About This Quiz
The regular season's over, and the teams have been bracketed out for the playoffs. Every team at this point is filled with stars at multiple positions, but none are as important as the quarterback, the player who often separates a team from making a playoff run versus winning a Super Bowl. Only the most determined actually end up in the championship game, and only one walks away victorious.
Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks come in a variety of forms, of course. Some of them are the entire offense, racking up stats on their way to winning MVPs and Pro Bowl selections. Others serve as game managers, where they rely on a stout defense and a strong running game to win a title. No matter their style, a quarterback who wants a title executes the game plan to ensure their team ends up with more points than the opposition.
Are you ready to see if you know the quarterbacks from the last 40 years who were able to make enough plays to walk away as Super Bowl champions? From the leader of the San Francisco 49ers in the '80s to the leader of the New England Patriots the past two decades, this quiz covers all the champions.
When you're ready, get started and see how high you can run up the score.
Patrick Mahomes lead his team to win 31 to 20 in the most recent Super Bowl against the 49ers. The Chiefs' first title since 1969 was well earned by turning the game around in the final minutes. Mahomes' dreams of going to Disney World came true, too.
Super Bowl LIII was the lowest-scoring Super Bowl in the history of the game, but that doesn't take away from Tom Brady's greatness. Anytime the New England Patriots needed a play down the stretch, Brady was there to deliver, even orchestrating the only touchdown drive of the game in the fourth quarter to take the lead.
In Super Bowl XXIV, Joe Montana only needed 29 pass attempts to throw for five touchdowns, a Super Bowl record at the time. In contrast, the quarterback on the other side of the field, John Elway, threw 26 passes without a single touchdown.
Advertisement
When the Denver Broncos won Super Bowl 50, Peyton Manning was no longer the gunslinger he was in his earlier days, but he was still one of the smartest players on the field. More of a game manager, Manning helped the Broncos maintain the lead throughout the entire game to secure his second and final championship.
Brett Favre's championship season in 1996 was filled with success. Not only did he finish the year with a title, but he also won his second of three straight NFL MVPs, throwing for 3,899 yards and a league-high 39 touchdowns.
Russell Wilson didn't have to do much as the Seattle Seahawks walked away with a 48-8 victory in Super Bowl XLVIII, especially considering how dominant the defense was throughout the game. Wilson was still consistent, however, completing 18 of his 25 passes for two touchdowns.
Advertisement
After decades of mediocrity, Drew Brees brought hope to New Orleans when he joined the Saints in 2006. It took him a few years, but Brees was finally able to deliver the city a championship by winning Super Bowl XLIV, becoming revered throughout New Orleans as he put the city on the Super Bowl map.
With veteran defensive players on both teams and two head coaches who were brothers, Joe Flacco was the last storyline that anyone considered coming into Super Bowl XLVII. But, in the game, Flacco showed up everyone by taking home the MVP after throwing for 287 yards and three touchdowns.
Aaron Rodgers got virtually no help from the rest of his offense in Super Bowl XLV as receivers dropped passes and his team only rushed for 50 total yards. Rodgers wouldn't let that stop him from winning the game, though, as he still completed 24 of his 39 passes with three touchdowns.
Advertisement
Having to follow in the footsteps of Joe Montana, Steve Young always had a chip on his shoulder as he hoped to separate himself from the former legend. He was able to do that in Super Bowl XXIX by setting a Super Bowl record when he threw six touchdown passes to defeat the San Diego Chargers.
Terry Bradshaw won four Super Bowls in his Hall of Fame NFL career, and Super Bowl XIV was his final win. He didn't disappoint either, throwing for 309 yards and two touchdowns as the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Los Angeles Rams 31-19.
After starting quarterback Carson Wentz went down at the end of the regular season, Nick Foles stepped up to the plate to lead the Philadelphia Eagles through the playoffs. In Super Bowl LII, he put on one of his best performances, taking home the MVP after throwing for 373 yards and three touchdowns.
Advertisement
Eli Manning was never the greatest regular season quarterback, and many critics question if he'll make the Hall of Fame even with two championships under his belt. Still, Manning was always stellar in big moments, and he showed it in Super Bowl XLVI by helping the New York Giants get a win over the New England Patriots with some late-game heroics.
Ben Roethlisberger didn't play his greatest game in Super Bowl XLIII, but he delivered when the time called for it. Late in the fourth quarter, that moment came as the Pittsburgh Steelers were down by three with just over two minutes on the clock. Roethlisberger scored the final points of the game with 35 seconds left by throwing a touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes, securing the win.
It was the middle of the third quarter, and the New England Patriots were down 28-3 when Tom Brady decided it was time to start playing football. He threw two touchdown passes to help tie the game by the end of regulation. Then, he put together a drive in overtime that ended when James White scored a rushing touchdown, finishing off the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history.
Advertisement
Peyton Manning, considered one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, won his first championship at Super Bowl XLI. Manning put on a great performance in the game, winning the MVP after throwing for 247 yards and a touchdown.
For a young quarterback to play in a championship game is a lot of pressure, and Ben Roethlisberger felt it. His personal performance in Super Bowl XL was far from great, completing less than 50 percent of his passes for 123 yards with two interceptions, but he still did enough to win the game.
There may be no better individual Super Bowl feat than what Eli Manning was able to accomplish when he beat an undefeated New England Patriots team in Super Bowl XLII. The Patriots were heavily favored, but Manning's two touchdown passes were enough to give the New York Giants the victory.
