5 NFL Rookie Quarterbacks That Almost Won the Super Bowl

For the most part, rookie quarterbacks are only named the starter because the team had a bad season the year before. Either that or the team is in the midst of a rebuild. And since the first Super Bowl in 1967, no rookie has ever made it to the big game. Some have come close though. 

Here are five rookie quarterbacks that almost won the Super Bowl, but fell just short.

Ben Roethlisberger – Pittsburgh Steelers (2004) 

• Rookie Year: 2004
• Rookie Stats: 2,621 passing yards, 17 TDs
• Last Game: AFC Championship Game (loss vs. Patriots)

While the New York Giants and San Diego Chargers debated who wanted Eli Manning and Phillip Rivers, the Pittsburgh Steelers sat back and selected Ben Roethlisberger with the 11th overall pick.

The plan was for Roethlisberger to sit behind veteran Tommy Maddox. However, that all changed when Maddox suffered an elbow injury in Week 2. Roethlisberger came in relief, passing for 176 yards and two touchdowns in a loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

As it turns out, that was the only regular-season game the Steelers lost that year. Roethlisberger started the next 13 games, leading the Steelers on a 13-game win streak.

He led multiple fourth-quarter comebacks, including a game-winning touchdown drive against the Dallas Cowboys that saw Pittsburgh take the lead with 34 seconds remaining.

These numbers didn’t make a huge impact on the team, but the defense helped out by allowing the fewest points and yards per game in the league that season. It was good enough to get the Steelers into the playoffs, where Roethlisberger’s rookie stripes really showed.

He threw a late interception in the Divisional Round that should’ve ended the Steelers playoff run. However, The Jets missed a game-winning 43-yard field goal and Pittsburgh went on to win the game in overtime.

The AFC Championship pitted Roethlisberger against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. Pittsburgh had ended New England’s 21 game win streak earlier in the season; one of the best in sports history.

New England didn’t forget that, and jumped out to a 24-3 lead. They never looked back, and eventually won, 41-27. Roethlisberger threw three interceptions and was a big reason why the Steelers lost. That said, he had an amazing rookie year and got his team a lot further than most NFL rookie quarterbacks do.

For what it’s worth, Roethlisberger led the Steelers to the big game the next year, becoming the youngest quarterback to win The Super Bowl.

Joe Flacco – Baltimore Ravens (2008)

• Rookie Year: 2008
• Rookie Stats: 2,971 passing yards, 14 TDs
• Last Game: AFC Championship Game (loss vs. Steelers)

In 2008, the Baltimore Ravens were looking for a fresh start. They fired head coach Brian Billick, and replaced him with John Harbaugh. They also selected QB Joe Flacco with the 18th overall pick.

Flacco was the starter from the beginning of the season, but it wasn’t smooth sailing. Baltimore began 2-3, with Flacco throwing only one touchdown and seven interceptions. Their final loss in that stretch was an ugly 31-3 defeat against the Indianapolis Colts.

The Ravens stuck with the rookie though, and eventually turned their season around.

They won seven of their next eight games, scoring more than 24 points in each victory. During this time Flacco threw 12 touchdowns and only three interception during this time, which contributed heavily to their success; Baltimore finished the season 11-5.

Their passing offense wasn’t much to celebrate, as they ranked 28th in passing yards. But Flacco cutting down on turnovers helped their run game and defense enough to get them in the post season.

Baltimore’s defense dominated the Miami Dolphins to a 27-9 victory in the Wild Card Round, leading to a road matchup with No. 1 Tennessee Titans.

The Ravens came into that game as +200 underdogs. Flacco led them to multiple scoring drives, including the game-winning field goal with 43 seconds remaining. And with that victory Flacco became the first rookie quarterback to win multiple playoff games.

Baltimore couldn’t contend with the Pittsburgh Steelers, however. They lost the AFC Championship Game 23-14 to the Steelers, with Flacco throwing three interceptions. 

Flacco had his day eventually, however. In 2013 he threw 11 touchdowns and no interceptions in the playoffs on the way to a victory in Super Bowl XLVII. 

Mark Sanchez – New York Jets (2009)

• Rookie Year: 2009
• Rookie Stats: 2,444 passing yards, 12 TDs
• Last Game: AFC Championship Game (loss vs. Colts)

This might surprise some younger football fans, but Mark Sanchez nearly led the New York Jets to the Super Bowl (twice).

Like the 2008 Baltimore Ravens, the 2009 New York Jets came into the season with a new head coach and quarterback. They hired Rex Ryan and drafted Sanchez with the fifth overall pick.

