Ranking The 20 Best Quarterbacks To Never Win The Super Bowl

These are the best 20 quarterbacks to never win the Super Bowl.

In the last few weeks, both Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson have been denied their chance at winning a first Super Bowl. That got us thinking, who are the 20 best quarterbacks to never win a Super Bowl?

It’s a tough list to make, as there are a lot of contenders. But, this is the list we went with. Of note, players had to play a large chunk of their career in the Super Bowl era to qualify.

20. Randall Cunningham

Cunningham’s game was an era too soon, as he would’ve been dynamic in the modern-day NFL. Still, he made four Pro Bowls, and led the 1998 Vikings to a 15-1 record before a missed field goal in the NFC Championship Game doomed them in their quest for a Super Bowl.

19. Donovan McNabb

The end of his career wasn’t pretty. But, McNabb’s peak was pretty awesome. He was one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL in the first half of the 2000s, made nearly a half-dozen deep playoff runs, and even reached a Super Bowl, losing to the Patriots by a field goal in the 2004 season.

18. Carson Palmer

This may be a surprising inclusion, but people forget just how good Carson Palmer was. Before his devastating knee injury suffered in the playoffs in 2006, he was on track to become one of the league’s truly elite passers. Still, he ended up recovering from that injury and quarterbacking some pretty good teams. Palmer is a case of what could’ve been.

17. Andrew Luck

Speaking of what could’ve been, Andrew Luck is another player whose career was altered by injuries. He played just six seasons and missed one to injury in the NFL, leading the Colts to the playoffs four times including a conference championship appearance. Luck had the talent to win multiple Super Bowls. Ultimately, he felt like his long-term health was more important than playing for a dysfunctional Colts franchise.

16. Ken Anderson

Anderson is one of the most underrated quarterbacks in NFL history. The four-time Pro Bowler and 1981 MVP led the Bengals to a Super Bowl appearance following that season.

15. Rich Gannon

Gannon had an up-and-down career as a starter. But, his 2002 season reached highs few have ever reached. That season was nearly as prolific as any season for a quarterback had been up to that point, and he won the MVP Award. But, the two-time First-Team All-Pro did not play well in the Super Bowl against Tampa Bay.

14. Matt Ryan

Matt Ryan shouldn’t be on this list. Not because he doesn’t deserve it, but because he led a Super Bowl 28-3, only to see it slip away at the hands of Tom Brady. The 2016 NFL MVP was a fantastic quarterback in the NFL for long stretches in Atlanta.

13. Tony Romo

People will laugh. But, Tony Romo is one of the most underrated quarterbacks in NFL history. When Romo retired, he had the best career passer rating of any player that had finished their career. And, his playoff numbers are good, despite going just 2-4.

12. Boomer Esiason

Esiason was fantastic on some really bad Bengals teams. But, in 1988, he was the NFL MVP, and took the Bengals to the brink of a Super Bowl championship. Esiason gave the team the lead with 3:34 left, but Joe Montana led a legendary touchdown drive to win the game.

11. Steve McNair

McNair was another player whose skillset was a bit ahead of its time. Still, the 2003 NFL MVP came within one yard of sending Super Bowl XXIII to overtime, only for Kevin Dyson to be tackled at the goal line as time expired.

10. Warren Moon

Moon played in one of the first wide-open passing offense in the NFL and took full advantage. He made nine Pro Bowls, is in the Hall of Fame, and retired with the third-most passing yards of all-tim.

9. Philip Rivers

Philip Rivers was as consistent as any quarterback in the league for a fifteenish-year stretch in the 2000s and 2010s. If not for a bunch of fluke things that seemingly only happen to the Chargers, he would’ve won a Super Bowl. He certainly was good enough.

8. Joe Burrow

Joe Burrow has been in the league for just five seasons, but I don’t think anyone will argue he deserves this spot. He’s one of the most prolific passers in league history, has made a Super Bowl, nearly made another one, and will be heading to Canton someday. Let’s hope he can a way off this list in the future.

7. Dan Fouts

Fouts was a six-time Pro Bowler, two-time First-Team All-Pro Selection, and a quarterback of some really good Chargers teams. Fouts led the Chargers to two AFC Championship Games, but never made a Super Bowl. He won the passing title four years in a row from 1979-1982.

6. Jim Kelly

Jim Kelly made five Pro Bowls, was named First-Team All-Pro once, and was a first-ballot Hall of Fame selection. But, he will be most remembered for leading the Bills to four straight Super Bowls in the early 1990’s. Of course, they lost all four of them.

5. Sonny Jurgensen

Jurgensen played nine years in the Super Bowl era, so he qualifies for the list. Jurgensen was fantastic, making five Pro Bowls, two First-Team All-Pro teams, and was a Hall of Fame selection. He was one of the very best quarterbacks of the “merger era”.

4. Lamar Jackson

Yes, he hasn’t always played well up to his potential in the playoffs. But, Lamar Jackson has already punched his ticket to Canton with two MVP’s and a likely runner-up finish this season all before his 29th birthday. That’s a remarkable resume, whether you want to admit it or not.

3. Josh Allen

Josh Allen is likely to win his first NFL MVP this year and is heading to Canton someday. He hasn’t won a Super Bowl yet, but that’s not because of him. He’s been one of the best playoff quarterbacks of all-time, only for teammates to repeatedly let him down. Having to get past the Chiefs dynasty doesn’t help things, either.

2. Fran Tarkenton

Tarkenton is one of the top ten-or-so NFL quarterbacks of all-tiem. The Vikings legend led the team to three Super Bowl appearances, won the MVP in 1975, and held nearly every major passing record when he retired in 1978. Tarkenton’s scrambling ability helped revolutionize the quarterback position.

1. Dan Marino

Dan Marino topping this list is no surprise to anybody. The NFL’s most prolific passer when he retired, Marino was one of the few greatest pocket passers of all time. He made 9 Pro Bowls, was First-Team All-Pro three times, won the MVP in 1984, and was a first-ballot Hall of Fame selection. He lost his only Super Bowl appearance that season to Joe Montana and the San Francisco 49ers. The Dolphins did a really poor job of building around Dan Marino during his career.