as one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history.

15. Joe Namath, Super Bowl III (Jets 16, Colts 7) 

• 17 of 26, 206 yards 

Namath played the NFL’s top-ranked defense like a fiddle while leading the greatest upset in pro football history. He shortened his drop to offset the Colts’ ferocious pass rush, led by linebacker Mike Curtis. The result was an extremely efficient, mistake-free game while leading four Colts scoring drives. With a 16-0 lead, Namath didn’t call a single running play during the game’s final quarter. His favorite receiver was George Sauer, who caught 8 passes for 133 yards. 

14. Aaron Rodgers, Super Bowl XLV (Packers 31, Steelers 25)

• 24 of 39, 304 yards, 3 TD 

Often overlooked, Rodgers defeated a Steelers defense that featured two Defensive Player of the Year winners in James Harrison and Troy Polamalu. Two big completions to Greg Jennings in the second half prevented the Steelers from catching the Packers, who took a 21-3 first half lead largely on the strength of Rodgers’ right arm. Several dropped passes prevented Rodgers from having an even bigger performance.

13. Nick Foles, Super Bowl LII (Eagles 41, Patriots 33) 

• 28 of 43, 373 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT

Against the Patriots, Foles completed one of the most improbable playoff runs in recent memory. Matching Brady score for score, Foles gave the Eagles the lead for good on a touchdown pass to Zach Ertz with 2:21 left. He was also on the receiving end of the “Philly Special,” a play that will forever be celebrated in the City of Brotherly Love. 

12. Eli Manning, Super Bowl XLII (Giants 17, Patriots 14)  

• 19 of 34, 255 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

You can’t tell the history of Super Bowls without talking about Manning and the Giants slaying the dragon that was the previously undefeated Patriots. Sans his stats, Manning’s performance checked every other box. His dramatic, 32-yard completion to David Tyree is one of the most memorable plays in NFL history. He followed it up by hitting Plaxico Burress for the game-winning score.  

11. Doug Williams, Super Bowl XXII (Washington 42, Broncos 10) 

• 18 of 29, 340 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT

Williams engineered the greatest quarter of offensive football in Super Bowl history. Trailing the Broncos 10-0 after one quarter, Williams threw four touchdowns in the second quarter as Washington scored a Super Bowl record 35 points during the quarter. Williams got things going with an 80-yard touchdown pass to Ricky Sanders, who later in the quarter caught a 50-yard bomb by Williams. 

10. Troy Aikman, Super Bowl XXVII (Cowboys 27, Bills 23) 

• 22 of 30, 273 yards, 4 TD

After a slow start, Aikman was unstoppable in leading the Cowboys to the third-greatest margin of victory in Super Bowl history. He threw two touchdowns to Michael Irvin while completing seven passes (including his first touchdown) to tight end Jay Novacek. His 45-yard touchdown pass to Alvin Harper to start the fourth quarter ended any thoughts of a Buffalo comeback. 

9. Kurt Warner, Super Bowl XXXIV (Rams 23, Titans 16) 

• 24 of 45, 414 yards, 2 TD

Warner led three drives that ended in field goals in the first half. He saved his best work for the second half, as he stretched the Rams’ lead to 16-0 on a touchdown pass to Torry Holt. After the Titans had tied the score, Warner stood tall in the pocket before finding Isaac Bruce, who scored the game-winning, 73-yard touchdown. 

8. Joe Montana, Super Bowl XIX (49ers 38, Dolphins 16)

• 24 of 35, 331 yards, 3 TD

As 49ers lineman Randy Cross said near the end of the game, “They came to see an offense, and the wrong one showed up.” In a duel between two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks, it was Montana who shined brightest. Trailing 10-7 after one quarter, Montana led three consecutive scoring drives as the 49ers led 28-10. He also ran for 59 yards and a touchdown as the 49ers capped off their second Super Bowl win of the 1980s. 

7. Joe Montana, Super Bowl XXIII (49ers 20, Bengals 16) 

• 23 of 36, 357 yards, 2 TD

Montana set a then-Super Bowl record for passing yards while engineering arguably the most famous game-winning drive in Super Bowl history. Down 16-13 with just over three minutes left, Montana led an 11-play, 92-yard drive that was capped off with his 10-yard touchdown pass to John Taylor with 34 seconds left. Montana took advantage of his legendary chemistry with Jerry Rice, who caught 11 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown while winning MVP honors. 

6. Tom Brady, Super Bowl XLIX (Patriots 28, Seahawks 24)

• 37 of 50, 328 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT

Trailing by 10 points and facing Seattle’s “Legion of Boom” defense, Brady kept the Patriots alive with a third-down completion to Julian Edelman with under nine minutes left. He got New England closer with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Danny Amendola, and his 3-yard strike to Edelman with 2:06 left put the Patriots in front to stay.  

5. Phil Simms, Super Bowl XXI (Giants 39, Broncos 20) 

• 22 of 25, 268 yards, 3 TD 

Masterful can be used to describe Simms’ performance. He completed all 10 of his passes with two touchdowns in the second half. His 88% completion percentage is still the Super Bowl record. Simms completed passes to nine different teammates and threw touchdowns to three different Giants.

4. Steve Young, Super Bowl XXIX (49ers 49, Chargers 26) 

• 24 of 36, 325 yards, 6 TD

Young overwhelmed the Chargers right from the start. He threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to Jerry Rice on the third play of the game and didn’t stop until he had set the new Super Bowl record for touchdown passes. Young threw three touchdown passes to Rice and two more to running back Ricky Watters. He was also the game’s leading rusher with 49 yards. 

3. Terry Bradshaw, Super Bowl XIII (Steelers 35, Cowboys 31) 

• 17 of 30, 318 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT 

Bradshaw shredded the Cowboys’ “Doomsday” defense. After turning the ball over twice, Bradshaw rallied with touchdown passes to John Stallworth and Rocky Bleier to give the Steelers a 21-14 halftime lead. His fourth quarter touchdown pass to Lynn Swann proved to be the game-winning score. And unlike most of the quarterbacks on this list, Bradshaw called his own plays, which helped move his performance higher up on this list. 

2. Joe Montana, Super Bowl XXIV (49ers 55, Broncos 10) 

• 22 of 29, 297 yards, 5 TD

Montana said that he never had more fun in a Super Bowl, and it’s easy to see why. He threw two touchdown passes in the first quarter, one in the second and two more in the third quarter before leaving the game to a shower of cheers early in the fourth quarter. He threw three of his touchdown passes to Jerry Rice, who caught 7 passes for 148 yards. Montana won his then-record third MVP trophy while improving to 4-0 in Super Bowls. 

1. Tom Brady, Super Bowl LI (Patriots 34, Falcons 28) 

• 43 of 62, 466 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

I’m sure you’re surprised to see Brady at the top of this list. But Brady’s performance in this Super Bowl is more than deserving of having top billing. 

Down 28-3, Brady led the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history. The comeback started with Brady’s touchdown pass to James White. A touchdown pass to Danny Amendola, two two-point conversion completions, and a jaw-dropping completion to Julian Edelman helped force overtime. In overtime, Brady completed five straight passes to set up James White’s game-winning score. 

Legendary quarterback performances has become synonymous with the Super Bowl, almost as much as commercials, food and the halftime shows. 

Almost annually, a quarterback has a performance in the big game that become the stuff of legend. Last year, for example, both Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts recorded performances that were among the best by a quarterback in Super Bowl history. Mahomes will look to do so again during this year’s Super Bowl. 

With Super Bowl LVIII between the Chiefs and the 49ers just one week away, we’ve decided to come up with a ranking of the top quarterback performances in Super Bowl history. This was the criteria used when making the list:

• Statistical excellence 
• Big plays 
• Quality of the opponent 
• How much their performances impacted the game’s outcome 
• Did the QB win the game 

30. Steve McNair, Super Bowl XXXIV (Rams 23, Titans 16) 

• 22 of 36, 214 yards 

McNair and running back Eddie George put the Titans’ offense on their shoulders after falling behind 16-0. George’s two touchdowns momentarily tied the score, and after falling behind again with two minutes left, McNair led a furious drive that included a 16-yard completion that saw him break two tackles before delivering the throw. 

McNair’s final pass, a completion to Kevin Dyson, fell one yard short of the goal line as time expired. Had the game gone into overtime, there’s a very good chance that McNair and the Titans would have prevailed. His 64 rushing yards — which was the most a the Super Bowl for a quarterback — had left the Rams’ defense exhausted by the end of regulation. 

29. Joe Flacco, Super Bowl XLVII (Ravens 34, 49ers 31) 

• 22 of 33, 287 yards, 3 TD 

Flacco capped off a memorable postseason with an MVP performance against the 49ers. His third touchdown, a 56-yard completion to Jacoby Jones, gave the Ravens a 21-6 lead. Flacco didn’t do much in the second half, but he avoided committing any critical turnovers while helping deliver Baltimore’s second Super Bowl win. 

28. Brett Favre, Super Bowl XXXI (Packers 35, Patriots 21) 

• 14 of 27, 246 yards, 2 TD

His numbers weren’t great, but how many quarterbacks can say that they defeated a Bill Belichick defense in a Super Bowl? Favre did by calling two audibles that led to 54 and 81-yard touchdown passes. His touchdown run just before halftime proved to the game-winning score. 

27. Tom Brady, Super Bowl LII (Eagles 41, Patriots 33) 

• 28 of 48, 505 yards, 3 TD

One of just three losing performances to crack the list, Brady threw for a Super Bowl record 505 yards while keeping the Patriots in the game. He set the record by having three teammates reach 100 receiving yards: Rob Gronkowski, Danny Amendola and Chris Hogan. A dropped pass, however, is how many people remember his performance in his third Super Bowl loss. 