Advertisement
Of his six Super Bowl victories, Tom Brady won four Super Bowl MVPs, but Super Bowl XXXIX was not one of them. Instead, that MVP went to one of his receivers, Deion Branch, who caught 11 passes for 133 yards.
In Super Bowl XXXVIII, the game was tied with a little over a minute on the clock when Tom Brady got the ball back. Brady was able to lead a 37-yard charge to set up a field goal that Adam Vinatieri hit to take the lead with only four seconds left on the clock.
Jeff Hostetler was a game manager when he helped the New York Giants win a championship in the 1990 season, but that's all he really needed to be. That year, the defense was the key to their success, allowing a league-low 211 points in the regular season, so all Hostetler had to do was not mess it up.
Advertisement
Brad Johnson wasn't the star of Super Bowl XXXVII, as that honor would go to the Buccaneer defense, which scored 21 of their 48 points on interceptions returned for touchdowns. However, Johnson still threw two touchdown passes and did enough to not mess up the opportunities his defense gave him.
When Mark Rypien made his appearance in Super Bowl XXVI, he became the first quarterback born in Canada to start in a Super Bowl. He didn't disappoint his Canadian brethren either, winning the game MVP with 292 yards on 18 completions.
The New England Patriots' dynasty all started at Super Bowl XXXVI with Tom Brady at quarterback in only his second NFL season. The defense was really the star of this game, holding a high-powered Rams offense to 17 points, but Brady did throw a touchdown pass with no interceptions to seal the win.
Advertisement
Trent Dilfer's job coming into Super Bowl XXXV was to not turn the ball over, and that's exactly what he did, as the Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York Giants 34-7. While the Ravens didn't have any turnovers in the game, the Giants turned the ball over five times.
Overlooked by scouts, Kurt Warner wasn't even a starting quarterback prior to the 1999 season. However, he exploded onto the scene that year, throwing for 4,353 yards with 41 touchdowns while leading the Rams to the only championship in team history.
Jim Plunkett wasn't even the starter coming into the 1983 season when the Los Angeles Raiders reached Super Bowl XVIII. However, he eventually secured the starting job, holding the position for 13 regular-season games before making a run through the playoffs.
Advertisement
John Elway went out on a high note, finishing his NFL career as both a champion and a Super Bowl MVP. Playing against the Atlanta Falcons and his former coach, Dan Reeves, Elway threw for 336 yards and a touchdown. He also added a rushing touchdown to secure the victory.
John Elway came into Super Bowl XXXII with three championship losses on his resume, and it took everything he had to finally get a win. With the game tied in the fourth quarter, Elway led a five-play drive that ended when he handed the ball off to Terrell Davis for a touchdown. His defense stopped the Green Bay Packers on the next drive, and Elway had his first championship.
Troy Aikman was never a league MVP, but he was a consistent championship contender with the Dallas Cowboys throughout the '90s. For his contributions to the game and play on the field, he was added to both the Cowboys Ring of Honor and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Advertisement
Troy Aikman didn't have to do much in Super Bowl XXVIII as the Dallas Cowboys easily overcame the Buffalo Bills to take home the win with a final score of 30-13. Aikman still threw for over 200 yards, but it was the Cowboys' rushing attack that helped the team pull away in the second half.
In Super Bowl XXVII, Troy Aikman put the ball in the end zone four times through the air to help the Dallas Cowboys defeat the Buffalo Bills 52-17. He showed why he would be classified as one of the best quarterbacks of the decade by finishing the game with a passer rating of 140.6, one of the best in Super Bowl history.
Joe Montana got to show why he was called "The Comeback Kid" by putting on some late-game heroics in Super Bowl XXIII. Down by three points with just over three minutes on the clock, Montana put together an 11-play drive for 92 yards to take the lead with only 34 seconds left.
Advertisement
Doug Williams was the first black quarterback to ever start in a Super Bowl, and in Super Bowl XXII, Williams sure showed up to play. Not only did he throw for 340 yards, but he also completed four touchdown passes to take home the Super Bowl MVP.
Phil Simms only threw three incompletions during Super Bowl XXI, finishing the game 22 of 25 for 268 yards and three touchdowns. At one point in the game, Simms even completed 10 straight passes, setting a Super Bowl record.
Jim McMahon's legs were as important to the success of the Chicago Bears as his arm was in Super Bowl XX. Though he only rushed for 14 yards total, he carried the ball into the end zone twice on short touchdown runs.
Advertisement
It was obvious that Joe Montana planned to prove he was the best quarterback in the league by putting on a spectacular performance at Super Bowl XIX against a rising star in Dan Marino. That's exactly what Montana did, throwing for 331 yards and three touchdowns to win the matchup.
Adding the dagger to seal the victory for the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XVII, Joe Theismann threw the final touchdown pass of the game with just under two minutes left on the clock. He scored the touchdown after leading a drive that lasted nearly seven minutes.
Joe Montana had probably his worst championship performance in Super Bowl XVI, but he was still good enough to take home the MVP. Montana only put up 157 passing yards but did score touchdowns both through the air and on the ground.
Advertisement
The New England Patriots were down by three points with under seven minutes left in Super Bowl XLIX when they got the ball back on their side of the field. Tom Brady took nearly five minutes off the clock as he dunked the ball off to multiple receivers before finishing the drive with a three-yard touchdown pass to take the lead.
Jim Plunkett started Super Bowl XV on fire, throwing two touchdown passes in the first quarter to guide the Oakland Raiders to a 14-0 lead. They wouldn't give up that lead for the rest of the game, winning 27-10.