For the past 58 years, the Super Bowl has been the premier showcase for some of the greatest players in NFL history.
They have used the sport’s biggest stage to display their greatness to the world. Performing well in the Super Bowl is one definitive way to achieve legendary status.
Below is a ranking of the greatest players in Super Bowl history. It’s quite an undertaking to compare players at different positions over different eras who played either one Super Bowl or several.
One caveat: This ranking favors players who appeared in multiple Super Bowls over those who suited up for only one. For instance, one player who was extremely good in several Super Bowls trumps one player who turned in one breathtaking performance in his only shot at glory.
Perhaps that’s not fair to the one-timer — and this list has several of them — but for better or worse, the thought is that it’s harder to perform at a high level two or more times than it is once.
That said, here are the 25 greatest players in Super Bowl history, based on their performance in those games alone.
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25. Timmy Smith, RB
Smith only played 22 regular-season games in the NFL, but he had one special Super Bowl against the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXII. He rushed for a Super Bowl-record 204 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries in Washington’s 42-10 victory.
24. Marcus Allen, RB
Allen, one of the NFL’s most versatile running backs, earned MVP honors in the Raiders’ 38-9 Super Bowl XVIII win over Washington. He gained 191 yards on 20 carries and scored two touchdowns, one on an electrifying 74-yard TD run. He ranks higher on this list than Timmy Smith because he averaged more yards per touch, when you factor his two receptions for 18 yards.
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23. Dwight Smith, DB
Smith’s teammate, Dexter Jackson, earned MVP honors in Super Bowl XXXVII for his two first-half interceptions, but Smith was even better. He also intercepted Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon, but Smith ran both his back for touchdowns in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 48-21 win.
22. Joe Greene, DT
Greene was one of the NFL’s best all-time defensive players, and he showed it in four Super Bowl victories as a centerpiece in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ vaunted “Steel Curtain” defense. “Mean Joe” was at his best in the first Super Bowl, with an interception, forced fumble, and a fumble recovery as the Steelers held the Minnesota Vikings to 119 yards.
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21. Steve Young, QB
Young finally escaped the shadow of his former teammate, Joe Montana, with his own record-breaking Super Bowl performance. The 49ers quarterback tossed six touchdown passes in their 49-26 win over the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX. He was 24-of-36 passing for 325 yards, and also ran the ball five times for 49 yards. He was a rather easy choice as the game’s MVP.
20. Rodney Harrison, S
Harrison played in four Super Bowls and was brilliant overall. He had two interceptions and 12 tackles, including a sack, in New England’s 24-21 win over Philadelphia in Super Bowl XXXIX. He had nine tackles — two for losses, including another sack — as the Patriots defeated Carolina in Super Bowl XXXVIII. He also had 12 tackles in a loss to the NY Giants in Super Bowl XLII.
19. Travis Kelce, TE
Kelce joins the list after his 9-reception, 93-yard performance in the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl LVIII victory. Kelce, who has at least six catches in each of his four Super Bowls, now has 31 Super Bowl receptions, moving him ahead of tight end Rob Gronkowski into second place all-time behind Jerry Rice (33). Kelce ranks slightly below Gronkowski on this list because Gronkowski has more touchdowns and has averaged more yards per catch. But Kelce might not be done yet.
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18. Troy Aikman, QB
Aikman guided the Dallas Cowboys to three Super Bowls, but none of them was better than his four-TD performance in the Cowboys’ 52-17 rout of Buffalo in Super Bowl XXVII, as he was named the game’s MVP. Aikman’s QB rating of 111.9 ranks fifth all-time.
17. Rob Gronkowski, TE
Gronk played in five Super Bowls, all with Tom Brady as his quarterback, and he was TD-scoring machine. He caught five TD passes, the second-most all-time behind Jerry Rice, and hauled in two TD passes in Super Bowl victories, one in New England and the other in Tampa Bay. Gronk’s 29 Super Bowl receptions and 364 yards receiving are second to Rice as well.
16. Chuck Howley, LB
Howley remains the answer to one of the NFL’s greatest trivia questions: Who’s the only player in Super Bowl history to win MVP honors while playing for the losing team? The Dallas Cowboys’ Hall of Fame linebacker intercepted two passes and was named MVP despite their loss to the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl IV, yet he had an interception and a fumble recovery as Dallas won its first Super Bowl the following season over Miami.
15. Lynn Swann, WR
Swann scored touchdowns in three of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ four Super Bowl victories and was named MVP for his masterful four-catch, 161-yard, one-TD effort in Super Bowl X. He exceeded 100 yards receiving in two of the four games and is tied with Rob Gronkowski for second on the all-time Super Bowl list for receiving yards.
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14. Roger Craig, RB
Craig is arguably the best all-purpose back in Super Bowl history. He exceeded 100 total yards in all three Super Bowl appearances — all of them victories with the San Francisco 49ers. Craig is one of seven players to score three touchdowns in a Super Bowl, and he’s third all-time in yards from scrimmage.