26. Tom Brady, Super Bowl LV (Buccaneers 31, Chiefs 9)

• 21 of 29, 201 yards, 3 TD

With his defense terrorizing Mahomes, Brady picked apart Kansas City’s defense. He threw two touchdowns to Rob Gronkowski and a third to Antonio Brown in the first half alone. His 125.8 passer rating for the game was over 70 points higher than Patrick Mahomes, who threw three interceptions while being under constant pressure. 

25. Jalen Hurts, Super Bowl LVII (Chiefs 38, Eagles 35)

• 27 of 38, 304 yards, 1 TD; 3 TD runs 

Hurts gets my unofficial title as having the greatest Super Bowl performance by a losing quarterback. In defeat, Hurts threw for 304 yards and a touchdown while becoming the second player to run for three touchdowns in a Super Bowl. His 70 yards on the ground broke McNair’s Super Bowl single-game mark for a quarterback. 

Hurts would be even higher on this list if not for his fumble that led to a Chiefs touchdown. 

24. Terry Bradshaw, Super Bowl XIV (Steelers 31, Rams 19) 

• 14 of 21 fo 309 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT

The only quarterback to win MVP honors with three interceptions. Bradshaw’s picks were overshadowed by three big completions that determined the outcome: a 47-yard touchdown pass to Lynn Swann to start the second half, a 73-yard touchdown pass to John Stallworth that gave Pittsburgh the lead for good, and a 45-yard completion to Stallworth that put the game away. 

23. Patrick Mahomes, Super Bowl LVII (Chiefs 38, Eagles 35)

• 21 of 27, 182 yards, 3 TD

 Mahomes has yet to have a monster Super Bowl, but his performance against the Eagles was still pretty epic. Playing through a painful ankle injury, Mahomes threw three touchdowns while taking care of the ball against a talented Philadelphia defense. His 26-yard run with 2:55 remaining helped set up the game-winning field goal. 

22. Mark Rypien, Super Bowl XXVI (Washington 37, Bills 24) 

• 18 of 33, 292 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT 

Of the Bills’ four straight Super Bowl losses, nobody threw for more yards against them than Rypien, whose 30-yard, third quarter touchdown pass to Gary Clark ended any hopes of a Buffalo comeback. He had two 100-yard receivers that day in Clark and Hall of Famer Art Monk. 

21. Matthew Stafford, Super Bowl LVI (Rams 23, Bengals 20) 

• 26 of 40, 283 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT

Stafford was on his way to a big day before Odell Beckham Jr. suffered an injury a minute into the second quarter. With Beckham out and his running game nonexistent, Stafford was still able to lead Los Angeles on two second-half scoring drives that included a 15-play possession that ended with his game-winning touchdown pass to Cooper Kupp. The drive also included Stafford’s no-look pass to Kupp that quickly vent viral following the Rams’ victory. 

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20. Tom Brady, Super Bowl XXXVI (Patriots 20, Rams 17)

• 16 of 27, 145 yards, 1 TD

Easily his most underwhelming Super Bowl from a statistical standpoint, but this Super Bowl is remembered for being the berth of the Patriots’ dynasty. Brady’s five completions on the Patriots’ last drive set up Adam Vinatieri’s game-winning, 48-yard field goal as time expired. 

19. Jim Plunkett, Super Bowl XV (Raiders 27, Eagles 10) 

• 13 of 21, 261 yards 3 TD 

The former Heisman Trophy winner light up an Eagles defense that sacked him eight times when the two teams faced each other in the regular season. He threw two touchdown passes to Cliff Branch, who this summer will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Plunkett’s 80-yard touchdown pass to Kenny King was at the time the longest touchdown pass in Super Bowl annals. 

18. John Elway, Super Bowl XXXIII (Broncos 34, Falcons 19)

• 18 of 29, 336 yards, 1 TD 

Everyone expected the Broncos to lean on league MVP Terrell Davis. Instead, Davis served as a decoy while allowing Elway the chance to star in in his final game. Elway’s 80-yard touchdown pass to Rod Smith helped turn a close game into a runaway. His 3-yard touchdown run stretched Denver’s lead to 31-6 early in the fourth quarter. 

17. Tom Brady, Super Bowl XXXVIII (Patriots 32, Panthers 29)

• 32 of 48, 354 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT

In a wild game, Brady won a shootout against Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme. He led the Patriots on three fourth quarter scoring drives that included a last-minute, game winning drive for his second Super Bowl win. His favorite target was future Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch, who caught 10 of 13 targets for 143 yards and a score. 

16. Ben Roethlisberger, Super Bowl XLIII (Steelers 27, Cardinals 23) 

• 21 of 30, 256 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT 

Roethlisberger’s numbers weren’t eye-popping, but he played his best on Pittsburgh’s 88-yard, game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter. His game-winning touchdown pass has gone down as one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history.

15. Joe Namath, Super Bowl III (Jets 16, Colts 7) 

• 17 of 26, 206 yards 

Namath played the NFL’s top-ranked defense like a fiddle while leading the greatest upset in pro football history. He shortened his drop to offset the Colts’ ferocious pass rush, led by linebacker Mike Curtis. The result was an extremely efficient, mistake-free game while leading four Colts scoring drives. With a 16-0 lead, Namath didn’t call a single running play during the game’s final quarter. His favorite receiver was George Sauer, who caught 8 passes for 133 yards. 

14. Aaron Rodgers, Super Bowl XLV (Packers 31, Steelers 25)

• 24 of 39, 304 yards, 3 TD 

Often overlooked, Rodgers defeated a Steelers defense that featured two Defensive Player of the Year winners in James Harrison and Troy Polamalu. Two big completions to Greg Jennings in the second half prevented the Steelers from catching the Packers, who took a 21-3 first half lead largely on the strength of Rodgers’ right arm. Several dropped passes prevented Rodgers from having an even bigger performance.

13. Nick Foles, Super Bowl LII (Eagles 41, Patriots 33) 

• 28 of 43, 373 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT

Against the Patriots, Foles completed one of the most improbable playoff runs in recent memory. Matching Brady score for score, Foles gave the Eagles the lead for good on a touchdown pass to Zach Ertz with 2:21 left. He was also on the receiving end of the “Philly Special,” a play that will forever be celebrated in the City of Brotherly Love. 

12. Eli Manning, Super Bowl XLII (Giants 17, Patriots 14)  

• 19 of 34, 255 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

You can’t tell the history of Super Bowls without talking about Manning and the Giants slaying the dragon that was the previously undefeated Patriots. Sans his stats, Manning’s performance checked every other box. His dramatic, 32-yard completion to David Tyree is one of the most memorable plays in NFL history. He followed it up by hitting Plaxico Burress for the game-winning score.  

11. Doug Williams, Super Bowl XXII (Washington 42, Broncos 10) 

• 18 of 29, 340 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT

Williams engineered the greatest quarter of offensive football in Super Bowl history. Trailing the Broncos 10-0 after one quarter, Williams threw four touchdowns in the second quarter as Washington scored a Super Bowl record 35 points during the quarter. Williams got things going with an 80-yard touchdown pass to Ricky Sanders, who later in the quarter caught a 50-yard bomb by Williams. 

10. Troy Aikman, Super Bowl XXVII (Cowboys 27, Bills 23) 

• 22 of 30, 273 yards, 4 TD

After a slow start, Aikman was unstoppable in leading the Cowboys to the third-greatest margin of victory in Super Bowl history. He threw two touchdowns to Michael Irvin while completing seven passes (including his first touchdown) to tight end Jay Novacek. His 45-yard touchdown pass to Alvin Harper to start the fourth quarter ended any thoughts of a Buffalo comeback. 

9. Kurt Warner, Super Bowl XXXIV (Rams 23, Titans 16) 

• 24 of 45, 414 yards, 2 TD

Warner led three drives that ended in field goals in the first half. He saved his best work for the second half, as he stretched the Rams’ lead to 16-0 on a touchdown pass to Torry Holt. After the Titans had tied the score, Warner stood tall in the pocket before finding Isaac Bruce, who scored the game-winning, 73-yard touchdown. 

8. Joe Montana, Super Bowl XIX (49ers 38, Dolphins 16)

• 24 of 35, 331 yards, 3 TD

As 49ers lineman Randy Cross said near the end of the game, “They came to see an offense, and the wrong one showed up.” In a duel between two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks, it was Montana who shined brightest. Trailing 10-7 after one quarter, Montana led three consecutive scoring drives as the 49ers led 28-10. He also ran for 59 yards and a touchdown as the 49ers capped off their second Super Bowl win of the 1980s. 

7. Joe Montana, Super Bowl XXIII (49ers 20, Bengals 16) 

• 23 of 36, 357 yards, 2 TD

Montana set a then-Super Bowl record for passing yards while engineering arguably the most famous game-winning drive in Super Bowl history. Down 16-13 with just over three minutes left, Montana led an 11-play, 92-yard drive that was capped off with his 10-yard touchdown pass to John Taylor with 34 seconds left. Montana took advantage of his legendary chemistry with Jerry Rice, who caught 11 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown while winning MVP honors. 

6. Tom Brady, Super Bowl XLIX (Patriots 28, Seahawks 24)

• 37 of 50, 328 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT

Trailing by 10 points and facing Seattle’s “Legion of Boom” defense, Brady kept the Patriots alive with a third-down completion to Julian Edelman with under nine minutes left. He got New England closer with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Danny Amendola, and his 3-yard strike to Edelman with 2:06 left put the Patriots in front to stay.  

