Quarterbacks are often known as the field general, and great quarterbacks are known as the game’s greatest leaders. With the great changes in the game and the evolution of the quarterback position in the NFL in the last 20-30 years, we have seen skyrocketing passing numbers, legendary performances, and many Hall of Fame careers.
Which is why I want to put a stop to what makes/breaks how we look at the career of an NFL Quarterback: How many Super Bowl rings that quarterback wins.
Long has the debate of how many rings a quarterback wins existed, and it especially has risen at an annoying rate in the 21st century. Rings are used by many to determine how great a quarterback is, in addition to what his legacy will be like in the future. This logic is false and inaccurate for a few reasons.
First and foremost, ever notice when the Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl, the announcers said “and the Seahawks have won the Super Bowl?” Never has any announcer said “and Russell Wilson has won the Super Bowl.” The reason? Winning a Super Bowl is a team achievement, not an individual one. It’s a terrific edition to the quarterback’s resume and trophy collection, but the best team wins the Super Bowl, not just one person.
Secondly, there have been a few average quarterbacks who have won Super Bowls over legends that have not. Trent Dilfer is a notorious example. In Super Bowl XXXV, Dilfer’s Ravens beat the Giants 34-7, but Dilfer only had 12 completions for 153 yards and a touchdown in a game that was dominated by a historic Baltimore defense.
Meanwhile, legends such as Dan Marino, Jim Kelly, Warren Moon, Frank Tarkenton, and Dan Fouts have never won a Super Bowl ring. Does that mean Trent Dilfer is the superior quarterback to all these listed? Absolutely not.
Another example of an average quarterback winning a Super Bowl is none other than Joe Namath. In Super Bowl III, where Namath made his famous “guarantee,” Namath threw for 208 yards (which was good for the time) and 0 touchdowns (not so good), yet was somehow voted as the game’s MVP. Personally, I thought that honor should have gone to Jets rusher Matt Snell, who rushed for 121 yards and a touchdown, and added four receptions for 40 yards in the game.
In other words, Namath was a game manager in Super Bowl III. But since he has a ring, does that mean he’s as good as, say, Brett Favre, Steve Young, Peyton Manning, Kurt Warner, Aaron Rodgers, or even Drew Brees (who have all won the same amount of rings as Namath)? Jim Plunkett isn’t even considered one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, and he has two rings.
Of course, there’s the argument that 49ers QB legend Joe Montana went 4/4 in Super Bowls. True, but Montana was not the only great player on those 49ers championship teams. Montana was a remarkable quarterback surrounded by terrific receiving talent, all handled under a terrific “West Coast Offense” (short pass routes replacing running plays to stretch out defenses and create space for rushing and passing) system popularized by head coach Bill Walsh. Montana was simply the painter of the 49ers masterpiece; he brought color to these plays, but he wasn’t the only standout guy out there.
You could also make the case that Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman is one of the game’s greatest quarterbacks for the three rings he won with Dallas in the 1990’s. However, Aikman, while certainly a capable passer, had the benefit of terrific weapons, including legendary rusher Emmett Smith, receiver Michael Irvin, and a historic offensive line. Aikman was not the sole reason the Cowboys won three Super Bowls in the 90’s; the entire team was the reason.
Do Super Bowl rings matter to an extent? Absolutely. This is exemplified by the clutch status in the big game. Quarterbacks such as Joe Montana, John Elway, Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, and Eli Manning all led game winning drives in their Super Bowl careers and succeeded as leaders and field generals in crunch time when it mattered most.
The clutch status can also be used against quarterbacks such as Peyton Manning, who, despite winning a Super Bowl with the Colts in 2006, sealed a Saints Super Bowl victory in 2009 by throwing a 74-yard pick six to cornerback Tracy Porter. Recently, Manning also had an underwhelming Super Bowl performance against an explosive Seahawks defense, losing 43-8 and throwing two interceptions.
In retrospect, rings are still a team accomplishment. The saying “win as a team, lose as a team” proves this. Rings are nice, but I don’t see winning multiple rings as mandatory into having a legendary NFL career, especially since some of the greatest passers only won a single ring.
Comparing QB’s with each other by how many rings they won is a waste of time as a result. If this is the case, why not compare mediocre QB’s with legendary QB’s that won the same amount of rings? At the end of the day, it’s basically trying to fit a square peg into a round hole; good luck seeing that happen.
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(Stats via espn.com and pro-football-reference.com)
