Quarterbacks are often judged by the number of Super Bowl rings they’ve won—or the ones that got away. While some of the greatest QBs in NFL history never hoisted the Lombardi Trophy, a few average signal-callers managed to do just that.
They weren’t necessarily bad, but they weren’t exactly elite either. Yet, thanks to strong defenses, stacked rosters, or sheer luck, these 10 quarterbacks ended up with a Super Bowl ring they probably didn’t deserve.
Jim McMahon
Jim McMahon was a good quarterback for over a decade in the NFL, but his Super Bowl victory in 1985 with the Chicago Bears was all thanks to his defense. In fact, all McMahon had to do as the quarterback to win the Super Bowl was play solid and not take big risks. Simply put, while his performance was definitely solid, it was overshadowed by a defense that only allowed ten points total through the playoffs.
Jeff Hostetler
Jeff Hostetler stepped in to replace the injured Phil Simms in 1990 and led the New York Giants to a Super Bowl victory. And, while Hostetler did well to handle the pressure, it was the Giants’ incredible defense that stopped the Buffalo Bills offense.
Mark Rypien
Mark Rypien won the 1991 Super Bowl with the Washington Commanders (formerly Washington Redskins), but it was in large part thanks to the incredible team he had around him. While his season was solid, no one believes he was the reason Washington won that Super Bowl. In fact, Rypien’s career was never the same following the Super Bowl.
Trent Dilfer
Trent Dilfer won the 2000 Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens because of the team’s great run offense and legendary defense. Dilfer’s stats were perfectly fine, but the Ravens’ defense held the Giants to just seven points in the Super Bowl, making Dilfer’s job relatively easy.
Brad Johnson
The 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers had an incredible defense led by legends like Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, and Ronde Barber. Brad Johnson was a solid game manager, but he rarely needed to take big risks due to the suffocating play of his defense.
Joe Namath
Joe Namath is a legend, but his 1969 Super Bowl victory with the New York Jets was in large part due to the team’s very strong run game. In fact, Namath didn’t throw a single touchdown in the game!
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Earl Morrall
Like a few others on this list, Earl Morrall was a backup who stepped in after the Colts’ starting quarterback, Johnny Unitas, got injured. And, while the Colts did get the victory, the 1971 game is known as the “Blunder Bowl” because there were so many turnovers.
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Doug Williams
Doug Williams played incredibly well in the 1988 Super Bowl, leading Washington to victory, but his regular season stats were not all that impressive. In fact, Williams really didn’t have that impressive of a career outside of his legendary Super Bowl performance.
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Nick Foles
There is no question Nick Foles played unbelievably well in the 2017 playoffs to lead the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl victory. However, he was a backup who took over for Carson Wentz after he got injured. While his performance was great, his career just doesn’t stack up to other Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks.
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Eli Manning
Eli Manning may be the most average quarterback to win two Super Bowls. Now, before everyone gets upset, he was undoubtedly clutch in both Super Bowl victories against the Patriots, but his regular season stats were always pretty inconsistent. Not to mention, but championships were largely due to the Giants’ incredible defense.
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