The quarterback is arguably the most important position in the game of football; a great quarterback can lead a team to many fruitful seasons while a bad one can suck the life out of a team.
More often than not, Super Bowl caliber teams have elite quarterbacks. Look back at all of the Super Bowl winning quarterbacks since 2000 and you’ll see a common trend.
Tom Brady (Patriots) has won five, the Manning brothers (Colts, Broncos, Giants) have combined for four, Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers) has won two, and Aaron Rodgers (Packers), Rusell Wilson (Seahawks), Joe Flacco (Ravens) and Drew Brees (Saints) all have won once.
The common trend among the aforementioned quarterbacks is that they are usually identified by the fans and media as being an elite quarterback. At the very least, there is an argument to be made for those quarterbacks being elite.
However, some Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks since 2000 were left off of this list: Trent Dilfer (Ravens), Brad Johnson (Bucaneers) and Nick Foles (Eagles). These quarterbacks are not perceived as being elite by most fans and analysts.
Trent Dilfer was a decent quarterback during his tenure with the Buccaneers but was plagued by inconsistency. He led the Ravens to a Super Bowl victory in 2000 but was released by them afterward.
Brad Johnson led the 2003 Buccaneers to a Super Bowl victory over the Oakland Raiders but was a journeyman quarterback and backup for most of his career.
Recent champion Nick Foles is not an elite quarterback either. Foles has been a backup for most of his career and only played this season for the Eagles because starter quarterback Carson Wentz went down for the season. However, Foles managed to help the Eagles make it to Super Bowl LII and defeat Brady’s Patriots.
Going back to the question at hand, an elite quarterback is not required to win a Super Bowl, but it is extremely difficult to win without one.
The Eagle’s squad that hoisted the Lombardi Trophy in 2018 had a solid roster on both sides of the ball, with the only obvious glare being Foles as quarterback. A great defense can even carry a lackluster offense all the way.
When the Broncos won Super Bowl L in 2015, they had generational player Peyton Manning as their quarterback. However, at this point in his career, Manning was old and a shell of what he once was; but Manning did what he needed to do at the right time.
Another argument can be made over whether an elite defense is more important than an elite quarterback. The 2000 Ravens and 2003 Buccaneers likely had stellar defenses to compensate for the lack of quarterback talent.
The bottom line here is that in order to win a Super Bowl, at least one side of the ball has to have an elite roster. Whether that be offense or defense is a matter of debate.