5. Phil Simms, Super Bowl XXI (Giants 39, Broncos 20) 

• 22 of 25, 268 yards, 3 TD 

Masterful can be used to describe Simms’ performance. He completed all 10 of his passes with two touchdowns in the second half. His 88% completion percentage is still the Super Bowl record. Simms completed passes to nine different teammates and threw touchdowns to three different Giants.

4. Steve Young, Super Bowl XXIX (49ers 49, Chargers 26) 

• 24 of 36, 325 yards, 6 TD

Young overwhelmed the Chargers right from the start. He threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to Jerry Rice on the third play of the game and didn’t stop until he had set the new Super Bowl record for touchdown passes. Young threw three touchdown passes to Rice and two more to running back Ricky Watters. He was also the game’s leading rusher with 49 yards. 

3. Terry Bradshaw, Super Bowl XIII (Steelers 35, Cowboys 31) 

• 17 of 30, 318 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT 

Bradshaw shredded the Cowboys’ “Doomsday” defense. After turning the ball over twice, Bradshaw rallied with touchdown passes to John Stallworth and Rocky Bleier to give the Steelers a 21-14 halftime lead. His fourth quarter touchdown pass to Lynn Swann proved to be the game-winning score. And unlike most of the quarterbacks on this list, Bradshaw called his own plays, which helped move his performance higher up on this list. 

2. Joe Montana, Super Bowl XXIV (49ers 55, Broncos 10) 

• 22 of 29, 297 yards, 5 TD

Montana said that he never had more fun in a Super Bowl, and it’s easy to see why. He threw two touchdown passes in the first quarter, one in the second and two more in the third quarter before leaving the game to a shower of cheers early in the fourth quarter. He threw three of his touchdown passes to Jerry Rice, who caught 7 passes for 148 yards. Montana won his then-record third MVP trophy while improving to 4-0 in Super Bowls. 

1. Tom Brady, Super Bowl LI (Patriots 34, Falcons 28) 

• 43 of 62, 466 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

I’m sure you’re surprised to see Brady at the top of this list. But Brady’s performance in this Super Bowl is more than deserving of having top billing. 

Down 28-3, Brady led the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history. The comeback started with Brady’s touchdown pass to James White. A touchdown pass to Danny Amendola, two two-point conversion completions, and a jaw-dropping completion to Julian Edelman helped force overtime. In overtime, Brady completed five straight passes to set up James White’s game-winning score. 

Legendary quarterback performances has become synonymous with the Super Bowl, almost as much as commercials, food and the halftime shows. 

Almost annually, a quarterback has a performance in the big game that become the stuff of legend. Last year, for example, both Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts recorded performances that were among the best by a quarterback in Super Bowl history. Mahomes will look to do so again during this year’s Super Bowl. 

With Super Bowl LVIII between the Chiefs and the 49ers upcoming, we’ve decided to come up with a ranking of the top quarterback performances in Super Bowl history. This was the criteria used when making the list:

• Statistical excellence 
• Big plays 
• Quality of the opponent 
• How much their performances impacted the game’s outcome 
• Did the QB win the game 

30. Steve McNair, Super Bowl XXXIV (Rams 23, Titans 16) 

• 22 of 36, 214 yards 

McNair and running back Eddie George put the Titans’ offense on their shoulders after falling behind 16-0. George’s two touchdowns momentarily tied the score, and after falling behind again with two minutes left, McNair led a furious drive that included a 16-yard completion that saw him break two tackles before delivering the throw. 

McNair’s final pass, a completion to Kevin Dyson, fell one yard short of the goal line as time expired. Had the game gone into overtime, there’s a very good chance that McNair and the Titans would have prevailed. His 64 rushing yards — which was the most a the Super Bowl for a quarterback — had left the Rams’ defense exhausted by the end of regulation. 

29. Joe Flacco, Super Bowl XLVII (Ravens 34, 49ers 31) 

• 22 of 33, 287 yards, 3 TD 

Flacco capped off a memorable postseason with an MVP performance against the 49ers. His third touchdown, a 56-yard completion to Jacoby Jones, gave the Ravens a 21-6 lead. Flacco didn’t do much in the second half, but he avoided committing any critical turnovers while helping deliver Baltimore’s second Super Bowl win. 

28. Brett Favre, Super Bowl XXXI (Packers 35, Patriots 21) 

• 14 of 27, 246 yards, 2 TD

His numbers weren’t great, but how many quarterbacks can say that they defeated a Bill Belichick defense in a Super Bowl? Favre did by calling two audibles that led to 54 and 81-yard touchdown passes. His touchdown run just before halftime proved to the game-winning score. 

27. Tom Brady, Super Bowl LII (Eagles 41, Patriots 33) 

• 28 of 48, 505 yards, 3 TD

One of just three losing performances to crack the list, Brady threw for a Super Bowl record 505 yards while keeping the Patriots in the game. He set the record by having three teammates reach 100 receiving yards: Rob Gronkowski, Danny Amendola and Chris Hogan. A dropped pass, however, is how many people remember his performance in his third Super Bowl loss. 

26. Tom Brady, Super Bowl LV (Buccaneers 31, Chiefs 9)

• 21 of 29, 201 yards, 3 TD

With his defense terrorizing Mahomes, Brady picked apart Kansas City’s defense. He threw two touchdowns to Rob Gronkowski and a third to Antonio Brown in the first half alone. His 125.8 passer rating for the game was over 70 points higher than Patrick Mahomes, who threw three interceptions while being under constant pressure. 

25. Jalen Hurts, Super Bowl LVII (Chiefs 38, Eagles 35)

• 27 of 38, 304 yards, 1 TD; 3 TD runs 

Hurts gets my unofficial title as having the greatest Super Bowl performance by a losing quarterback. In defeat, Hurts threw for 304 yards and a touchdown while becoming the second player to run for three touchdowns in a Super Bowl. His 70 yards on the ground broke McNair’s Super Bowl single-game mark for a quarterback. 

Hurts would be even higher on this list if not for his fumble that led to a Chiefs touchdown. 

24. Terry Bradshaw, Super Bowl XIV (Steelers 31, Rams 19) 

• 14 of 21 fo 309 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT

The only quarterback to win MVP honors with three interceptions. Bradshaw’s picks were overshadowed by three big completions that determined the outcome: a 47-yard touchdown pass to Lynn Swann to start the second half, a 73-yard touchdown pass to John Stallworth that gave Pittsburgh the lead for good, and a 45-yard completion to Stallworth that put the game away. 

23. Patrick Mahomes, Super Bowl LVII (Chiefs 38, Eagles 35)

• 21 of 27, 182 yards, 3 TD

 Mahomes has yet to have a monster Super Bowl, but his performance against the Eagles was still pretty epic. Playing through a painful ankle injury, Mahomes threw three touchdowns while taking care of the ball against a talented Philadelphia defense. His 26-yard run with 2:55 remaining helped set up the game-winning field goal. 

22. Mark Rypien, Super Bowl XXVI (Washington 37, Bills 24) 

• 18 of 33, 292 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT 

Of the Bills’ four straight Super Bowl losses, nobody threw for more yards against them than Rypien, whose 30-yard, third quarter touchdown pass to Gary Clark ended any hopes of a Buffalo comeback. He had two 100-yard receivers that day in Clark and Hall of Famer Art Monk. 

21. Matthew Stafford, Super Bowl LVI (Rams 23, Bengals 20) 

• 26 of 40, 283 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT

Stafford was on his way to a big day before Odell Beckham Jr. suffered an injury a minute into the second quarter. With Beckham out and his running game nonexistent, Stafford was still able to lead Los Angeles on two second-half scoring drives that included a 15-play possession that ended with his game-winning touchdown pass to Cooper Kupp. The drive also included Stafford’s no-look pass to Kupp that quickly vent viral following the Rams’ victory. 

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20. Tom Brady, Super Bowl XXXVI (Patriots 20, Rams 17)

• 16 of 27, 145 yards, 1 TD

Easily his most underwhelming Super Bowl from a statistical standpoint, but this Super Bowl is remembered for being the berth of the Patriots’ dynasty. Brady’s five completions on the Patriots’ last drive set up Adam Vinatieri’s game-winning, 48-yard field goal as time expired. 

19. Jim Plunkett, Super Bowl XV (Raiders 27, Eagles 10) 

• 13 of 21, 261 yards 3 TD 

The former Heisman Trophy winner light up an Eagles defense that sacked him eight times when the two teams faced each other in the regular season. He threw two touchdown passes to Cliff Branch, who this summer will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Plunkett’s 80-yard touchdown pass to Kenny King was at the time the longest touchdown pass in Super Bowl annals. 

18. John Elway, Super Bowl XXXIII (Broncos 34, Falcons 19)

• 18 of 29, 336 yards, 1 TD 

Everyone expected the Broncos to lean on league MVP Terrell Davis. Instead, Davis served as a decoy while allowing Elway the chance to star in in his final game. Elway’s 80-yard touchdown pass to Rod Smith helped turn a close game into a runaway. His 3-yard touchdown run stretched Denver’s lead to 31-6 early in the fourth quarter. 

17. Tom Brady, Super Bowl XXXVIII (Patriots 32, Panthers 29)

• 32 of 48, 354 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT

In a wild game, Brady won a shootout against Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme. He led the Patriots on three fourth quarter scoring drives that included a last-minute, game winning drive for his second Super Bowl win. His favorite target was future Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch, who caught 10 of 13 targets for 143 yards and a score. 

16. Ben Roethlisberger, Super Bowl XLIII (Steelers 27, Cardinals 23) 

• 21 of 30, 256 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT 

Roethlisberger’s numbers weren’t eye-popping, but he played his best on Pittsburgh’s 88-yard, game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter. His game-winning touchdown pass has gone down as one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history.