13. Franco Harris, RB
Harris surpassed 100 total yards in three of his four Super Bowl victories with the Pittsburgh Steelers. His best game was the first one — Super Bowl IX — in which he rushed for 158 yards for 34 carries and a touchdown and was named the game’s MVP. In Super Bowl history, Harris is second in yards from scrimmage and second in rushing TDs with four.
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12. Randy White, DT
White shared Super Bowl XII MVP honors with fellow Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Harvey Martin for their stellar defensive effort against the Denver Broncos. But White’s dominance continued in two other Super Bowls, both defeats against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He registered sacks in each of his three Super Bowls.
11. Larry Csonka, RB
Csonka steamrolled his way to two 100-yard games in his three Super Bowls, but he saved his best effort for last — a 33-carry, 145-yard, two-TD performance to be named MVP of Super Bowl VIII as the Miami Dolphins overpowered the Minnesota Vikings, 24-7. Csonka was so good that his quarterback, Bob Griese, only needed to throw seven passes.
10. L.C. Greenwood, DE
Greenwood, another member of the “Steel Curtain” defense, set the all-time single-game sack record with four against Roger Staubach and the Dallas Cowboys in the Steelers’ 21-17 Super Bowl X victory. Greenwood went on to register one more sack and remains the all-time sack leader of the Super Bowl with five.
9. Emmitt Smith, RB
Smith was a workhorse who drove the Dallas Cowboys’ offense, whether it was a regular-season game or a playoff game. He rushed for a Super Bowl-record five touchdowns in three Super Bowls. He was the MVP of Super Bowl XXVIII, when he ran for 132 yards on 30 carries and two touchdowns as the Dallas Cowboys beat Buffalo, 30-13. He ranks third all-time with 289 rushing yards.
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8. Rod Martin, LB
Martin set a single-game Super Bowl record that might never be duplicated. He intercepted three Ron Jaworski passes in the Oakland Raiders’ 27-10 Super Bowl XV victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. Three years later, he produced a sack and a fumble recovery in a Super Bowl win over Washington.
7. Terrell Davis, RB
The Denver Broncos were winless in the Super Bowl until Terrell Davis came along, and then they won two in a row behind their Hall of Fame running back. Davis had consecutive 100-yard games; he rushed for 157 yards and three TDs to earn MVP honors as the Broncos defeated Green Bay, 31-24. The following year, Davis churned out 102 yards — and also caught two passes for 50 yards — in a 34-19 win over Atlanta.
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6. Terry Bradshaw, QB
Bradshaw doesn’t get enough credit for his role in the Steelers’ four Super Bowl titles. But overall, he won two Super Bowl MVP awards and owns the fourth-best all-time QB rating. Yes, he threw three interceptions in Super Bowl XIV, but he also was named MVP for that game and the one the year before, throwing for more than 300 yards in both games.
5. Von Miller, LB
By virtue of his placement on this list, Miller qualifies as the best defensive player in Super Bowl history. First, he was the MVP of Super Bowl 50, with 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles as the Broncos beat the Panthers. He then followed that up with two more sacks with the Los Angeles Rams in their Super Bowl LVI win over Cincinnati.
4. Patrick Mahomes, QB
Mahomes cemented his place behind only two other quarterbacks with a 399-yard performance, capped by his masterful game-winning drive in OT to beat the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII. That earned the Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback his third Super Bowl MVP trophy to match Joe Montana for the second most all-time. Mahomes’ overall Super Bowl QB rating might not rank him in the top 10, but that matters little when you are holding your third Lombardi Trophy in five seasons.
3. Tom Brady, QB
It might seem odd to place Brady third on this list when he’s played in more Super Bowls than anyone in NFL history, owns seven Super Bowl rings, and five MVP trophies. But in terms of overall Super Bowl greatness, he’s better than every other quarterback — except for one. Still, Brady holds more Super Bowl records than any other player based on sheer volume.
2. Joe Montana, QB
Joe Montana is the only Tom Brady on the biggest stage. Certainly, he played in fewer games than Brady, but this is about quality, not quantity. And in the Super Bowl, no quarterback played better. He was the MVP in three of his four victories with the San Francisco 49ers, and overall, he threw 11 touchdown passes and zero interceptions. Plus, his QB rating of 127.8 is by far the best in Super Bowl history.
1. Jerry Rice, WR
Jerry Rice is the greatest player ever in the Super Bowl. From single-game excellence to career excellence, Rice is the gold standard.
Where do we even start? Touchdowns? Only six players have scored three TDs in a Super Bowl; Rice did it twice. And his eight SB touchdowns are the most ever. Yards from scrimmage? His 220 in Super Bowl XXIII are the most all-time, and 604 are No. 1 overall. Receptions? He caught more than 10 in two of his four games.
He’s also a Super Bowl MVP who even had five catches for 77 yards and a touchdown at the age of 40. He played with three different quarterbacks and still produced. That’s because he’s Jerry Rice, the best player in Super Bowl history.