The Super Bowl offers one of the biggest stages, not just in football, but in all sports. It has long been one of the most-watched sporting events in the country each year, and some QBs excelled under the brightest spotlight in the game.
However, there is a flip side to that. There are also quite a few that had nights they will try to forever erase from their minds. With that in mind, let’s look at the 10 worst performances by a QB in the Super Bowl.
Patrick Mahomes – 0 TDs, 2 INTs, Sacked 3 Times at Super Bowl LV
Kansas City Chiefs superstar Patrick Mahomes has become, arguably, the biggest star in the sport for his memorable performances in the postseason and in the Super Bowl. Greatness does not come easily, and it often requires some disappointing moments first. Mahomes had that in his first trip to the Big Game in 2021.
In that year’s NFL Championship game, the Chiefs great was hounded by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense and threw 2 interceptions to no touchdowns. He was sacked three times, and he hit on only 26 of his 49 passes in a loss. It was a frustrating night that created a fire that led to multiple Super Bowl wins in the years ahead.
Joe Theismann – 2 INTs, Sacked 6 Times at Super Bowl XVIII
To many long-time Washington football fans, Joe Theismann is the greatest QB in team history. Especially because he led them to back-to-back Super Bowls in the 1980s. In 1983, he took the then-Redskins to the franchise’s first Super Bowl win. Their return the next year was a very different story.
While he wasn’t perfect, he had key moments against the Miami Dolphins at Super Bowl XVII. However, against the then-Los Angeles Raiders, he was battered all night and sacked six times. He also threw a pair of INTs, but with no TD passes this time. It was the exact opposite of the previous year as Washington was drubbed by the Raiders, 38-9.
Chris Chandler – 3 INTs at Super Bowl XXXIII
Super Bowl XXXIII was the biggest moment in the career of journeyman QB Chris Chandler. In 1998, he hit a career peak, playing a huge role in the Atlanta Falcons’ first Super Bowl appearance. However, that magical campaign ended with its biggest low point.
In ATL’s 34-19 defeat to the Denver Broncos, Chandler’s three INTs to just one TD and a 47.2 passer rating played a pivotal role in their crushing loss in the Big Game.
John Elway – 3 INTs, Sacked 5 Times at Super Bowl XXII
Broncos icon John Elway has a pair of Super Bowl wins on his legendary Hall of Fame resume. However, before those victories, he was seen as a great QB who couldn’t get it done in the Big Game after not one, but two losses in the NFL Championship. And in both games, he had nights to forget.
The first came at Super Bowl XXII in 1988 against the then-Washington Redskins. On that night in San Diego, he connected on just 14 of his 38 passes, threw three INTs, and was sacked by a formidable Washington defense five times.
Rich Gannon – 5 INTs, 5 Sacks at Super Bowl XXXVII
For much of his career, Rich Gannon was viewed as a decent QB but not a real impact player at his position. However, he had a career renaissance when he joined the Raiders in 1999, going to the Pro Bowl in his first four seasons with the franchise. In 2002, he hit a career peak, leading Oakland to Super Bowl XXXVII.
However, that game began a downward spiral in his career, and he would be out of the league a couple of seasons later. In their game against former head coach Jon Gruden and the Buccaneers, he was not only sacked 5 times by Tampa’s legendary defense, but he also threw a record 5 INTs in their 48-21 blowout loss.
John Elway – 108 Passing Yards, 2 INTS at Super Bowl XXIV
Sorry, Broncos fans, but it’s time to return to John Elway and his second nightmare night in the Super Bowl. After their loss in ’88, Elway showed he was one of the top QBs in the league by getting the team back to the Big Game two years later, this time against Joe Montana and the San Francisco 49ers.
Unfortunately, things got worse for him and his team in 1990. While getting smashed by San Francisco 55-10, Elway had 108 passing yards, threw 2 more INTs, and was sacked 4 times. It was a game that created a narrative over the next nine years that Elway wasn’t a championship QB. That would eventually be proven very wrong.
Cam Newton – 18 for 41, Sacked 6 Times at Super Bowl L
In 2015, Carolina Panthers QB Cam Newton had the greatest season of his career. Earning MVP honors by throwing for 3,837 yards, running for 636 more, and posting 45 total touchdowns. Unsurprisingly, he used that elite play to take his team to that season’s Super Bowl. Then he hit a wall in the Broncos.
In his first, and only, Super Bowl appearance, Newton hit on just 18 of his 41 passes, had no TDs to 1 INT, and was actually sacked 6 times. For as talented as he was, Newton showed the Big Game is a totally different animal.
Kerry Collins – 4 INTs, 4 Sacks, 112 Passing Yards at Super Bowl XXXV
Kerry Collins created one of the great comeback stories in NFL history when he bounced back from serious off-the-field problems and reemerged as an impact quarterback after he joined the New York Giants in 1999. The following year, he would lead them on a magical run to Super Bowl XXXV and a matchup with the Baltimore Ravens and their legendary defense.
Unfortunately, the Giants Cinderalla story hit midnight against the Ravens. In what is probably the worst QB performance in Super Bowl history, Collins hit on 15 of his 39 passes for just 112 yards, no touchdowns, and four interceptions. He was also battered by Baltimore’s defense and sacked 4 times. It was a big reason why the G-Men suffered an ugly 34-7 loss on that night in Tampa.
Jim Kelly & Frank Reich – 4 INTs, 4 Sacks at Super Bowl XXVII
In the third of their four straight Super Bowl losses, the worst of the worst for the Buffalo Bills and Hall of Fame QB Jim Kelly came in 1993 at Super Bowl XXVII against the Dallas Cowboys. The team had more than enough motivation after consecutive losses to the Redskins and Giants. Unfortunately, they were overwhelmed by the star-studded ‘Boys.
In their 52-17 blowout loss, Kelly only threw seven passes before he was knocked out of the game by Dallas’s defense. In those seven passes, he had two INTs. Backup Frank Reich did slightly better as he passed for 194 yards and a touchdown, but he also had two INTs of his own.
Combined, the combo of Kelly and Reich was 22 of 38 with 1 TD, 4 INTs, and were sacked 4 times.