15. Joe Namath, Super Bowl III (Jets 16, Colts 7) 

• 17 of 26, 206 yards 

Namath played the NFL’s top-ranked defense like a fiddle while leading the greatest upset in pro football history. He shortened his drop to offset the Colts’ ferocious pass rush, led by linebacker Mike Curtis. The result was an extremely efficient, mistake-free game while leading four Colts scoring drives. With a 16-0 lead, Namath didn’t call a single running play during the game’s final quarter. His favorite receiver was George Sauer, who caught 8 passes for 133 yards. 

14. Aaron Rodgers, Super Bowl XLV (Packers 31, Steelers 25)

• 24 of 39, 304 yards, 3 TD 

Often overlooked, Rodgers defeated a Steelers defense that featured two Defensive Player of the Year winners in James Harrison and Troy Polamalu. Two big completions to Greg Jennings in the second half prevented the Steelers from catching the Packers, who took a 21-3 first half lead largely on the strength of Rodgers’ right arm. Several dropped passes prevented Rodgers from having an even bigger performance.

13. Nick Foles, Super Bowl LII (Eagles 41, Patriots 33) 

• 28 of 43, 373 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT

Against the Patriots, Foles completed one of the most improbable playoff runs in recent memory. Matching Brady score for score, Foles gave the Eagles the lead for good on a touchdown pass to Zach Ertz with 2:21 left. He was also on the receiving end of the “Philly Special,” a play that will forever be celebrated in the City of Brotherly Love. 

12. Eli Manning, Super Bowl XLII (Giants 17, Patriots 14)  

• 19 of 34, 255 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

You can’t tell the history of Super Bowls without talking about Manning and the Giants slaying the dragon that was the previously undefeated Patriots. Sans his stats, Manning’s performance checked every other box. His dramatic, 32-yard completion to David Tyree is one of the most memorable plays in NFL history. He followed it up by hitting Plaxico Burress for the game-winning score.  

11. Doug Williams, Super Bowl XXII (Washington 42, Broncos 10) 

• 18 of 29, 340 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT

Williams engineered the greatest quarter of offensive football in Super Bowl history. Trailing the Broncos 10-0 after one quarter, Williams threw four touchdowns in the second quarter as Washington scored a Super Bowl record 35 points during the quarter. Williams got things going with an 80-yard touchdown pass to Ricky Sanders, who later in the quarter caught a 50-yard bomb by Williams. 

10. Troy Aikman, Super Bowl XXVII (Cowboys 27, Bills 23) 

• 22 of 30, 273 yards, 4 TD

After a slow start, Aikman was unstoppable in leading the Cowboys to the third-greatest margin of victory in Super Bowl history. He threw two touchdowns to Michael Irvin while completing seven passes (including his first touchdown) to tight end Jay Novacek. His 45-yard touchdown pass to Alvin Harper to start the fourth quarter ended any thoughts of a Buffalo comeback. 

9. Kurt Warner, Super Bowl XXXIV (Rams 23, Titans 16) 

• 24 of 45, 414 yards, 2 TD

Warner led three drives that ended in field goals in the first half. He saved his best work for the second half, as he stretched the Rams’ lead to 16-0 on a touchdown pass to Torry Holt. After the Titans had tied the score, Warner stood tall in the pocket before finding Isaac Bruce, who scored the game-winning, 73-yard touchdown. 

8. Joe Montana, Super Bowl XIX (49ers 38, Dolphins 16)

• 24 of 35, 331 yards, 3 TD

As 49ers lineman Randy Cross said near the end of the game, “They came to see an offense, and the wrong one showed up.” In a duel between two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks, it was Montana who shined brightest. Trailing 10-7 after one quarter, Montana led three consecutive scoring drives as the 49ers led 28-10. He also ran for 59 yards and a touchdown as the 49ers capped off their second Super Bowl win of the 1980s. 

7. Joe Montana, Super Bowl XXIII (49ers 20, Bengals 16) 

• 23 of 36, 357 yards, 2 TD

Montana set a then-Super Bowl record for passing yards while engineering arguably the most famous game-winning drive in Super Bowl history. Down 16-13 with just over three minutes left, Montana led an 11-play, 92-yard drive that was capped off with his 10-yard touchdown pass to John Taylor with 34 seconds left. Montana took advantage of his legendary chemistry with Jerry Rice, who caught 11 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown while winning MVP honors. 

6. Tom Brady, Super Bowl XLIX (Patriots 28, Seahawks 24)

• 37 of 50, 328 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT

Trailing by 10 points and facing Seattle’s “Legion of Boom” defense, Brady kept the Patriots alive with a third-down completion to Julian Edelman with under nine minutes left. He got New England closer with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Danny Amendola, and his 3-yard strike to Edelman with 2:06 left put the Patriots in front to stay.  

5. Phil Simms, Super Bowl XXI (Giants 39, Broncos 20) 

• 22 of 25, 268 yards, 3 TD 

Masterful can be used to describe Simms’ performance. He completed all 10 of his passes with two touchdowns in the second half. His 88% completion percentage is still the Super Bowl record. Simms completed passes to nine different teammates and threw touchdowns to three different Giants.

4. Steve Young, Super Bowl XXIX (49ers 49, Chargers 26) 

• 24 of 36, 325 yards, 6 TD

Young overwhelmed the Chargers right from the start. He threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to Jerry Rice on the third play of the game and didn’t stop until he had set the new Super Bowl record for touchdown passes. Young threw three touchdown passes to Rice and two more to running back Ricky Watters. He was also the game’s leading rusher with 49 yards. 

3. Terry Bradshaw, Super Bowl XIII (Steelers 35, Cowboys 31) 

• 17 of 30, 318 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT 

Bradshaw shredded the Cowboys’ “Doomsday” defense. After turning the ball over twice, Bradshaw rallied with touchdown passes to John Stallworth and Rocky Bleier to give the Steelers a 21-14 halftime lead. His fourth quarter touchdown pass to Lynn Swann proved to be the game-winning score. And unlike most of the quarterbacks on this list, Bradshaw called his own plays, which helped move his performance higher up on this list. 

2. Joe Montana, Super Bowl XXIV (49ers 55, Broncos 10) 

• 22 of 29, 297 yards, 5 TD

Montana said that he never had more fun in a Super Bowl, and it’s easy to see why. He threw two touchdown passes in the first quarter, one in the second and two more in the third quarter before leaving the game to a shower of cheers early in the fourth quarter. He threw three of his touchdown passes to Jerry Rice, who caught 7 passes for 148 yards. Montana won his then-record third MVP trophy while improving to 4-0 in Super Bowls. 

1. Tom Brady, Super Bowl LI (Patriots 34, Falcons 28) 

• 43 of 62, 466 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

I’m sure you’re surprised to see Brady at the top of this list. But Brady’s performance in this Super Bowl is more than deserving of having top billing. 

Down 28-3, Brady led the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history. The comeback started with Brady’s touchdown pass to James White. A touchdown pass to Danny Amendola, two two-point conversion completions, and a jaw-dropping completion to Julian Edelman helped force overtime. In overtime, Brady completed five straight passes to set up James White’s game-winning score. 

Amazing quarterback performances have become synonymous with the Super Bowl. Almost as much as commercials, food and the halftime shows. Almost annually, a quarterback has a performance in the big game that becomes the stuff of legend. That was again the case in Super Bowl LVIII, as Patrick Mahomes enjoyed his best Super Bowl performance to date. 

Following Mahomes’ performance in Sunday night’s 25-22 overtime win over the 49ers, we’ve decided to come up with a ranking of the top quarterback performances in Super Bowl history. This was the criteria used when making the list:

• Statistical excellence 
• Big plays 
• Quality of the opponent 
• How much their performances impacted the game’s outcome 
• Did the QB win the game 

Honorable mention: Steve McNair, Super Bowl XXXIV (Rams 23, Titans 16) 

• 22 of 36, 214 yards 

McNair and running back Eddie George put the Titans’ offense on their shoulders after falling behind 16-0. George’s two touchdowns momentarily tied the score, and after falling behind again with two minutes left, McNair led a furious drive that included a 16-yard completion that saw him break two tackles before delivering the throw. 

McNair’s final pass, a completion to Kevin Dyson, fell one yard short of the goal line as time expired. Had the game gone into overtime, there’s a very good chance that McNair and the Titans would have prevailed. His 64 rushing yards — which was the most a the Super Bowl for a quarterback — had left the Rams’ defense exhausted by the end of regulation. 

30. Joe Flacco, Super Bowl XLVII (Ravens 34, 49ers 31) 

• 22 of 33, 287 yards, 3 TD 

Flacco capped off a memorable postseason with an MVP performance against the 49ers. His third touchdown, a 56-yard completion to Jacoby Jones, gave the Ravens a 21-6 lead. Flacco didn’t do much in the second half, but he avoided committing any critical turnovers while helping deliver Baltimore’s second Super Bowl win. 

29. Brett Favre, Super Bowl XXXI (Packers 35, Patriots 21) 

• 14 of 27, 246 yards, 2 TD

His numbers weren’t great, but how many quarterbacks can say that they defeated a Bill Belichick defense in a Super Bowl? Favre did by calling two audibles that led to 54 and 81-yard touchdown passes. His touchdown run just before halftime proved to the game-winning score. 

28. Tom Brady, Super Bowl LII (Eagles 41, Patriots 33) 

• 28 of 48, 505 yards, 3 TD

One of just three losing performances to crack the list, Brady threw for a Super Bowl record 505 yards while keeping the Patriots in the game. He set the record by having three teammates reach 100 receiving yards: Rob Gronkowski, Danny Amendola and Chris Hogan. A dropped pass, however, is how many people remember his performance in his third Super Bowl loss. 

