.jpg)
2 hours ago
3
The Super Bowl tends to feature football's biggest stars, particularly at the quarterback position. After all, they draw the audience, with their deep throws and agile mobility proving vital on the sport's biggest stage.
There's a reason football's biggest spectacle is sprinkled with starlight. Whether it was Bart Starr and Terry Bradshaw, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, or Patrick Mahomes and Matthew Stafford, the league's finest passers often take center stage when the lights shine the brightest.
But that's not always the case. Sometimes, reinforcements are needed under center.
Backup quarterbacks don't always get the chance to make plays while the Lombardi Trophy glistens behind them. But when they do, it tends to be memorable.
So, which backup QBs have led their teams to Super Bowl victories in NFL history? Here's the complete list of second-choice gunslingers who accomplished the feat, from the 1970s to the present day.
MORE: Complete list of Super Bowl MVP winners through the years
Backup QBs to win a Super Bowl
Roger Staubach
- Year: 1972
- Super Bowl 6 score: Cowboys 24, Dolphins 3
- Starting QB: Craig Morton
Before his countenance graced the hallowed halls of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Staubach was a 10th-round pick trying to find his footing in the league. His lower draft stock was a result of his three-year naval career. He returned to the gridiron in 1969, serving as Craig Morton's backup during his first two seasons in Dallas.
Staubach entered the 1971 season as Morton's understudy. By Week 8, however, he had risen through the ranks, taking full control of Tom Landry's offense ahead of a clash with the Cardinals. He never relinquished his spot, leading Dallas to 10 straight wins. Staubach was named Super Bowl VI MVP after completing 12 of 19 passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns as the Cowboys defeated the Dolphins.
Earl Morrall
- Year: 1973
- Super Bowl 7 score: Dolphins 17, Washington 7
- Starting QB: Bob Griese
A former MVP and Super Bowl champion, Morrall was basking in his credentials when star hurler Bob Griese went down with a broken leg and dislocated ankle following a collision with Deacon Jones and Ron East during a Week 5 contest with the Chargers.
Morrall took his place in Don Shula's attack, leading the Fins to a 24-10 win over San Diego. They wouldn't stop winning under his stewardship. Miami started the year 4-0 with Griese under center. It finished 14-0, with Morrall posting a league-leading 91.0 passer rating in the process. He earned his second first-team All-Pro nod as the Dolphins captured the Super Bowl 7 title over Washington. Griese started the final contest. But it was Morrall's efforts that were central to Miami keeping its faultless record alive. The Dolphins are the only team to complete an undefeated season in league history.
MORE: What are the most valuable franchises in the NFL?
Jim Plunkett
- Year: 1981
- Super Bowl 15 score: Raiders 27, Eagles 10
- Starting QB: Dave Pastorini
Plunkett entered the NFL with high expectations after a glittering career at Stanford, where he won the Heisman Trophy as college football's top player. The Patriots selected him first overall in the 1971 NFL Draft. By 1981, however, he was on the verge of leaving the league entirely.
Plunkett spent the 1978 and 1979 seasons in the reserves, attempting just 15 passes during that time. He seemed destined for another year on the sidelines until Week 5, when he took over for Dave Pastorini after the Raiders starter fractured his leg against the Chiefs. Plunkett struggled initially in relief, throwing five interceptions as Oakland fell to Kansas City, 31-17. But head coach Tom Flores stuck with him, naming Plunkett the Raiders' starter for the rest of the season.
The move paid off. Plunkett led Oakland to nine wins in its final 11 games, securing a wild-card spot. The Raiders then swept their next four playoff opponents. In Super Bowl XV, Plunkett threw for 261 yards and three touchdowns, earning Super Bowl MVP honors as Oakland defeated the Eagles, 27-10. He would win another Lombardi Trophy three seasons later under dramatic circumstances, taking over as starter partway through the 1983 season and leading the Raiders to the championship.
MORE: Ranking the 17 greatest Packers of all time
Doug Williams
- Year: 1988
- Super Bowl 22 score: Washington 42, Broncos 10
- Starting QB: Jay Schroeder
Williams had settled into relative anonymity ahead of the 1987 season, unable to turn his early-career success into consistent snaps as a starter. Nevertheless, Washington turned to the hulking gunslinger take over for oft-injured starter Jay Schroeder in the postseason. Williams justified his side's faith in postseason play, leading Washington to wins over the Bears and Vikings.
Williams saved his best display for last, tallying four touchdowns and 340 yards as Washington swept the Broncos aside, 42-10. Williams looked unaffected by the six-hour root canal he underwent the day before the title game, recording all four of his touchdown strikes in the second quarter. He became the first African-American quarterback to lead his team to a Super Bowl win. He was summarily rewarded Super Bowl MVP honors for his efforts.
