The Super Bowl is the pinnacle of sports. Players dream of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy when they enter the league, and although we have seen 59 Super Bowls during the NFL‘s existence, only a small percentage of players can actually say they have had the chance to win one. That is even more true for quarterbacks.
With the QB position getting younger and younger each year, who is the youngest QB to ever win a Super Bowl?
Who Is the Youngest Quarterback to Ever Win a Super Bowl?
The youngest QB to ever win a Super Bowl would be longtime Pittsburgh Steeler Ben Roethlisberger. At the young age of 23 years and 340 days, Roethlisberger led the Steelers to an 11-5 season that culminated in a 21-10 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl 40.
Since Drake Maye is currently 23 years and 149 days old, he can make NFL history if the New England Patriots win Super Bowl 60 in February. The Patriots defeated the Denver Broncos 10-7 in the AFC Championship Game and will either face the Los Angeles Rams or the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl.
As for the Roethlisberger’s Super Bowl run, the Seahawks were the favorite to win the championship that year, coming off a 13-3 season that lofted them to the top seed in the NFC. Their offense was close to the top in the league in several metrics, including points scored per game (28.2), rushing yards per game (153.6), and yards gained per play (5.8).
It was Seattle’s first Super Bowl appearance in the team’s 30-year history. They got there on the legs of running back Shaun Alexander, who led the league with 1,880 rushing yards and scored an NFL-record 28 touchdowns, for which he was rewarded with the NFL Most Valuable Player Award. QB Matt Hasselbeck also had one of the best seasons of his career, passing for 3,455 yards and 24 touchdowns.
However, no matter how good their offense was, it was no match for the Pittsburgh defense. This defense was one of the best in the league, ranking third in rushing yards allowed, third in yards allowed per game, second in red zone conversion percentage allowed, and fourth in total yards per game.
With a linebacker group that included Joey Porter, James Farrior, Clark Haggans, and Larry Foote, the Steelers terrorized opposing QBs.
Roethlisberger, meanwhile, relied heavily on his run game and was efficient when he needed to throw the ball. Running back Willie Parker was the team’s leading rusher with 1,202 yards and recorded 18 catches for 218 yards and five touchdowns. In short-yardage situations, the team relied on 255-pound running back Jerome Bettis, who rushed for 368 yards and scored nine touchdowns.
Has a Rookie Quarterback Ever Been to a Super Bowl?
No, a rookie QB has never been to the Super Bowl. The closest rookie passers have gotten are the AFC and NFC Championship Games. One of those rookies was Roethlisberger, in his first season with the Steelers. Some other names include Joe Flacco and Mark Sanchez.
Only in recent years have rookie QBs even regularly seen the field in their first seasons. It used to be common practice for a rookie to sit for a few seasons to learn under a veteran, as we saw with Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City.
Additionally, rookies who do start right away are usually not on very good teams. If they are selected high in the draft, their organizations tend to be in rebuilding mode. Rookies also have a history of underperforming in the playoffs, with a .355 winning percentage in elimination games.
Youngest Quarterback To Start a Super Bowl
Although Big Ben is the youngest QB to win a Super Bowl, he was not the youngest to start in the big game. That honor goes to Miami Dolphins legend Dan Marino. Marino was 23 years and 127 days old when he started Super Bowl 19 against the San Francisco 49ers.
Maye won’t be able to break Marino’s record, but he surely can become the youngest quarterback in NFL history to win the Super Bowl.
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In a battle of future Hall of Famers, Marino took on Joe Montana in the first Super Bowl to see both QBs throw for over 300 yards each. Although Miami took a lead in the first quarter, Montana’s impressive 21-point second quarter put this game away, and San Francisco went on to win 38-16.