27. Tom Brady, Super Bowl LV (Buccaneers 31, Chiefs 9)

• 21 of 29, 201 yards, 3 TD

With his defense terrorizing Mahomes, Brady picked apart Kansas City’s defense. He threw two touchdowns to Rob Gronkowski and a third to Antonio Brown in the first half alone. His 125.8 passer rating for the game was over 70 points higher than Patrick Mahomes, who threw three interceptions while being under constant pressure. 

26. Jalen Hurts, Super Bowl LVII (Chiefs 38, Eagles 35)

• 27 of 38, 304 yards, 1 TD; 3 TD runs 

Hurts gets my unofficial title as having the greatest Super Bowl performance by a losing quarterback. In defeat, Hurts threw for 304 yards and a touchdown while becoming the second player to run for three touchdowns in a Super Bowl. His 70 yards on the ground broke McNair’s Super Bowl single-game mark for a quarterback. 

Hurts would be even higher on this list if not for his fumble that led to a Chiefs touchdown. 

25. Terry Bradshaw, Super Bowl XIV (Steelers 31, Rams 19) 

• 14 of 21 fo 309 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT

The only quarterback to win MVP honors with three interceptions. Bradshaw’s picks were overshadowed by three big completions that determined the outcome: a 47-yard touchdown pass to Lynn Swann to start the second half, a 73-yard touchdown pass to John Stallworth that gave Pittsburgh the lead for good, and a 45-yard completion to Stallworth that put the game away. 

24. Patrick Mahomes, Super Bowl LVII (Chiefs 38, Eagles 35)

• 21 of 27, 182 yards, 3 TD

 Mahomes has yet to have a monster Super Bowl, but his performance against the Eagles was still pretty epic. Playing through a painful ankle injury, Mahomes threw three touchdowns while taking care of the ball against a talented Philadelphia defense. His 26-yard run with 2:55 remaining helped set up the game-winning field goal. 

23. Mark Rypien, Super Bowl XXVI (Washington 37, Bills 24) 

• 18 of 33, 292 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT 

Of the Bills’ four straight Super Bowl losses, nobody threw for more yards against them than Rypien, whose 30-yard, third quarter touchdown pass to Gary Clark ended any hopes of a Buffalo comeback. He had two 100-yard receivers that day in Clark and Hall of Famer Art Monk. 

22. Matthew Stafford, Super Bowl LVI (Rams 23, Bengals 20) 

• 26 of 40, 283 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT

Stafford was on his way to a big day before Odell Beckham Jr. suffered an injury a minute into the second quarter. With Beckham out and his running game nonexistent, Stafford was still able to lead Los Angeles on two second-half scoring drives that included a 15-play possession that ended with his game-winning touchdown pass to Cooper Kupp. The drive also included Stafford’s no-look pass to Kupp that quickly vent viral following the Rams’ victory. 

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21. Tom Brady, Super Bowl XXXVI (Patriots 20, Rams 17)

• 16 of 27, 145 yards, 1 TD

Easily his most underwhelming Super Bowl from a statistical standpoint, but this Super Bowl is remembered for being the berth of the Patriots’ dynasty. Brady’s five completions on the Patriots’ last drive set up Adam Vinatieri’s game-winning, 48-yard field goal as time expired. 

20. Jim Plunkett, Super Bowl XV (Raiders 27, Eagles 10) 

• 13 of 21, 261 yards 3 TD 

The former Heisman Trophy winner light up an Eagles defense that sacked him eight times when the two teams faced each other in the regular season. He threw two touchdown passes to Cliff Branch, who this summer will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Plunkett’s 80-yard touchdown pass to Kenny King was at the time the longest touchdown pass in Super Bowl annals. 

19. John Elway, Super Bowl XXXIII (Broncos 34, Falcons 19)

• 18 of 29, 336 yards, 1 TD 

Everyone expected the Broncos to lean on league MVP Terrell Davis. Instead, Davis served as a decoy while allowing Elway the chance to star in in his final game. Elway’s 80-yard touchdown pass to Rod Smith helped turn a close game into a runaway. His 3-yard touchdown run stretched Denver’s lead to 31-6 early in the fourth quarter. 

18. Tom Brady, Super Bowl XXXVIII (Patriots 32, Panthers 29)

• 32 of 48, 354 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT

In a wild game, Brady won a shootout against Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme. He led the Patriots on three fourth quarter scoring drives that included a last-minute, game winning drive for his second Super Bowl win. His favorite target was future Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch, who caught 10 of 13 targets for 143 yards and a score. 

17. Ben Roethlisberger, Super Bowl XLIII (Steelers 27, Cardinals 23) 

• 21 of 30, 256 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT 

Roethlisberger’s numbers weren’t eye-popping, but he played his best on Pittsburgh’s 88-yard, game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter. His game-winning touchdown pass has gone down as one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history.

16. Joe Namath, Super Bowl III (Jets 16, Colts 7) 

• 17 of 26, 206 yards 

Namath played the NFL’s top-ranked defense like a fiddle while leading the greatest upset in pro football history. He shortened his drop to offset the Colts’ ferocious pass rush, led by linebacker Mike Curtis. The result was an extremely efficient, mistake-free game while leading four Colts scoring drives. With a 16-0 lead, Namath didn’t call a single running play during the game’s final quarter. His favorite receiver was George Sauer, who caught 8 passes for 133 yards. 

15. Aaron Rodgers, Super Bowl XLV (Packers 31, Steelers 25)

• 24 of 39, 304 yards, 3 TD 

Often overlooked, Rodgers defeated a Steelers defense that featured two Defensive Player of the Year winners in James Harrison and Troy Polamalu. Two big completions to Greg Jennings in the second half prevented the Steelers from catching the Packers, who took a 21-3 first half lead largely on the strength of Rodgers’ right arm. Several dropped passes prevented Rodgers from having an even bigger performance.

14. Nick Foles, Super Bowl LII (Eagles 41, Patriots 33) 

• 28 of 43, 373 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT

Against the Patriots, Foles completed one of the most improbable playoff runs in recent memory. Matching Brady score for score, Foles gave the Eagles the lead for good on a touchdown pass to Zach Ertz with 2:21 left. He was also on the receiving end of the “Philly Special,” a play that will forever be celebrated in the City of Brotherly Love. 

13. Eli Manning, Super Bowl XLII (Giants 17, Patriots 14)  

• 19 of 34, 255 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

You can’t tell the history of Super Bowls without talking about Manning and the Giants slaying the dragon that was the previously undefeated Patriots. Sans his stats, Manning’s performance checked every other box. His dramatic, 32-yard completion to David Tyree is one of the most memorable plays in NFL history. He followed it up by hitting Plaxico Burress for the game-winning score.  

12. Doug Williams, Super Bowl XXII (Washington 42, Broncos 10) 

• 18 of 29, 340 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT

Williams engineered the greatest quarter of offensive football in Super Bowl history. Trailing the Broncos 10-0 after one quarter, Williams threw four touchdowns in the second quarter as Washington scored a Super Bowl record 35 points during the quarter. Williams got things going with an 80-yard touchdown pass to Ricky Sanders, who later in the quarter caught a 50-yard bomb by Williams. 

11. Troy Aikman, Super Bowl XXVII (Cowboys 27, Bills 23) 

• 22 of 30, 273 yards, 4 TD

After a slow start, Aikman was unstoppable in leading the Cowboys to the third-greatest margin of victory in Super Bowl history. He threw two touchdowns to Michael Irvin while completing seven passes (including his first touchdown) to tight end Jay Novacek. His 45-yard touchdown pass to Alvin Harper to start the fourth quarter ended any thoughts of a Buffalo comeback. 

10. Kurt Warner, Super Bowl XXXIV (Rams 23, Titans 16) 

• 24 of 45, 414 yards, 2 TD

Warner led three drives that ended in field goals in the first half. He saved his best work for the second half, as he stretched the Rams’ lead to 16-0 on a touchdown pass to Torry Holt. After the Titans had tied the score, Warner stood tall in the pocket before finding Isaac Bruce, who scored the game-winning, 73-yard touchdown. 

9. Joe Montana, Super Bowl XIX (49ers 38, Dolphins 16)

• 24 of 35, 331 yards, 3 TD

As 49ers lineman Randy Cross said near the end of the game, “They came to see an offense, and the wrong one showed up.” In a duel between two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks, it was Montana who shined brightest. Trailing 10-7 after one quarter, Montana led three consecutive scoring drives as the 49ers led 28-10. He also ran for 59 yards and a touchdown as the 49ers capped off their second Super Bowl win of the 1980s. 

8. Joe Montana, Super Bowl XXIII (49ers 20, Bengals 16) 

• 23 of 36, 357 yards, 2 TD

Montana set a then-Super Bowl record for passing yards while engineering arguably the most famous game-winning drive in Super Bowl history. Down 16-13 with just over three minutes left, Montana led an 11-play, 92-yard drive that was capped off with his 10-yard touchdown pass to John Taylor with 34 seconds left. Montana took advantage of his legendary chemistry with Jerry Rice, who caught 11 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown while winning MVP honors. 

7. Tom Brady, Super Bowl XLIX (Patriots 28, Seahawks 24)

• 37 of 50, 328 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT

Trailing by 10 points and facing Seattle’s “Legion of Boom” defense, Brady kept the Patriots alive with a third-down completion to Julian Edelman with under nine minutes left. He got New England closer with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Danny Amendola, and his 3-yard strike to Edelman with 2:06 left put the Patriots in front to stay.  

