The quarterbacks that win the Super Bowl are often the best in the NFL, as it is the game's most important position. But sometimes not as good QBs are able to win the Super Bowl thanks to dominant defenses or vaunted running backs. Here are the 6 worst NFL Quarterbacks to win the Super Bowl:
Trent Dilfer:
The saying, "Defense wins championships" couldn't be more true for the 2000 Ravens, who dominated Super Bowl XXXV thanks to their elite defense. And quarterback Trent Dilfer was at the right place at the right time, as he wasn't even the starting quarterback heading into the 2000 season. Dilfer was nothing more than a game manager for the Ravens, throwing for under 150 yards per game in the playoffs and 12 touchdowns to 11 picks during the season. Dilfer's Super Bowl victory was the last game he played as a Raven, as he was traded to Seattle where he played as a backup. Trent Dilfer only started one more season in his career, and it was for the Browns.
Brad Johnson:
Playing for five different teams, Brad Johnson was an inconsistent journeyman quarterback throughout his career. In 2002, he recorded one of his better seasons and played with a top-tier Bucaneers' defense en route to a Super Bowl XXXVII win. During that game, the Bucs' defense scored a Super Bowl record three pick-sixes, while Brad Johnson threw for 215 yards, 18-34, and 2 touchdowns to one interception. But Johnson couldn't remain a starter in the NFL, as he was too inconsistent. He threw 24 touchdowns to 13 picks in 1999 and proceeded to throw 11 touchdowns to 15 interceptions the following year. Johnson also threw for 3,811 yards in 2003 and then threw for just 2750 in his next season as a starter.
Doug Williams:
Unlike the other quarterbacks on this list, Doug Williams had a superb outing in his Super Bowl win, throwing for 340 yards and four touchdowns in a 42-10 pummeling of the Denver Broncos. He also became the first black quarterback to win a Super Bowl. However, Williams failed to replicate that success during the rest of his career. He didn't prove to be the franchise quarterback in Tampa Bay and even threw 18 touchdowns to 24 interceptions in the 1979 season. Doug Williams finished his career with a lowly 49.5 completion percentage and a legacy of a journeyman who rose to the occasion on the NFL's biggest stage.
Jim Plunkett:
Jim Plunkett is the only player on this list to win two Super Bowls, but that still doesn't mean that he was a very good quarterback. You couldn't even call Plunkett a game manager, as he threw more interceptions than touchdowns in both of his Super Bowl-winning seasons. Quarterbacks were generally not as accurate 50 years ago, but completing just 52.5% of passes was still at the low end of QBs. Plunkett was aided by a stellar Raiders' defense in both of his Super Bowl victories, while he had an average game in Super Bowl XV and let running back Marcus Allen do the heavy lifting in Super Bowl XVIII. Jim Plunkett spent his last two seasons as a backup for the Raiders after his Super Bowl 18 victory.
Jeff Hostetler:
Jeff Hostetler is easily the luckiest quarterback to win a Super Bowl. After spending his first 5 NFL seasons as a backup, he became the Giants' starter in 1991 after Phil Sims ended his season with a broken bone in his foot. Hostetler was then carried to the Super Bowl by an elite defense and edged out the Bills thanks to a Scott Norwood missed field goal. Hostetler then played the latter half of his career on the Raiders, where he made the Pro Bowl in 1994 and proved to be an average starting quarterback. But Jeff Hostetler never made it back to the big game, as that Raiders' defense didn't come close to the dominance of his previous team.
Jim McMahon:
The 1985 Bears are often dubbed as the greatest football team of all time, but they did not have a superstar at quarterback. Jim McMahon was merely a game manager, getting carried by one of the best defenses in NFL history. During that 1985 season, McMahon completed just 56.9% of passes, threw for 215 yards per game, and 15 touchdowns to 11 interceptions for an 82.6 passer rating. McMahon was also a very injury-prone QB, with a third of his seasons getting cut short due to injury. Injuries and mediocre play were why McMahon spent the latter half of his seasons as a backup. He wasn't a bad quarterback, but a replaceable one, like Baker Mayfield or Jacoby Brissett.
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