Top 10 Super Bowl Player Performances
There have been many memorable Super Bowl player performances throughout the years. Which legendary players made Matt MacKay's top 10 Super Bowl player performances list? Check it out.
Matt MacKay - February 10, 2024, 8:38 AM EST
7 minTop 10 Super Bowl Player Performances
There have been dozens of epic Super Bowl performances from individual players across the years. The game has evolved since Super Bowl 1, however, a lot of fans are simply too young to have seen some of these memorable Super Bowl player performances. Therefore, we've scoured every Super Bowl log to find 10 players who were the primary difference-maker for their team's success on football's biggest stage.
In this article, we'll rank and analyze the top 10 Super Bowl player performances since the Super Bowl era began in 1967.
Top 10 Super Bowl Player Performances
Super Bowl | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
Super Bowl 49 | QB Tom Brady | New England Patriots |
Super Bowl 48 | LB Malcolm Smith | Seattle Seahawks |
Super Bowl 45 | QB Aaron Rodgers | Green Bay Packers |
Super Bowl 52 | QB Nick Foles | Philadelphia Eagles |
Super Bowl 43 | WR Santonio Holmes | Pittsburgh Steelers |
Super Bowl 32 | RB Terrell Davis | Denver Broncos |
Super Bowl 22 | QB Doug Williams | Washington Redskins |
Super Bowl 27 | QB Troy Aikman | Dallas Cowboys |
Super Bowl 13 | QB Terry Bradshaw | Pittsburgh Steelers |
Super Bowl 29 | QB Steve Young | San Francisco 49ers |
10. QB Tom Brady
Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady has plenty of memorable Super Bowl moments. However, his personal best effort came during Super Bowl 49, when Brady completed 37 of 50 pass attempts for 328 yards and four touchdowns in a highly-entertaining 28-24 win over Seattle. Of course, Brady needs to thank Malcom Butler for the goal-line interception that sealed New England's win in the final minute, but his individual numbers were good enough to award him with the Super Bowl 49 MVP.
9. LB Malcolm Smith
One of the less-discussed Super Bowls in recent memory, Seattle Seahawks linebacker Malcolm Smith was a tone-setter from the start, whooping Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos in a 43-8 blowout. Smith recorded a pick-six, recorded 11 tackles, and also recovered a fumble in this lopsided win.
8. QB Aaron Rodgers
The only Super Bowl Aaron Rodgers has won up to this point in his career saw the signal-caller shred Pittsburgh's defense, recording 304 passing yards and three touchdowns. In a back-and-forth game, the Packers pulled out a 31-25 win over the Steelers, thanks to Rodgers' arm talent.
7. QB Nick Foles
The story of Nick Foles is remarkable. Close to quitting football, Foles wound up taking over for an injured Carson Wentz in Philadelphia, leading the Eagles into the playoffs and recording 373 yards and four total touchdowns in a win over the Patriots. This included the "Philly Special" play, which resulted in Foles catching a touchdown pass, leading to a win and Foles getting a state built outside of Lincoln Financial Field to honor his performance.
6. WR Santonio Holmes
During Pittsburgh's 27-23 win over Arizona in Super Bowl 43, Steelers wideout Santonio Holmes caught the game-winning touchdown with an impressive toe tap reception in the back of the end zone. Holmes finished with nine receptions for 131 yards, including the go-ahead touchdown in the final moments of the game.
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5. RB Terrell Davis
Denver Broncos running back Terrell Davis put the team on his back during Super Bowl 32, singlehandedly beating the Green Bay Packers with an all-time performance. Davis recorded 30 carries for 157 yards and three touchdowns, winning Super Bowl 32 MVP.
4. QB Doug Williams
Washington routed Denver during Super Bowl 22 thanks to quarterback Doug Williams' monster performance. Williams recorded 340 passing yards and four touchdown passes during a 42-10 blowout win over the Broncos.
3. QB Troy Aikman
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman led America's team over Buffalo during Super Bowl 27. Aikman threw for 273 yards and four touchdowns in a 52-17 win against the Bills, which was the Cowboys' first Super Bowl win since 1978.
2. QB Terry Bradshaw
We know Terry Bradshaw as a pundit and media analyst on FOX Sports, but he was also a legendary quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers during their dynasty in the 1970s. Bradshaw accounted for 318 passing yards and four touchdowns during Pittsburgh's 35-31 win over the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl 13.
1. QB Steve Young
The biggest stat line of any Super Bowl MVP goes to San Francisco quarterback Steve Young. Young torched the San Diego Chargers with 325 passing yards and six touchdowns during a 49-26 win in Super Bowl 29.
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