6. Phil Simms, Super Bowl XXI (Giants 39, Broncos 20) 

• 22 of 25, 268 yards, 3 TD 

Masterful can be used to describe Simms’ performance. He completed all 10 of his passes with two touchdowns in the second half. His 88% completion percentage is still the Super Bowl record. Simms completed passes to nine different teammates and threw touchdowns to three different Giants.

6. Terry Bradshaw, Super Bowl XIII (Steelers 35, Cowboys 31) 

• 17 of 30, 318 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT 

Bradshaw shredded the Cowboys’ “Doomsday” defense. After turning the ball over twice, Bradshaw rallied with touchdown passes to John Stallworth and Rocky Bleier to give the Steelers a 21-14 halftime lead. His fourth quarter touchdown pass to Lynn Swann proved to be the game-winning score. And unlike most of the quarterbacks on this list, Bradshaw called his own plays, which helped move his performance higher up on this list. 

5. Patrick Mahomes, Super Bowl LVIII (Chiefs 25, 49ers 22, OT) 

34 of 46, 333 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, 66 rushing yards 

Mahomes was great when the Chiefs needed him to be. After a slow start, Mahomes led the Chiefs on five scoring drives after halftime that included a game-tying drive at the end of regulation and the game-winning drive in overtime. Along with making plays with his arm, Mahomes rushed for 66 yards (the second-most by a quarterback in Super Bowl history) that included two monster runs in overtime. 

Oh, we should also mention that Mahomes now has the only overtime touchdown pass in Super Bowl history. 

4. Steve Young, Super Bowl XXIX (49ers 49, Chargers 26) 

• 24 of 36, 325 yards, 6 TD

Young overwhelmed the Chargers right from the start. He threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to Jerry Rice on the third play of the game and didn’t stop until he had set the new Super Bowl record for touchdown passes. Young threw three touchdown passes to Rice and two more to running back Ricky Watters. He was also the game’s leading rusher with 49 yards. 

2. Joe Montana, Super Bowl XXIV (49ers 55, Broncos 10) 

• 22 of 29, 297 yards, 5 TD

Montana said that he never had more fun in a Super Bowl, and it’s easy to see why. He threw two touchdown passes in the first quarter, one in the second and two more in the third quarter before leaving the game to a shower of cheers early in the fourth quarter. He threw three of his touchdown passes to Jerry Rice, who caught 7 passes for 148 yards. Montana won his then-record third MVP trophy while improving to 4-0 in Super Bowls. 

1. Tom Brady, Super Bowl LI (Patriots 34, Falcons 28, OT) 

• 43 of 62, 466 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

I’m sure you’re surprised to see Brady at the top of this list. But Brady’s performance in this Super Bowl is more than deserving of having top billing. 

Down 28-3, Brady led the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history. The comeback started with Brady’s touchdown pass to James White. A touchdown pass to Danny Amendola, two two-point conversion completions, and a jaw-dropping completion to Julian Edelman helped force overtime. In overtime, Brady completed five straight passes to set up James White’s game-winning score. 

Amazing quarterback performances have become synonymous with the Super Bowl. Almost as much as commercials, food and the halftime shows. Almost annually, a quarterback has a performance in the big game that becomes the stuff of legend. That was again the case in Super Bowl LVIII, as Patrick Mahomes enjoyed his best Super Bowl performance to date. 

Following Mahomes’ performance in Sunday night’s 25-22 overtime win over the 49ers, we’ve decided to come up with a ranking of the top quarterback performances in Super Bowl history. This was the criteria used when making the list:

• Statistical excellence 
• Big plays 
• Quality of the opponent 
• How much their performances impacted the game’s outcome 
• Did the QB win the game 

Honorable mention: Steve McNair, Super Bowl XXXIV (Rams 23, Titans 16) 

• 22 of 36, 214 yards 

McNair and running back Eddie George put the Titans’ offense on their shoulders after falling behind 16-0. George’s two touchdowns momentarily tied the score, and after falling behind again with two minutes left, McNair led a furious drive that included a 16-yard completion that saw him break two tackles before delivering the throw. 

McNair’s final pass, a completion to Kevin Dyson, fell one yard short of the goal line as time expired. Had the game gone into overtime, there’s a very good chance that McNair and the Titans would have prevailed. His 64 rushing yards — which was the most a the Super Bowl for a quarterback — had left the Rams’ defense exhausted by the end of regulation. 

30. Joe Flacco, Super Bowl XLVII (Ravens 34, 49ers 31) 

• 22 of 33, 287 yards, 3 TD 

Flacco capped off a memorable postseason with an MVP performance against the 49ers. His third touchdown, a 56-yard completion to Jacoby Jones, gave the Ravens a 21-6 lead. Flacco didn’t do much in the second half, but he avoided committing any critical turnovers while helping deliver Baltimore’s second Super Bowl win. 

29. Brett Favre, Super Bowl XXXI (Packers 35, Patriots 21) 

• 14 of 27, 246 yards, 2 TD

His numbers weren’t great, but how many quarterbacks can say that they defeated a Bill Belichick defense in a Super Bowl? Favre did by calling two audibles that led to 54 and 81-yard touchdown passes. His touchdown run just before halftime proved to the game-winning score. 

28. Tom Brady, Super Bowl LII (Eagles 41, Patriots 33) 

• 28 of 48, 505 yards, 3 TD

One of just three losing performances to crack the list, Brady threw for a Super Bowl record 505 yards while keeping the Patriots in the game. He set the record by having three teammates reach 100 receiving yards: Rob Gronkowski, Danny Amendola and Chris Hogan. A dropped pass, however, is how many people remember his performance in his third Super Bowl loss. 

27. Tom Brady, Super Bowl LV (Buccaneers 31, Chiefs 9)

• 21 of 29, 201 yards, 3 TD

With his defense terrorizing Mahomes, Brady picked apart Kansas City’s defense. He threw two touchdowns to Rob Gronkowski and a third to Antonio Brown in the first half alone. His 125.8 passer rating for the game was over 70 points higher than Patrick Mahomes, who threw three interceptions while being under constant pressure. 

26. Jalen Hurts, Super Bowl LVII (Chiefs 38, Eagles 35)

• 27 of 38, 304 yards, 1 TD; 3 TD runs 

Hurts gets my unofficial title as having the greatest Super Bowl performance by a losing quarterback. In defeat, Hurts threw for 304 yards and a touchdown while becoming the second player to run for three touchdowns in a Super Bowl. His 70 yards on the ground broke McNair’s Super Bowl single-game mark for a quarterback. 

Hurts would be even higher on this list if not for his fumble that led to a Chiefs touchdown. 

25. Terry Bradshaw, Super Bowl XIV (Steelers 31, Rams 19) 

• 14 of 21 fo 309 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT

The only quarterback to win MVP honors with three interceptions. Bradshaw’s picks were overshadowed by three big completions that determined the outcome: a 47-yard touchdown pass to Lynn Swann to start the second half, a 73-yard touchdown pass to John Stallworth that gave Pittsburgh the lead for good, and a 45-yard completion to Stallworth that put the game away. 

24. Patrick Mahomes, Super Bowl LVII (Chiefs 38, Eagles 35)

• 21 of 27, 182 yards, 3 TD

 Mahomes has yet to have a monster Super Bowl, but his performance against the Eagles was still pretty epic. Playing through a painful ankle injury, Mahomes threw three touchdowns while taking care of the ball against a talented Philadelphia defense. His 26-yard run with 2:55 remaining helped set up the game-winning field goal. 

23. Mark Rypien, Super Bowl XXVI (Washington 37, Bills 24) 

• 18 of 33, 292 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT 

Of the Bills’ four straight Super Bowl losses, nobody threw for more yards against them than Rypien, whose 30-yard, third quarter touchdown pass to Gary Clark ended any hopes of a Buffalo comeback. He had two 100-yard receivers that day in Clark and Hall of Famer Art Monk. 

22. Matthew Stafford, Super Bowl LVI (Rams 23, Bengals 20) 

• 26 of 40, 283 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT

Stafford was on his way to a big day before Odell Beckham Jr. suffered an injury a minute into the second quarter. With Beckham out and his running game nonexistent, Stafford was still able to lead Los Angeles on two second-half scoring drives that included a 15-play possession that ended with his game-winning touchdown pass to Cooper Kupp. The drive also included Stafford’s no-look pass to Kupp that quickly vent viral following the Rams’ victory. 

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21. Tom Brady, Super Bowl XXXVI (Patriots 20, Rams 17)

• 16 of 27, 145 yards, 1 TD

Easily his most underwhelming Super Bowl from a statistical standpoint, but this Super Bowl is remembered for being the berth of the Patriots’ dynasty. Brady’s five completions on the Patriots’ last drive set up Adam Vinatieri’s game-winning, 48-yard field goal as time expired. 

20. Jim Plunkett, Super Bowl XV (Raiders 27, Eagles 10) 

• 13 of 21, 261 yards 3 TD 

The former Heisman Trophy winner light up an Eagles defense that sacked him eight times when the two teams faced each other in the regular season. He threw two touchdown passes to Cliff Branch, who this summer will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Plunkett’s 80-yard touchdown pass to Kenny King was at the time the longest touchdown pass in Super Bowl annals. 

19. John Elway, Super Bowl XXXIII (Broncos 34, Falcons 19)

• 18 of 29, 336 yards, 1 TD 

Everyone expected the Broncos to lean on league MVP Terrell Davis. Instead, Davis served as a decoy while allowing Elway the chance to star in in his final game. Elway’s 80-yard touchdown pass to Rod Smith helped turn a close game into a runaway. His 3-yard touchdown run stretched Denver’s lead to 31-6 early in the fourth quarter. 

