Super Bowl LV. Tom Brady vs. Patrick Mahomes. “G.O.A.T.” vs. “Future G.O.A.T.” No matter what happens, the game will be extremely entertaining. Either way, this will not be a slumber party like just two years ago when quarterback Jared Goff and the Los Angeles Rams were an absolute shell of themselves in a 13-3 loss to the New England Patriots. What if Goff and the Rams would have eked out a win in one of the ugliest Super Bowls of the modern era? Surely, he would be remembered as one of the worst quarterbacks to ever win a Super Bowl.
So, with a sure legendary quarterback matchup ahead, let’s dive into the three worst starting quarterbacks to ever win a Super Bowl.
Worst Quarterbacks to Win the Super Bowl
3. Ken Stabler, Raiders
I feel a little bad for Ken Stabler being on this list. Stabler boasts a solid career record of 96-49-1. He actually put in a decent performance in Super Bowl XI against the Minnesota Vikings, although he did very little outside of that game. The only problem is many of his 96 career wins weren’t thanks to his play. Before I get bombarded with hate, yes, I know he is in the Hall of Fame. Yes, I also know he won MVP as well. Let’s be realistic here. In any other era, nobody would even think of putting this man in the Hall of Fame. He’s if Eli Manning was a little worse and never beat Tom Brady. Ken threw 194 touchdowns and 222 interceptions. Sure, he had a great start to his career, but his last eight seasons of the 15 in his career saw him throw for 106 touchdowns to 151 interceptions. Twice, he threw 28 or more interceptions.
In Super Bowl XI, Stabler was decent, but still underwhelming. While the style of play was much different back then, your eyes don’t certainly pop at his 12/19 with just 180 yards and a touchdown stat line. Again, he stayed away from making any mistakes. However, quarterbacks that win the Super Bowl usually do more than just be decent to slightly above average. Thanks to some poor special teams play from the Vikings and some forced turnovers, the Oakland Raiders were able to hang up enough points on Minnesota and leave victorious, 32-14.
2. Jim Plunkett, Raiders
No, this is not a Raiders hate article. The proof is in the pudding. What if I told you the worst quarterback to win a Super Bowl won not once, but twice? Such is the case of Jim Plunkett, who won Super Bowl XVIII and XV with the Raiders. Plunkett was exactly .500, with a 72-72 record, and threw 164 touchdowns and 198 interceptions. His career completion percentage ended a hair above 52 percent, with five of his 15 seasons seeing it dip below 50 percent. Yet, somehow, Plunkett has as many rings as Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers combined. His career statistics speak for themselves. Luckily, his play in his two Super Bowl victories keep him out of the number one spot.
In Super Bowl XV, while Plunkett did play well, with three touchdowns and no interceptions, the offense did benefit from scoring twice off of turnovers. While that may not seem like a lot, the Raiders only scored 27 total, beating the Philadelphia Eagles, 27-10. In Super Bowl XVIII, Plunkett wasn’t bad, but he was certainly nothing to write home about either. He threw for 172 yards and a touchdown in a 38-9 romp over the then-Washington Redskins. The Raiders again scored twice off of their defense/special teams and also rode on the coattails of running back Marcus Allen all night long. In all fairness to Plunkett, when Allen runs for 191 yards on just 20 carries, you don’t really have to do much.
1. Trent Dilfer, Ravens
It’s pretty ironic that Trent Dilfer had a short segment called “Dilfer’s Dimes” during his stint as an analyst with ESPN. During his career, it seemed he threw more “dimes” to the other team. Dilfer posted a record of 58-55 during a career, which spanned 13 seasons and saw him on five different teams. His best record as a season-long starting quarterback was a measly 10-6 in 1997 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He never eclipsed 2,900 passing yards in a season and only threw for just over 20,000 in his career. His completion percentage sits a hair above 55% and he threw 113 touchdowns to 129 interceptions. That’s right. He was more likely to throw a pick than a touchdown. Dilfer was basically if you took Jameis Winston and got rid of his arm strength, ability to score and criminal record.
In Super Bowl XXXV, Dilfer led the Baltimore Ravens over the New York Giants, with a resounding 34-7 victory. When I use the term led, I use it as loosely as possible. He finished 12/25 with a lone touchdown and no interceptions. So, I guess by his standards, he actually had an above average game? The Dilfer-led offense only picked up 13 first downs and relied heavily on big defensive and special teams plays to get their first championship. While Dilfer was nothing more than an average quarterback at best, and wasn’t exactly terrible, he still finds himself at number one thanks to his inability to step up at really any stage in his career.
