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Essentials Inside The Story

  • The 2025 season saw Sam Darnold tie a Tom Brady record with back-to-back 14-win seasons
  • Nick Foles beat Tom Brady to give Philly its first title win since 1960
  • Steve Young threw a record 6 passing touchdowns in a single game during Super Bowl XXIX

The Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots are suiting up to compete in the 60th Super Bowl in NFL history. As teams make it to the Super Bowl, it’s usually on the back of a superstar quarterback. For New England, that holds for MVP candidate Drake Maye, and despite not being seen as a superstar, Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold has been an underrated surprise for the team. Darnold logged 25 touchdowns in 2025 and led Seattle to 14 wins, making him the second passer in NFL history to achieve back-to-back 14-win seasons, alongside none other than Tom Brady.

A single Super Bowl performance can define a quarterback’s entire career, separating the good from the truly legendary. While many, 67 different quarterbacks to be precise, have played on the biggest stage, only a select few delivered masterpieces under the brightest lights.

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10. Drew Brees, Super Bowl XLIV

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has been known as one of the most accurate quarterbacks in league history, and it showed in the team’s 31-17 win over the Indianapolis Colts. Brees went head-to-head with Peyton Manning and didn’t disappoint.

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The future Hall of Fame quarterback was surgical as a passer, completing 32 of his 39 pass attempts for 288 yards and two touchdowns. Brees’ accuracy was on full display, with his 82.1 completion percentage ranking second in Super Bowl history and his 114.5 passer rating ranking eighth. His efforts led New Orleans to its first and only Super Bowl.

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9. Doug Williams, Super Bowl XXII

Washington quarterback Doug Williams put together the greatest quarter in Super Bowl history from a quarterback, rallying his team back from a 10-point deficit at the end of the first quarter to a 35-10 lead by halftime. Williams finished his legendary second-quarter performance 9-for-11 passing for 228 yards and four touchdowns.

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As Washington came out of the second-half with such a commanding lead, they didn’t ask much more of their quarterback, as he ended the day 18-for-29 passing for 340 yards and four touchdowns with an interception. Williams’ historic performance led to a 45-10 win over the Denver Broncos, earning Washington its second Super Bowl.

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8. Troy Aikman, Super Bowl XXVII

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman was surgical in the team’s dominant win over the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVII. Aikman ended the first half with three passing touchdowns, including two connections in the second quarter with receiver Michael Irvin.

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Aikman finished the day completing 22 of his 30 pass attempts for 273 yards and four touchdowns, but most importantly, no turnovers.

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It was the Bills’ Super Bowl-record nine turnovers that set up Aikman in a great position. Dallas would end the day with a 52-17 win, starting their legendary run of three consecutive Super Bowl wins.

7. Terry Bradshaw, Super Bowl XIII

Legendary Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw was explosive in his Super Bowl XIII performance. While he didn’t display the efficiency you’d want in a big game, Bradshaw completed 17 of his 30 pass attempts for 318 yards and four touchdowns with an interception. The legendary quarterback averaged nearly 19 yards per completion, continuing his gunslinger mentality.

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The biggest knock on Bradshaw’s performance was his turnovers. He threw a bad interception to a wide-open defender and fumbled twice, losing both. Despite his mishaps, Bradshaw threw an 18-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, putting the game out of reach for the Cowboys.

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6. Tom Brady, Super Bowl XLIX

Super Bowl XLIX is remembered for its iconic ending, with Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson throwing a game-losing interception at the goal line with under a minute remaining and a chance to take the lead, but what about the quarterback on the other side?

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Tom Brady and the New England Patriots were up against one of the greatest defenses of all time, facing the Seahawks’ Legion of Boom. Seattle was able to get the best of Brady at times, forcing two interceptions, but it was the calm composure of Brady that kept the Patriots in the game despite being down 10 points in the fourth quarter. Each one of New England’s scores would come from the arm of Brady, who finished the day completing 37 of his 50 pass attempts for 328 yards and four touchdowns.

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5. Nick Foles, Super Bowl LII

Nick Foles is one of the greatest underdog stories in Super Bowl history. After Philadelphia Eagles starting quarterback and MVP candidate Carson Wentz went down with a torn ACL in Week 13 of the regular season, many wrote the Eagles off for a chance at hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in February. Despite the odds stacked against them, Foles would help the Eagles through the playoffs with wins over the Atlanta Falcons and Minnesota Vikings before facing off with Tom Brady in the Super Bowl.

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Foles went toe-to-toe with the legendary quarterback, ending the day 28-for-43 passing for 373 yards and three touchdowns with an interception. It was a back-and-forth game with each team exchanging blows until Foles ultimately hooked up with tight end Zach Ertz with 2:21 remaining in the fourth quarter to take a 38-33 lead. Foles’ performance gave the Eagles the edge, marking their first Super Bowl victory in franchise history.

4. Phil Simms, Super Bowl XXI

New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms’ performance in Super Bowl XXI is best described as surgical. Simms completed 22 of his 25 pass attempts, including a perfect 10-for-10 in the second half, totaling 268 yards and three passing touchdowns.

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Simms helped lead the Giants to an impressive 39 points in a 39-20 win over the Denver Broncos. The Giants’ quarterback’s 88% completion percentage is ranked as the best in Super Bowl history.

3. Joe Montana, Super Bowl XXIV

The Denver Broncos defense makes its third appearance on today’s list, this time against San Francisco 49ers quarterback Joe Montana. In a 55-10 win, Montana led the 49ers to their fourth Super Bowl with him at the helm after a masterful five-touchdown game. His five scores rank second in Super Bowl history.

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Before leaving the game early in the fourth quarter, Montana completed 22 of his 29 passes for 297 yards and five touchdowns. Despite the game being a blowout with little pushback, Montana’s legendary performance and dominance on his way to a third Super Bowl MVP remains one of the greatest performances in the big game.

2. Tom Brady, Super Bowl LI

It appeared to be all she wrote for Tom Brady and the New England Patriots after the Atlanta Falcons bullied them through two and a half quarters. Brady had thrown a pick-six to Robert Alford earlier in the game to steepen the deficit, and morale was low. 39-year-old Brady seemed every part of his age, but it all flipped after Atlanta took a 28-3 lead. The widely considered “GOAT” led New England’s offense to five straight scoring drives, equaling 31 points.

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The Patriots went from being down 25 points in the third quarter to heading to overtime with a chance at the greatest comeback in sports history, including a touchdown and game-tying two-point conversion with under a minute to go. Brady and the Patriots’ fifth consecutive scoring drive would be the game-ender. After just four minutes, James White ran it in for a touchdown on the first drive of overtime. Brady ended the day throwing a Super Bowl record 62 pass attempts, completing 43 passes for 466 yards, two touchdowns, and a pick-six.

1. Steve Young, Super Bowl XXIX

While Brady’s comeback is widely admired, Steve Young’s performance in Super Bowl XXIX cannot be overlooked. Young threw a Super Bowl record six passing touchdowns in a 49-26 blowout of the San Diego Chargers.

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The 49ers remained steadily in the driver’s seat, thanks to Young’s precision and dominance. Young would throw just two more incompletions than touchdowns on the day. He capped off his Super Bowl MVP performance by completing 24 of 36 attempts for 325 yards and six touchdowns. This is the greatest statistical performance in Super Bowl history and will likely remain at the top for a while.

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