These Super Bowl winning signal callers did not respect their elders when it came to winning the biggest game of their young careers.
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They say that experience is everything in the NFL. But there have been plenty of quarterbacks in NFL history who haven't needed years of experience to find success in the Super Bowl. The following 10 quarterbacks each lifted the Lombardi Trophy before they turned 28 years old.
The Youngest QB to Ever Win a Super Bowl
Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers went into Super Bowl XL against the Seattle Seahawks at 23 years and 340 days old. Big Ben didn’t play particularly well in that game, throwing for just 123 yards with two interceptions and no touchdowns, but he still added a rushing TD and led his team to victory.
In an interesting twist, the Steelers clinched the win with a 4th-quarter touchdown pass from someone other than Roethlisberger. With the Steelers clinging to a 14-10 lead in the final nine minutes of the game, wide receiver Antwaan Randle-El threw a 43-yard touchdown strike to Hines Ward on a trick play, giving the Steelers another Super Bowl trophy to add to their collection.
10 Youngest Starting Quarterbacks to Win the Super Bowl
1. Ben Roethlisberger
Roethlisberger became the youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl in February of 2006, a record that still stands today. However, that was not the last time he would lead the Steelers to a championship. Three years later, Roethlisberger guided Pittsburgh to a win over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII at the ripe old age of 26. He was much better in his second go-round, hurling the game-winning touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes in the fourth quarter, a play that was ranked as one of the best plays in league history by the NFL.
2. Patrick Mahomes
Thanks to their ongoing dynastic run with Andy Reid at head coach and Patrick Mahomes at quarterback, the Kansas City Chiefs are the toast of today's NFL. Mahomes became the second youngest starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl in 2020, when he led the Chiefs to a Super Bowl LIV triumph over the San Francisco 49ers. At the time, Mahomes was 24 years and 138 days old. The Chiefs won the game 31-20, with Mahomes earning MVP honors after throwing two touchdown passes and rushing for one as well.
3. Tom Brady
Before he was recognized as the GOAT, Tom Brady won his first Super Bowl at the age of 24 years and 184 days. In that game — Super Bowl XXXVI — the New England Patriots upset the St. Louis Rams behind Brady's clutch 4th quarter, in which he calmly led the team on a game-winning field goal drive, with Adam Vinatieri knocking in a game-winning kick as time expired.
4. Russell Wilson
Despite his infamous goal-line interception against the New England Patriots that cost his team Super Bowl XLIX, Russell Wilson was one of the youngest Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks. At 25 years and 65 days old, Wilson quarterbacked the Seattle Seahawks to a 43-8 win over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII. Wilson was an efficient 18/25 passing for 206 yards and two touchdowns. But with how well the Seahawks defense played that day, Wilson had plenty of margin for error.
5. Joe Namath
Joe Namath was 25 years and 226 days old when he led the New York Jets to a Super Bowl III victory over the heavily favored Baltimore Colts. Namath's youth makes his decision to guarantee victory as a 19.5-point underdog nothing short of audacious. But following through on the promise was even more impressive. Namath didn’t record any touchdowns in the game — a 16-7 slugfest — but he played mistake-free footbal, which was more than enough to help his team win.
6. Joe Montana
At 25 years and 227 days old, Joe Montana was the starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers when they beat the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XVI. In his first Super Bowl appearance, Montana threw for a touchdown and rushed for another to earn the win. He would later go on to beat the Bengals again in Super Bowl XXIII, in which Joe Cool calmly led a 92-yard game-winning touchdown drive in the game's closing seconds.
7. Troy Aikman
As a young quarterback, Troy Aikman was fortunate enough to be joined by an all-time great running back in Emmitt Smith, a great offensive line, and a future Hall of Fame wide receiver in Michael Irvin. He used these assets to great advantage over the course of a career that saw him win three Super Bowls. Aikman was 26 years and 71 days old for his first Super Bowl, where the Dallas Cowboys crushed the Buffalo Bills 52-17. He had four passing touchdowns in that game, including two to Irvin.
8. Terry Bradshaw
While it may be hard to believe when you see him yucking it up on TV in the present day, Terry Bradshaw was once a strapping young QB. He won his first of four Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers at the age of 26 years and 132 days. That triumph came in Super Bowl IX, when the Steelers beat the Minnesota Vikings 16-6 in one of the lowest-scoring Super Bowls ever played.
9. Jim McMahon
Super Bowl XX between the Chicago Bears and New England Patriots is fondly remembered for a couple of things: the Super Bowl Shuffle dance craze incited by the Bears and William “the Refrigerator” Perry scoring a rushing touchdown as a 335-pound defensive tackle. But Bears quarterback Jim McMahon also enjoyed a significant accomplishment in that game, becoming one of the youngest starting QBs to win a championship at 26 years and 158 days old. McMahon threw for 256 yards and rushed for two TDs on the day.
10. Eli Manning
In Super Bowl XLII, the New York Giants ended the undefeated season of the New England Patriots in one of the greatest upsets in Super Bowl history. Eli Manning led the game-winning touchdown drive for the Giants in that contest at 27 years and 31 days old, putting him at number 10 on the list of the youngest signal-callers to start and win on the NFL’s biggest stage.
Youngest QBs to Go to a Super Bowl: Notable Mentions
Along with the names above, there have been plenty of young quarterbacks who made it to the Super Bowl without winning it.
Dan Marino
The youngest QB to go to a Super Bowl overall is Dan Marino of the Miami Dolphins. Marino was 23 years and 127 days old when he got to Super Bowl XIX and lost to the San Francisco 49ers. He eclipsed 300 passing yards in that game, but threw two interceptions in a disappointing result for the all-time great.
Brock Purdy
A more recent case of a young quarterback falling short in the Super Bowl is Brock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers. Purdy led the Niners to Super Bowl LVIII against the Kansas City Chiefs at the age of 24 years and 46 days, and he even led his team on a scoring drive in overtime. But the Chiefs answered with a touchdown to snatch the title from Purdy and company.
David Woodley
Another young Miami Dolphins quarterback to reach the Super Bowl was 24-year-old David Woodley. Woodley had a nightmare of a game for Miami in a Super Bowl XVII loss, completing just four of his 14 pass attempts. The Dolphins were crushed by John Riggins, Joe Theismann and a stout Washington Redskins defense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the youngest QB to win a Super Bowl?
The youngest NFL QB to win a Super Bowl was Ben Roethlisberger. Roethlisberger was 23 years and 340 days old when he led the Pittsburgh Steelers to their Super Bowl XL win over the Seattle Seahawks.
Who is the oldest QB to win a Super Bowl?
The oldest quarterback to win a Super Bowl was Tom Brady. Brady was 43 years and 188 days old when he led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a win in Super Bowl LV against the Kansas City Chiefs.
How old was Patrick Mahomes when he won his first Super Bowl?
Patrick Mahomes was 24 years and 138 days old when he won his first Super Bowl, which came in LIV against the San Francisco 49ers.
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