Football is certainly a team sport, yet the NFL is still a quarterback-driven league. Even looking at the 2022 NFL MVP voting, we see the top four finalists are all QBs, with Patrick Mahomes running away as the overwhelming winner.
Unless you have a world-class defense, chances are, you need a top-tier quarterback to reach the NFL’s final stage. But sometimes, it takes a top-notch QB to push an already good roster over the top.
This year’s Super Bowl features Mahomes, who’s set to play in his third NFL championship game in as many seasons, and Jalen Hurts, who has a chance to win his first ring in the pros. Hurts can join Mahomes as a one-time Super Bowl winner, but after this season, who could join the star QBs?
In our latest, we look at five young NFL QBs destined to win a Super Bowl at some point in their careers.
Trevor Lawrence
We heard all about Trevor Lawrence‘s pro prospects leading up to the 2021 NFL Draft and how he was the next generational QB prospect set to take the league by storm. His first two seasons have come with mixed results, but Lawrence began showing promise at various points throughout the year, leaving many to believe the 23-year-old QB could be set to take a third-year leap in 2023.
Lawrence managed to improve a three-win team to a nine-win playoff team from 2021 to 2022. What can he do with another offseason of development now that he’s under Doug Pederson’s tutelage? Remember, Pederson was able to win a Super Bowl with Nick Foles and Carson Wentz with the Eagles? Can he become the first head coach to win a ring with two different organizations? With Lawrence by his side, we can’t rule it out.
Related: NFL QB Rankings: Top QBs square off in Super Bowl
Justin Herbert
It’s not hard to see Justin Herbert‘s talent as soon as he starts flicking his wrist, uncorking 50-yard passes with ease. Yet, there’s a strong sense we haven’t seen the 24-year-old at his best just yet. Having reached the postseason for the first time in 2022-23, Herbert finally got a taste of playoff football, but how will both he and the Chargers respond next year?
If the Chargers can continue building their defense while also supplying Herbert with a stronger supporting cast on offense, there’s no reason to believe the former Oregon star can’t do what Dan Fouts and Philip Rivers never could.
Related: NFL offense rankings: Best NFL offenses in 2022-2023
Josh Allen
Dating back to the moment when Josh Allen got eliminated from the playoffs by Mahomes and the Chiefs in the 2021-22 postseason, the Buffalo Bills were long viewed as strong contenders to reach the Super Bowl. While football is far too unpredictable for a longtime favorite to reach the NFL’s biggest stage, Allen still would appear to have as strong of a chance to add a Lombardi Trophy as any other QB on this list.
The Bills are keeping an experienced, battle-tested coaching staff in place and are likely to return with a top-ten offense and defense once again next year. Having been eliminated in the Wild Card, Conference Championship, and Divisional Round twice, you can bet Allen and Co. are highly motivated to exorcise any existing demons in the near future.
Related: 4 offseason moves Buffalo Bills need to make to win a Super Bowl in 2023
Lamar Jackson
The dual-threat QB movement is in full swing, and there is no better complete package in the NFL than 2019 MVP Lamar Jackson. While injuries have robbed us of five games apiece in each of Jackson’s past two years, if the 26-year-old Florida native can stay as healthy as he did during his first two full seasons as a starter, why can’t Jackson get the Ravens back to a Super Bowl?
When healthy, there may not be a more dangerous weapon in football. While he may not be the pure passing threat Mahomes is, the Kansas City QB could also never do what Jackson can with his legs, making multiple defenders miss while speeding past everyone on the way to the end zone. The biggest hurdle for Jackson so far has been his recent inability to stay healthy, which we don’t believe will have any long-term effects on the otherworldly QB.
Related: 5 detailed Lamar Jackson trade scenarios from the Baltimore Ravens
Joe Burrow
Doing what we thought couldn’t be done, Joe Burrow took the Cincinnati Bengals to the Super Bowl in his second season, which is quicker than any other former No. 1 overall pick. While Burrow wasn’t able to defeat the Los Angeles Rams, he came close. This time around, Burrow fell short to the Chiefs, but we’ve seen enough to realize Burrow can’t be counted out until he’s officially eliminated from contention.
Burrow has quickly shown that the Bengals deserve to be viewed as legitimate Super Bowl contenders as long as he has his playmaking receivers by his side. With Ja’Marr Chase unlikely to leave his former LSU teammate behind in Cincinnati any time soon, we like Burrow and the Bengals to win their first-ever Super Bowl at some point in the 26-year-old QB’s career.
Related: Why Joe Burrow deserves to be the highest-paid QB in the NFL