Top 10 Backup Quarterbacks to Appear in a Super Bowl

It's every quarterback's dream to lead his team to a Super Bowl win. Only a select few have achieved that feat.

However, sometimes the winning quarterback can be someone who actually started the season as a backup. This is a list of the top ten quarterbacks who began their Super Bowl season as the backup quarterback before being called upon to step into the spotlight and get their team to the big game.

The Top Ten

Tom Brady (2001)

Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who last played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the National Football League. Brady is known for being the only quarterback in history to win seven Super Bowls and is widely considered one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time... read more

The greatest quarterback of all time began his career on the bench. In 2001, the Patriots began the season 0-2 and lost Drew Bledsoe to an injury.
Tom Brady came in and guided the Pats to a surprising 11-5 finish. Two wins later, New England found itself in the Super Bowl, where it shocked the Rams, 20-17. It would be the first of seven Super Bowl rings for Tom Terrific.
Roger Staubach (1971)

Roger Thomas Staubach, nicknamed Captain America and Captain Comeback, is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. He played his entire career (1969-1979) with the Dallas Cowboys, winning two Super Bowls and earning six Pro Bowl selections. Staubach was inducted into the... read more

Early in his career, Roger Staubach was caught in a QB controversy with Craig Morton, who was the starter in Super Bowl V, a game the Cowboys lost. In 1971, Staubach began the season on the bench but split time with Morton. In one game, Staubach and Morton alternated plays, which added to the frustration.
Eventually, with Dallas at 4-3, Tom Landry turned to Staubach, and the Cowboys never lost another game in 1971. Staubach won two Super Bowls in his career.
Kurt Warner (1999)

Kurtis Eugene "Kurt" Warner is a former American football quarterback, a current part-time TV football analyst, and a philanthropist. He is best known for leading the St. Louis Rams to a Super Bowl XXXIV victory and for his inspirational journey from undrafted free agent to NFL MVP. Warner was inducted... read more

From a grocery store worker to the NFL Hall of Fame, Kurt Warner's career took off in 1999. After a preseason injury to starter Trent Green, Warner came in and helped the Rams win 13 games, following four wins from the previous season, and took home the MVP honors. It all culminated with a Super Bowl win over the Titans.
Jim Plunkett (1980)

A former No. 1 draft pick, Jim Plunkett's first part of his career had "bust" labeled on it. Following stints with the Patriots and 49ers, he joined the Raiders as a backup.
It wasn't until 1980 that he would get a chance to take over the starting quarterback job after an injury to Dan Pastorini. With Plunkett at the helm, the Raiders became the first wild-card team to win a Super Bowl.
Nick Foles (2017)

Nicholas Edward Foles, born January 20, 1989, is a former American professional football quarterback. He played in the National Football League from 2012 to 2024. Foles is best known for leading the Philadelphia Eagles to victory in Super Bowl LII, where he was named the game's Most Valuable Player.

A former starter with the Eagles, Nick Foles would bounce around with the Rams and Chiefs before returning to Philly. As backup for his second stint, he watched Carson Wentz put together an MVP-caliber season until fate intervened. With Wentz out due to an injury, Foles took over and led the Eagles to their first Super Bowl victory, a win over the Patriots and Tom Brady.

A lot of the QBs on the list were established starters by the time they reached the Super Bowl. Foles and Doug Williams are the best true examples of a backup coming in and winning it all.
Doug Williams (1987)

Douglas Lee "Doug" Williams is a former American football quarterback and was the head coach of the Grambling State University Tigers football team from 1998 to 2003. He made history as the first Black quarterback to win a Super Bowl when he led the Washington Redskins to victory in Super Bowl XXII,... read more

Doug Williams started his career as a starter in Tampa Bay in the later 70s. Nearly a decade later, he backed up Jay Schroeder in Washington.
In a season filled with strikes and quarterback dilemmas, Williams would wind up winning the role of starter near the end of the season and led the Redskins to a Super Bowl title. He did all this while becoming the first black quarterback to start and win the big game and take home MVP honors.
Jeff Hostetler (1990)

Jeff Hostetler spent most of his Giants tenure as Phil Simms' backup, but when Simms was out for the year in 1990, it was the opportunity he had waited for. Hostetler guided the Giants to playoff wins over the Bears and the two-time champion 49ers. Hostetler met the Bills in Super Bowl XXV and prevented a turnover while being sacked in the end zone, giving up a safety but saving a touchdown. With the Giants dominating ball possession, Hostetler set up the game-winning field goal by Matt Bahr. In the end, Hostetler was a Super Bowl champion after Scott Norwood missed the field goal.
Vince Ferragamo (1979)

Vince Ferragamo was the first player to start a Super Bowl in the same year he got his first career start, but he began the 1979 season on the bench. With starter Pat Haden breaking his finger to end his season, Ferragamo came in and led the Rams to an inspired run to the Super Bowl.
Against the Steelers, Ferragamo hung tough and, down 24-19, led a drive that could've given LA the lead. Alas, he threw a costly interception, which ended LA's dreams of a Super Bowl title.
Jake Delhomme (2003)

Few remember that Jake Delhomme actually started the 2003 season on the bench as backup to Rodney Peete. But at halftime of the first game and down 17-0, Carolina made a change and put Delhomme into the game at the quarterback spot.
The Panthers rallied to win and then went on an incredible march to the Super Bowl, where they overcame a 21-10 deficit to tie New England 29-29 before a costly kicking error ended their chances of a win.
Trent Dilfer (2000)

The 2000 Baltimore Ravens remain one of the NFL's greatest defenses ever with Ray Lewis leading the way. An element of the story that often gets forgotten was when Trent Dilfer, who spent his earlier career as a starter in Tampa, began the season on the bench.
After the Ravens went five games without a touchdown, Dilfer came in and contributed to Baltimore's offense, helping spark an 11-game winning streak culminating in a Super Bowl win over the Giants. Dilfer might be the worst quarterback to win a Super Bowl, but he was able to get Baltimore out of its offensive slump and win the title even with a dominant defense.