18. Tom Brady, Super Bowl XXXVIII (Patriots 32, Panthers 29)

• 32 of 48, 354 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT

In a wild game, Brady won a shootout against Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme. He led the Patriots on three fourth quarter scoring drives that included a last-minute, game winning drive for his second Super Bowl win. His favorite target was future Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch, who caught 10 of 13 targets for 143 yards and a score. 

17. Ben Roethlisberger, Super Bowl XLIII (Steelers 27, Cardinals 23) 

• 21 of 30, 256 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT 

Roethlisberger’s numbers weren’t eye-popping, but he played his best on Pittsburgh’s 88-yard, game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter. His game-winning touchdown pass has gone down as one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history.

16. Joe Namath, Super Bowl III (Jets 16, Colts 7) 

• 17 of 26, 206 yards 

Namath played the NFL’s top-ranked defense like a fiddle while leading the greatest upset in pro football history. He shortened his drop to offset the Colts’ ferocious pass rush, led by linebacker Mike Curtis. The result was an extremely efficient, mistake-free game while leading four Colts scoring drives. With a 16-0 lead, Namath didn’t call a single running play during the game’s final quarter. His favorite receiver was George Sauer, who caught 8 passes for 133 yards. 

15. Aaron Rodgers, Super Bowl XLV (Packers 31, Steelers 25)

• 24 of 39, 304 yards, 3 TD 

Often overlooked, Rodgers defeated a Steelers defense that featured two Defensive Player of the Year winners in James Harrison and Troy Polamalu. Two big completions to Greg Jennings in the second half prevented the Steelers from catching the Packers, who took a 21-3 first half lead largely on the strength of Rodgers’ right arm. Several dropped passes prevented Rodgers from having an even bigger performance.

14. Nick Foles, Super Bowl LII (Eagles 41, Patriots 33) 

• 28 of 43, 373 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT

Against the Patriots, Foles completed one of the most improbable playoff runs in recent memory. Matching Brady score for score, Foles gave the Eagles the lead for good on a touchdown pass to Zach Ertz with 2:21 left. He was also on the receiving end of the “Philly Special,” a play that will forever be celebrated in the City of Brotherly Love. 

13. Eli Manning, Super Bowl XLII (Giants 17, Patriots 14)  

• 19 of 34, 255 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

You can’t tell the history of Super Bowls without talking about Manning and the Giants slaying the dragon that was the previously undefeated Patriots. Sans his stats, Manning’s performance checked every other box. His dramatic, 32-yard completion to David Tyree is one of the most memorable plays in NFL history. He followed it up by hitting Plaxico Burress for the game-winning score.  

12. Doug Williams, Super Bowl XXII (Washington 42, Broncos 10) 

• 18 of 29, 340 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT

Williams engineered the greatest quarter of offensive football in Super Bowl history. Trailing the Broncos 10-0 after one quarter, Williams threw four touchdowns in the second quarter as Washington scored a Super Bowl record 35 points during the quarter. Williams got things going with an 80-yard touchdown pass to Ricky Sanders, who later in the quarter caught a 50-yard bomb by Williams. 

11. Troy Aikman, Super Bowl XXVII (Cowboys 27, Bills 23) 

• 22 of 30, 273 yards, 4 TD

After a slow start, Aikman was unstoppable in leading the Cowboys to the third-greatest margin of victory in Super Bowl history. He threw two touchdowns to Michael Irvin while completing seven passes (including his first touchdown) to tight end Jay Novacek. His 45-yard touchdown pass to Alvin Harper to start the fourth quarter ended any thoughts of a Buffalo comeback. 

10. Kurt Warner, Super Bowl XXXIV (Rams 23, Titans 16) 

• 24 of 45, 414 yards, 2 TD

Warner led three drives that ended in field goals in the first half. He saved his best work for the second half, as he stretched the Rams’ lead to 16-0 on a touchdown pass to Torry Holt. After the Titans had tied the score, Warner stood tall in the pocket before finding Isaac Bruce, who scored the game-winning, 73-yard touchdown. 

9. Joe Montana, Super Bowl XIX (49ers 38, Dolphins 16)

• 24 of 35, 331 yards, 3 TD

As 49ers lineman Randy Cross said near the end of the game, “They came to see an offense, and the wrong one showed up.” In a duel between two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks, it was Montana who shined brightest. Trailing 10-7 after one quarter, Montana led three consecutive scoring drives as the 49ers led 28-10. He also ran for 59 yards and a touchdown as the 49ers capped off their second Super Bowl win of the 1980s. 

8. Joe Montana, Super Bowl XXIII (49ers 20, Bengals 16) 

• 23 of 36, 357 yards, 2 TD

Montana set a then-Super Bowl record for passing yards while engineering arguably the most famous game-winning drive in Super Bowl history. Down 16-13 with just over three minutes left, Montana led an 11-play, 92-yard drive that was capped off with his 10-yard touchdown pass to John Taylor with 34 seconds left. Montana took advantage of his legendary chemistry with Jerry Rice, who caught 11 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown while winning MVP honors. 

7. Tom Brady, Super Bowl XLIX (Patriots 28, Seahawks 24)

• 37 of 50, 328 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT

Trailing by 10 points and facing Seattle’s “Legion of Boom” defense, Brady kept the Patriots alive with a third-down completion to Julian Edelman with under nine minutes left. He got New England closer with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Danny Amendola, and his 3-yard strike to Edelman with 2:06 left put the Patriots in front to stay.  

6. Phil Simms, Super Bowl XXI (Giants 39, Broncos 20) 

• 22 of 25, 268 yards, 3 TD 

Masterful can be used to describe Simms’ performance. He completed all 10 of his passes with two touchdowns in the second half. His 88% completion percentage is still the Super Bowl record. Simms completed passes to nine different teammates and threw touchdowns to three different Giants.

6. Terry Bradshaw, Super Bowl XIII (Steelers 35, Cowboys 31) 

• 17 of 30, 318 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT 

Bradshaw shredded the Cowboys’ “Doomsday” defense. After turning the ball over twice, Bradshaw rallied with touchdown passes to John Stallworth and Rocky Bleier to give the Steelers a 21-14 halftime lead. His fourth quarter touchdown pass to Lynn Swann proved to be the game-winning score. And unlike most of the quarterbacks on this list, Bradshaw called his own plays, which helped move his performance higher up on this list. 

5. Patrick Mahomes, Super Bowl LVIII (Chiefs 25, 49ers 22, OT) 

34 of 46, 333 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, 66 rushing yards 

Mahomes was great when the Chiefs needed him to be. After a slow start, Mahomes led the Chiefs on five scoring drives after halftime that included a game-tying drive at the end of regulation and the game-winning drive in overtime. Along with making plays with his arm, Mahomes rushed for 66 yards (the second-most by a quarterback in Super Bowl history) that included two monster runs in overtime. 

Oh, we should also mention that Mahomes now has the only overtime touchdown pass in Super Bowl history. 

4. Steve Young, Super Bowl XXIX (49ers 49, Chargers 26) 

• 24 of 36, 325 yards, 6 TD

Young overwhelmed the Chargers right from the start. He threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to Jerry Rice on the third play of the game and didn’t stop until he had set the new Super Bowl record for touchdown passes. Young threw three touchdown passes to Rice and two more to running back Ricky Watters. He was also the game’s leading rusher with 49 yards. 

2. Joe Montana, Super Bowl XXIV (49ers 55, Broncos 10) 

• 22 of 29, 297 yards, 5 TD

Montana said that he never had more fun in a Super Bowl, and it’s easy to see why. He threw two touchdown passes in the first quarter, one in the second and two more in the third quarter before leaving the game to a shower of cheers early in the fourth quarter. He threw three of his touchdown passes to Jerry Rice, who caught 7 passes for 148 yards. Montana won his then-record third MVP trophy while improving to 4-0 in Super Bowls. 

1. Tom Brady, Super Bowl LI (Patriots 34, Falcons 28, OT) 

• 43 of 62, 466 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

I’m sure you’re surprised to see Brady at the top of this list. But Brady’s performance in this Super Bowl is more than deserving of having top billing. 

Down 28-3, Brady led the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history. The comeback started with Brady’s touchdown pass to James White. A touchdown pass to Danny Amendola, two two-point conversion completions, and a jaw-dropping completion to Julian Edelman helped force overtime. In overtime, Brady completed five straight passes to set up James White’s game-winning score. 

The Super Bowl has teased us the previous two years. While both endings were good, they were marred by controversial penalties that contributed to the outcome. 

Those penalties cost both games a place on my list of the greatest endings in Super Bowl history. Hopefully, the zebras won’t have a similar impact in Super Bowl LVIII. If they don’t, there’s a good chance that Sunday’s game between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs will include a memorable finish to what has been a memorable 2023 NFL season. 

As it currently stands, there are 15 Super Bowls whose endings won’t soon be forgotten by those who watched. Some of them contributed to dynasties, while one particular finish prevented one dynasty from adding a perfect season to its long list of bona fides. 

This list was made using the following criteria: 

• Exciting plays 
• How the game actually finished 
• The time in which the game-winning score occurred 
• Predictability factor 
• Historical significance 

15. Super Bowl XLVII: Ravens 34, 49ers 31 

• Feb. 3, 2013 

The 35-minute power outage seemed to change the complexion of the game. Trailing 28-6 before the outage, the 49ers were a 2-point conversion away from tying the score with 10 minutes left. Down 34-29, they got down to the Ravens’ 5-yard line and were in position to win the game. As good as he was in leading the 49ers back, Colin Kaepernick was a little off on his fourth-down pass to Michael Crabtree that was slightly overthrown. The 49ers’ last-gasp attempt at a win was extinguished when Josh Bynes tackled Ted Ginn Jr. just short of midfield on the game’s final play. 

