Greatest Quarterbacks to Only Win One Super Bowl

In the history of the NFL, 34 quarterbacks have had the privilege of winning the Super Bowl. Of these, 13 have won multiple titles. However, 21 have managed to win just once.

Some had another opportunity to win but didn't succeed, while others were unable to make it back to the Super Bowl. These circumstances prevented them from joining the elite group of multiple-title winners.

Here are the top 10 quarterbacks who have won the Super Bowl only once.

The Top Ten

  1. Aaron Rodgers

    Aaron Charles Rodgers (born December 2, 1983) is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He signed a one‑year deal with Pittsburgh in March 2025 after being released by the New York Jets. Rodgers is a four‑time NFL MVP and Super Bowl XLV champion... read more

    Aaron Rodgers spent the first few seasons backing up Brett Favre. When he finally got his shot, Rodgers led the Packers to a Super Bowl XLV win, earning the game's MVP honor, which Favre didn't achieve. However, despite four MVPs and multiple Pro Bowls, Rodgers has not been back to the big game. Losses to the Giants, Cardinals, Seahawks, and Falcons have kept Rodgers from elevating himself to become one of the greatest.

  2. Brett Favre

    Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League. He is a three-time NFL MVP and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016. Favre also played for the Atlanta Falcons, New York Jets... read more

    Brett Favre is a three-time MVP who has made two Super Bowl appearances for the Packers in the 90s. While he won Super Bowl XXXI over the Patriots, Favre's bid for a second straight title came to an end at the expense of John Elway and the Broncos.

    Over the rest of his career, the gunslinger came close to the Super Bowl twice, losing in 2007 to the Giants and in 2009 to the Saints. Perhaps if Favre had won a second title, he would have been considered a top-five quarterback.

  3. Steve Young

    Jon Steven Young is a former professional American football quarterback. He played 15 seasons in the National Football League, most notably with the San Francisco 49ers. Young is remembered as one of the league's most efficient passers and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005.

    Although Young is considered a three-time Super Bowl champ, two of those were as a backup to Joe Montana and the 49ers. He finally got his chance to shine in Super Bowl XXIX when he broke the passing touchdown record in a single game to earn MVP honors.

    Young could've elevated himself and his team even higher over the following years, but they ran into Brett Favre and the Packers. By the time they got by Green Bay, the 49ers lost to Atlanta in the 1998 Divisional Round. Young's career ended in 2000.

  4. Drew Brees

    Drew Christopher Brees is a former American professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League, primarily for the New Orleans Saints. He holds the NFL record for the most 5,000-yard passing seasons, achieving this milestone five times (2008, 2011-2013, 2016), including three... read more

    A beloved figure in New Orleans, Drew Brees led the Saints to their first and only Super Bowl title in 2009, just four years after Hurricane Katrina hit the SuperDome. Sadly, Brees would not see another Super Bowl berth, as heartbreaking late-game losses to the 49ers and Vikings, plus the controversial NFC Championship loss to the Rams and the Bountygate scandal, affected his chance of being a greater quarterback.

  5. Ken Stabler

    Kenneth Michael "Ken" Stabler, nicknamed "Snake," was an American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Oakland Raiders, Houston Oilers, and New Orleans Saints. He led the Raiders to victory in Super Bowl XI and was named NFL MVP in 1974. Stabler was inducted into the Pro Football... read more

    Ken Stabler won more games than any other quarterback during the 1970s, as the Raiders were among the most feared teams in the NFL.

    Despite his success, he only made one Super Bowl appearance, which was a dominant 32-14 victory over the Vikings. Other chances to get a second ring were thwarted by the Dolphins, Broncos, and the Steelers.

  6. Kurt Warner

    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

    A former grocery store worker who was cut by the Packers, Kurt Warner's Cinderella story in 1999 ended with him hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy for the Rams. Two years later, Warner's dream of being part of a dynasty came crashing down at the expense of a game-winning drive by a young Tom Brady.

    Seven years would pass before Warner, now with the Cardinals, guided them to their first Super Bowl. But much like in 2001, it ended with an opposing game-winning drive, this time from Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers.

  7. Phil Simms

    Phil Simms is a two-time Super Bowl winner. However, he is credited as being the winning starting quarterback in Super Bowl XXI, a game where he went 22-of-25 passing to claim the MVP and be the first athlete to say "I'm Going to Disney World." Simms was unable to start in Super Bowl XXV due to an injury, while his backup Jeff Hostetler took over and won them a title.

  8. Joe Namath

    Joseph William Namath, nicknamed "Broadway Joe," is a former American football quarterback and actor. He played for the New York Jets and led them to victory in Super Bowl III, earning MVP honors. Namath was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.

    Joe Namath is best remembered for guaranteeing a victory against the heavily favored Colts in Super Bowl III, which he and the Jets would deliver on. Over the next few years, despite earning a place in the Hall of Fame, Namath couldn't duplicate his success from 1968. In fact, some have said his guarantee was actually a curse and the reason why the Jets haven't returned to the Super Bowl.

  9. Joe Flacco

    Joseph Vincent Flacco (born January 16, 1985) is an American professional football quarterback. He played college football at the University of Delaware and was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Flacco is best known for leading the Ravens to victory in Super Bowl... read more

    Joe Flacco was among the top quarterbacks in the late 2000s and 2010s. After failing to reach the Super Bowl twice before, he and the Ravens got there in 2012, where he had a dominant MVP performance. Since then, Flacco's career has been on the decline, and though he won Comeback Player of the Year with the Browns, it's unlikely he will achieve his second Super Bowl ring.

  10. Joe Theismann

    Joe Theismann led the Redskins to a Super Bowl win in what was a shortened 1982 season. The following year, he guided them back to the Super Bowl with a then record-breaking offense while earning MVP honors. However, Washington was crushed by the Raiders, ending their chance at a repeat. Two seasons later, Theismann's career ended with a severe leg injury against the Giants.

    11. The Newcomers
  11. ?

    Nick Foles

    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.

  12. ?

    Brad Johnson

    13. The Contenders

  13. Trent Dilfer

  14. Johnny Unitas

    John Constantine Unitas, nicknamed "Johnny U" or "The Golden Arm", was an American professional football quarterback. He played from the mid-1950s through the early 1970s, primarily with the Baltimore Colts. Unitas is widely regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the National... read more

  15. Matthew Stafford

    John Matthew Stafford, born on February 7, 1988, is an American football quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League. He was selected as the first overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions, where he played for over a decade before being traded to the Rams in 2021... read more

  16. Russell Wilson

    Russell Carrington Wilson (born November 29, 1988) is an American football quarterback. He played for the Seattle Seahawks before being traded to the Denver Broncos in 2022. After two seasons, he signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers and then joined the New York Giants for the 2025 season.

  17. Len Dawson

  18. Jim McMahon

  19. Doug Williams

    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

  20. Jeff Hostetler

  21. Mark Rypien

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