Maybe one day Patrick Mahomes or, who knows who else (Joe Burrows even? Heh. Too soon? Too soon?) might join this list, but for now, let’s go with these 25. Some were clear choices while others you might dispute for someone else, but it’s obviously a list full of Super Bowl MVP QBs, so guessing the top 10 or 12 should be easy. The rest are guys you sometimes forget about. With research, marginal recall and experts’ input, here’s the final call.
(Editor’s note: These are not ranked, although the first few are the ones that quickly became clear.)
Tom Brady
He’s at the top of the list for reasons: He’s guided the Patriots to nine (!) Super Bowls and six titles and he has four Super Bowl MVP trophies, all NFL records.
Joe Montana
Before Brady came along, Joe Cool was considered the NFL’s all-time best postseason player. He led the Niners to four Super Bowl victories, was the first player ever to be named Super Bowl MVP three times and never threw an interception in the big game.
Terry Bradshaw
All told, the current TV analyst and former Blonde Bomber (yes, that was his nickname), started four Super Bowls for the Steelers, led them to wins each time and was SB MVP once.
Troy Aikman
Aikman won three Super Bowls and earned Super Bowl MVP XXVII honors as part of the Cowboys’ dynasty in the 1990s.
Peyton Manning
Won only two of four Super Bowls, but he led both the Colts and Broncos to a championship. Peyton was the MVP of Super Bowl XLI. Then the next year, his brother …
Eli Manning
… was named Super Bowl MVP after Eli and the Giants upset the Patriots in SB XLI. Four years later, in XLVI, Eli led the Giants over the Pats again and he won his second SB MVP award. Say what you want about his regular-season stats, his postseason career has been stellar.
Bart Starr
Was named MVP of Super Bowl I and II after leading the Packers to victories in both games and is still the NFL’s all-time passing rating leader in the playoffs.
John Elway
Led the Broncos to five Super Bowls, and after losing the first three (in four years) he delivered Denver with back-to-back titles in 1998 and 1999 and was named MVP of SB XXXIII.
Aaron Rodgers
Can add to his legacy Sunday if he can power the Packers past the Niners, and even though he has only one ring, he was MVP of that Super Bowl XLV victory. His stat line the postseason is also awesome: In 18 games, 38 touchdowns to only 10 interceptions.
Brett Favre
Has only one Super Bowl ring, but always had the Packers in contention and teams flat-out feared his ability to lead comebacks.
Roger Staubach
But the real Captain Comeback (his nickname, along with Roger Dodger) was this guy, especially during the playoffs. He also led the Cowboys to four Super Bowl appearances, two championships and was the MVP of Super Bowl VI.
Jerry Rice
The greatest receiver ever (there’s no debate, so stop) holds the record for most points scored in Super Bowl games with 48, earned three rings with the Niners and was MVP of Super Bowl XXIII.
Lynn Swann
Always seemed to come up with a big play when it counted most, including this iconic catch (image above) against the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl X.
Emmitt Smith
The NFL’s all-time leading rusher was always reliable in the playoffs — Smith ran for 100 or more yards in eight of his 17 career postseason games — and was a workhorse (30 carries) on his way to winning MVP honors after the Cowboys victory over Bills in Super Bowl XXVIII.
Marcus Allen
Always smooth and shifty during the postseason, he was absolutely elusive in Super Bowl XVIII in the L.A. Raiders’ route of Washington rushing 20 times for 191 yards and two TDs to earn MVP honors.
Franco Harris
He was a huge reason why the mighty Steelers were 14-5 overall in the playoffs during his career and reeled off four Super Bowl victories. He was the MVP of Super Bowl IX, is the all-time leading rusher in Super Bowl history, and there will always be The Immaculate Reception.
Charles Haley
He was the first five-time Super Bowl champion, leading the 49ers and Cowboys to championships, and is second only to Tom Brady who has six Super Bowl titles. But it’s not just the rings; Haley was always hell to deal with for offensive lineman.
Mike Singletary
As fierce as they come, the linebacker was right in the middle of the Bears’ legendary 1985 Super Bowl-winning team that was led by what is considered by many to be the greatest defense in NFL history. And yet, this next guy, his teammate …
Richard Dent
… was the MVP after the Bears’ 46-10 demolition of the Patriots in Super Bowl XX. Dent had two sacks and two forced fumbles in that blowout and has 10.5 career postseason sacks.
Adam Vinatieri
Let’s see: game-winning kicks for the Patriots in the final seconds of two Super Bowls, XXXVI and XXXVIII, most Super Bowl wins by a kicker (four) and, of course, the hero of the Tuck Rule game. All in all, the most clutch kicker, by far, of the postseason.
Terrell Davis
Just dominate during his short career that included powering (Sorry, Elway, but you needed his help) the Broncos to back to back Super Bowl titles in 1998 and 1999 and was MVP of Super Bowl XXXII. In only eight career postseason games, Davis rushed for 1,140 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Kurt Warner
Warner led the St. Louis Rams’ The Greatest Show on Turf to a victory in Super Bowl XXXIV over the Titans with an MVP-worthy effort (414 yards and two TDs). Warner threw for over 300 yards in six of his 13 playoff starts, including all three of his Super Bowl appearances.
Larry Csonka
He had five 100 yard rushing games in 12 postseason appearances and ran for a total of 257 yards in the Dolphins back-back Super Bowl Championships in 1974 and 1975. He often just ran over tacklers as you can see.
Mel Blount
Blount was a bad-ass dude, part of the Steelers’ legendary and ferocious Steel Curtain defense that keyed four Super Bowl victories. Blount had five interceptions in those games but also tons of brick-hard hits.
Mike Webster
Another real tough guy from those hard-nosed Steelers teams of the ’70s, the late (he died at 50), great Pittsburgh center Mike Webster was the main bodyguard who protected Terry Bradshaw and was the muscle that opened holes for Franco Harris.