14. Super Bowl X: Steelers 21, Cowboys 17 

• Jan. 16, 1976

File this under the “this would never happen in today’s NFL” category: Ahead 21-17 and facing a fourth-and-9 on the Cowboys’ 41-yard line with 1:28 left, Steelers coach Chuck Noll called a running play that gained 2 yards. Noll’s questionable decision was due to the struggles of his punter/kicker that day as well as the faith that he had in his defense. Noll’s faith was rewarded when safety Mike Wagner deflected Roger Staubach’s Hail Mary throw in the Steelers’ end zone on the game’s final play. The pass was picked off by fellow safety Glen Edwards, whose 35-yard return chewed up the remaining seconds on the game clock. 

13. Super Bowl XLVI: Giants 21, Patriots 17 

• Feb. 5, 2012 

An eternal thorn in New England’s side, Eli Manning’s jaw-dropping, 38-yard completion to Mario Manningham with 3:46 left set up the Giants’ go-ahead touchdown. That was the height of this ending, however, given the fact that Ahmad Bradshaw literally stumbled into history as the Patriots allowed him to score in order to give Brady more time. Brady got close enough to launch a last-second Hail Mary into the Giants’ end zone. The ball was deflected before avoiding the outstretched arms of Rob Gronkowski. 

12. Super Bowl LII: Eagles 41, Patriots 33 

• Feb. 4, 2018

People forget that the Eagles actually trailed in this game before taking the lead on Zach Ertz’s 11-yard touchdown pass from Nick Foles with 2:21 left. Philadelphia extended its lead to eight points with a field goal after Derek Barnett recovered Brandon Graham’s forced fumble of Tom Brady. Similar to Super Bowl XLVI, Brady was able to get the Patriots in position for a last-second heave into the end zone. With the entire city of Philadelphia holding its breath, Brady’s pass once again fell harmlessly to the turf, as Eagles fans could finally celebrate the franchise’s first Super Bowl win. 

11. Super Bowl V: Colts 16, Cowboys 13 

• Jan. 17, 1971 

The first Super Bowl decided on a last-minute field goal, Jim O’Brien’s 32-yard boot gave the Colts the lead for good with five seconds left. Baltimore linebacker Mike Curtis’ interception with 1:09 left set up O’Brien’s game-winning kick. The ending made up for a sloppy game that included 11 turnovers. 

10. Super Bowl XXXVIII: Patriots 32, Panthers 29 

• Feb. 1, 2004 

A repeat of the Patriots’ first Super Bowl win two years earlier. This one had a little less suspense, however, given that we had already seen Brady pull off a last-minute, game-winning drive in the Super Bowl. A second Adam Vinatieri game-winning kick appeared to be inevitable when Panthers kicker John Kasay booted his kickoff out of bounds — giving Brady a short field to work with — after Carolina had tied the score with 1:08 left. Three completions to Troy Brown and a 17-yard completion from Brady to Deion Branch set up Vinatieri’s 41-yard boot with four seconds remaining.

While the ending was a bit anticlimactic, this was one of the best fourth quarters in Super Bowl history, as a record 37 points were scored during the game’s final 15 minutes. 

9. Super Bowl XXXII: Broncos 31, Packers 24 

• Jan. 25, 1998 

In a back-and-forth battle, the Broncos took the lead for good after the Packers intentionally allowed Denver to score with 1:47 left. Brett Favre quickly drove the defending champions into Broncos territory before he misfired on two straight passes. Facing a fourth-and-6 on the Broncos’ 31, Favre’s final pass was batted down by Broncos linebacker John Mobley, as the Broncos took over on downs with 28 seconds left. John Elway won his first ring, while Terrell Davis won MVP honors after rushing for 157 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries. The Broncos’ win snapped the NFC’s 13-game Super Bowl winning streak. 

8. Super Bowl LI: Patriots 34, Falcons 28 (OT) 

• Feb. 5, 2017 

The Patriots forced overtime after completing a 91-yard scoring drive with a minute left in regulation. Down 28-3 midway through the third quarter, New England tied it late in the fourth when James White scored from a yard out. The game officially went to overtime after Matt Ryan was unable to connect with Austin Hooper on a deep third-down pass with 11 seconds left. 

Because of Brady and the Patriots’ history, along with what had just transpired over the course of the second half, there wasn’t much suspense left when the Patriots won the overtime toss. Like a thief in broad daylight, the Patriots stole the game and the Falcons’ hearts on the first drive of overtime. New England’s highly efficient drive — which took less than four minutes — ended with White’s 2-yard touchdown run. Brady surpassed Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw as the winningest quarterback in Super Bowl annals. 

7. Super Bowl XXIII: 49ers 20, Bengals 16 

• Jan. 22, 1989 

Trailing 16-13, the 49ers successfully marched 92 yards in 11 plays during the game’s final three minutes. Game MVP Jerry Rice caught three of his 11 receptions on the drive, but he was used as a decoy on Joe Montana’s game-winning touchdown pass to John Taylor with 34 seconds left. A short completion, a sack and two incomplete passes on the Bengals’ ensuing drive clinched the 49ers’ third Super Bowl win of the ’80s in what was the final game of Hall of Fame coach Bill Walsh’s career. 

6. Super Bowl XXXVI: Patriots 20, Rams 17 

• Feb. 3, 2002 

Down 17-3, the Rams scored two late touchdowns and appeared to be on their way to forcing overtime. But Warner and the Rams’ offense never got the ball back after Tom Brady set up Adam Vinatieri’s game-winning, 48-yard field goal as time expired. Brady completed five of his first seven passes on the drive that included a key 23-yard hook-up with Troy Brown that got the Patriots into Rams territory. Vinatieri then recorded the first walk-off field goal in Super Bowl history. 

5. Super Bowl XXV: Giants 20, Bills 19 

• Jan. 27, 1991 

The first Super Bowl where the winner or loser would be determined by a field-goal attempt. Fortunately for the Giants, Scott Norwood’s 47-yard attempt was wide right, preserving the smallest margin of victory in Super Bowl history. The Bills had driven 61 yards in eight plays prior to Norwood’s miss with eight seconds left. The majority of those yards were gained by Bills running back Thurman Thomas, who tallied 190 all-purpose yards in a losing effort. 

4. Super Bowl XLIII: Steelers 27, Cardinals 23 

• Feb. 1, 2009 

Pittsburgh appeared to have this game in the bag until two Larry Fitzgerald touchdowns (the second one coming on a 64-yard play) gave Arizona a 23-20 lead with 2:37 left. Backed up on his own 12-yard line, Ben Roethlisberger got the drive going with a 14-yard completion to Nate Washington on first-and-20. His completion to Santonio Holmes two plays later kept the drive alive, while his 40-yard completion to Holmes three plays later put the Steelers in position for a game-winning score. 

Roethlisberger and Holmes then connected on one of the most incredible plays in Super Bowl history. After buying time for what seemed like an eternity, Roethlisberger fired a high pass that was snared by Holmes in the back corner of the end zone. Holmes was somehow able to get parts of both feet inbounds while securing the catch. With 29 seconds left, Kurt Warner completed two passes to get the Cardinals past midfield. Arizona wouldn’t get a chance at a Hail Mary, however, as LaMarr Woodley strip-sacked Warner just as he was about to throw. The game ended with Roethlisberger taking a knee while securing the Steelers’ sixth Super Bowl win. 

3. Super Bowl XXXIV: Rams 23, Titans 16

• Jan. 30, 2000

This finish was really wild. One play after the Titans tied the score, the Rams took the lead back on Kurt Warner’s 73-yard touchdown pass to Isaac Bruce. The resilient Titans then marched from their own 12 to the Rams’ 10-yard line in the game’s final two minutes. On the game’s final play, Titans quarterback Steve McNair — who somehow managed to break two tackles before firing a 16-yard completion on the previous play — hit receiver Kevin Dyson on a slant pass. Dyson initially looked like he was on his way in for the potential game-tying score before Rams linebacker Mike Jones — who turned his head around just as McNair released his pass — stopped Dyson 1 yard short of the goal line. 

2. Super Bowl XLIX: Patriots 28, Seahawks 24

• Feb. 1, 2015 

Quite possibly his most under-appreciated Super Bowl, Tom Brady’s two fourth-quarter touchdown passes gave the Patriots a four-point lead. Russell Wilson kept the defending champions alive with a head-scratching 33-yard completion to Jermaine Kearse that initially looked like an incomplete pass. But then Seahawks coach Pete Carroll made an equally head-scratching play call by electing to throw from the 1-yard line instead of handing the ball off to Marshawn Lynch. Seattle fans are still mourning that decision, as Wilson’s pass was picked off by Malcolm Butler with 26 seconds left. The pick sealed the Patriots’ first Super Bowl win in a decade. 

1. Super Bowl XLII: Giants 17, Patriots 14 

• Feb. 3, 2008

The most action-packed final 75 seconds in Super Bowl history. It started with Eli Manning’s jaw-dropping, 32-yard completion to David Tyree who caught the ball while using the side of his helmet. Manning then gave the Giants a stunning 17-14 lead when he hit Plaxico Burress in the end zone with 39 seconds left.

The Patriots were not done yet, however, as Brady and Randy Moss nearly connected on a desperation fourth-down deep pass that would have given New England the ball in field goal range with two seconds left. Brady, who threw the ball roughly 85 yards on the play, just missed connecting with Moss, as the Giants took over on downs with one second left. 

New England fell painfully short of becoming the first 19-0 team in NFL history.