MORE: 16 NFL stars you didn't know were also drafted by MLB teams
Jeff Hostetler
- Year: 1991
- Super Bowl 25 score: Giants 20, Bills 19
- Starting QB: Phil Simms
Hostetler played sparingly across his first five seasons in the Big Apple, serving dutifully as Phil Simms' understudy. He planned on stepping away from the sport following the conclusion of the 1990 season, discontent with his lack of play time. But towards the end of the regular season, Simms went down with season-ending foot injury. After five years on the pine, Hostetler was finally getting his audition.
The then-29-year-old led New York to two wins to end the regular season. The Giants then claimed wins over the Bears and Niners to set up a date with the Bills in Super Bowl 25.
You probably know the story by now. Hostetler completed 20-of-32 passes for 222 yards and one touchdown. New York captured the Super Bowl in the most dramatic of circumstances as Scott Norwood's effort skewed right.
Hostetler opted against retiring, instead playing another eight seasons in the league.
Kurt Warner
- Year: 2000
- Super Bowl 34 score: Rams 23, Titans 16
- Starting QB: Trent Green
Warner is perhaps the unlikeliest Pro Football Hall of Famer in league history. The two-time MVP starred at Northern Iowa but was unable to latch onto an NFL roster. After being released from the Packers following the 1994 season, Warner bounced between the AFL, NFL Europe and a Hy-Vee grocery store, where he worked as a shelf-stocker. He inked a deal with St. Louis ahead of the 1998 season, serving as the side's third-string passer behind Tony Banks and Will Furrer.
The Rams signed Trent Green to be the starter for the 1999 season. But he tore his ACL during preseason. Head coach Dick Vermeil named Warner the team's starting quarterback in his place. It was an inspired choice; Warner helmed football's most explosive attacking unit, capturing MVP honors after recording 4,353 yards and 41 touchdowns.
"The Greatest Show on Turf" trotted to a Super Bowl title, with Warner tallying two scores and a then-Super Bowl record 414 yards. He was summarily named Super Bowl MVP for his display.
MORE: Ranking the 19 greatest Steelers players of all time
Trent Dilfer
- Year: 2001
- Super Bowl 35 score: Ravens 34, Giants 7
- Starting QB: Tony Banks
Dilfer didn't have to pull a rabbit out of his hat to lead Baltimore to its first Super Bowl title. In fact, the Fresno State alum, who had previously earned a Pro Bowl nod with the Buccaneers, was little more than a game-manager across his eight starts in Charm City. Dilfer took over the offense after the Ravens hit a four-week snag that saw them fail to record an offensive touchdown.
Dilfer took over for veteran Tony Banks. He was far from wondrous in his eight starts, recording 12 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. But he didn't need to be. Baltimore's defense surrendered just 10 points a game, pushing the Ravens to the postseason with a 12-4 record. Dilfer found slightly more success in postseason play, recording three touchdowns to one interception, albeit with a completion percentage that sat below 50 percent. Still, Baltimore's defense was too much for opposition sides to overcome. The Ravens gave up 23 points across their four postseason appearances in 2001, good for an average of 5.75 points per game.
Tom Brady
- Year: 2002
- Super Bowl 36 score: Patriots 20, Rams 17
- Starting QB: Drew Bledsoe
A sixth-round pick out of Michigan, Brady entered the league as unheralded as they come. He got his chance shortly after the start of his sophomore season, however, filling in for Drew Bledsoe after New England's franchise hurler suffered a near-fatal chest injury.
Brady steered the Patriots to the playoffs, recording 2,843 yards and 18 touchdowns to 12 interceptions. After leading New England past the Raiders in the divisional round, Brady was knocked out of the AFC Championship game. Bledsoe took his place under center and authored up a gutsy display that pushed the Patriots beyond the Steelers.
Brady returned to the starting lineup for Super Bowl 36 and delivered a memorable display, capturing Super Bowl MVP honors after leading New England down the field in the game's waning moments to set up Adam Vinatieri's game-winning field goal from distance.
Nick Foles
- Year: 2017
- Super Bowl 52 score: Eagles 41, Patriots 33
- Starting QB: Carson Wentz
Rounding out the list of backup QBs to lead their teams to Super Bowl glory is Nick Foles, who took over for Carson Wentz after the Eagles starter tore his ACL late in the 2016 regular season.
Foles had already enjoyed a meteoric rise in the City of Brotherly Love, earning a Pro Bowl nod in 2013 after throwing 27 touchdowns to just two interceptions. By 2016, however, he was an outsider, having struggled to establish himself during a year-long stint in St. Louis.
Foles stabilized Philadelphia's offense in the final weeks of the regular season. During the playoffs, he excelled, carving up the Vikings' defense with 26 completions on 33 attempts for 352 yards and three touchdowns in a 38-7 NFC Championship blowout.
He added to his heroics in the Super Bowl, becoming the first player in league history to throw and catch a touchdown in the same game. Foles earned Super Bowl MVP honors after leading the Eagles to a 41-33 victory over the Patriots. His final stat line reflected his dominance: 28-of-43 passing for 373 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception.
MORE: Best two-way players in NFL history, from Deion Sanders to Chuck Bednarik
English (US)