He led the Jets to a 3-0 start, passing for four touchdowns and two interceptions. The Jets season went downhill fast after that, as they lost six of their next seven games. Sanchez’s numbers were a big reason for the downfall:

• 48.7 completion percentage
• 169.3 passing yards per game
• 6 touchdowns
• 14 interceptions

The Jets turned their season around at the end, however, winning four of their last five games to make the playoffs as a Wild Card team. They upset the Cincinnati Bengals in the Wild Card Round, with Sanchez going 12 for 15 with 182 passing yards and a touchdown. 

New York came into the next game as heavy +800 underdogs against the San Diego Chargers.

It was a defensive battle that the Chargers led 7-3 going into the fourth quarter. That’s when Sanchez led a pair of touchdown drives to give New York a 17-7 lead, which they held to win 17-14. With this victory Sanchez became the second rookie quarterback in NFL history to win multiple playoff games.

In the AFC Championship Game against The Indianapolis Colts Sanchez had the Jets in position to advance to the Super Bowl. He threw a pair of first-half touchdowns to take a 17-6 lead. The Jets defense struggled, however, and the Colts went on to win 30-17.

Sanchez still exceeded any expectations in his first season, and even shocked everyone further by guiding New York to the AFC title game yet again the following season.

Dieter Brock – Los Angeles Rams (1985)

• Rookie Year: 1985
• Rookie Stats: 2,658 passing yards, 16 TDs
• Last Game: NFC Championship Game (loss vs. Bears)

Dieter Brock is an interesting case because he wasn’t your typical NFL rookie, having played in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for ten seasons before joining the NFL.

He signed with the Los Angeles Rams as a 34-year-old rookie in 1985. The Rams won their first seven games, but Brock failed to clear 220 passing yards in that stretch. Ironically his best performance of the season came in the Rams first loss.

• 35/51
• 344 passing yards
• 2 touchdowns

The loss started a rough stretch for the Rams, as they lost four of their next six games. They eventually scored back-to-back wins to clinch a playoff spot. 

Brock finished the season with 2,658 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions.

Los Angeles went into the Divisional Round as slight favorites over the Dallas Cowboys. They dominated the Cowboys in a 20-0 victory. The run game stole the show, as Eric Dickerson rushed for a record 248 yards — a record that still stands to this day.

The Rams didn’t stand a chance against the Chicago Bears in the NFC Championship Game, however. Chicago’s defense held Brock to only 66 passing yards. He didn’t get any help from his run game either, and The Bears easily covered the (-10.5) point spread with a 24-0 victory.

Unfortunately, this marked the end of Brock’s career. In the preseason the following year he suffered a knee injury, and then aggravated his back while rehabbing his knee.

Pat Haden – Los Angeles Rams (1976)

• Rookie Year: 1976
• Rookie Stats: 896 passing yards, 8 TDs
• Last Game: NFC Championship Game (loss vs. Vikings)

Pat Haden isn’t like the other quarterbacks on the list, because he didn’t start most of the season. He started in Week 2, passing for 136 yards and two interceptions in a 10-10 tie.

After that he made sporadic appearances, but he didn’t become the full-time starter until Week 10. At that point, the Rams had a 6-2-1 record.

Haden lost his first game but led the Rams on a four-game winning streak to end the season. He passed for two touchdowns in Week 12, and a season-high 214 yards in Week 13. He finished the season with 896 passing yards and eight touchdowns all together.

This strong finish helped the Rams win the NFC West with a 10-3-1 record.

The Rams were +250 road underdogs to the Dallas Cowboys in the Divisional Round. Despite three interceptions from Haden, the Rams held on for a slim 14-12 victory that was bolstered by his four-yard rushing touchdown.

Once again Los Angeles went into the NFC Championship Game as the underdog against the Minnesota Vikings; but this time, they couldn’t pull off the victory.

The Vikings had a 17-0 lead before Haden led a pair of touchdown drives. Minnesota scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach, and The Rams were eliminated.

Haden’s final numbers from the game left something to be desired. 

• 9/22
• 161 passing yards
• 1 touchdown
• 2 interceptions

Haden made the Pro Bowl the following season with 1,551 passing yards and 11 touchdowns.

In 1979, the Rams made it to the Super Bowl, but Haden broke his finger midway through the season and didn’t play in it. He retired two seasons later.

Honorable Mentions

• Shaun King – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1999)
• Russell Wilson – Seattle Seahawks (2012)

Like Pat Haden, Shaun King didn’t begin the 1999 season as the starter. He became the starter in Week 13 following an injury to Trent Dilfer. King led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the NFC Championship Game before falling to the Los Angeles Rams.

Russell Wilson had a great rookie season with 3,118 passing yards and 26 touchdowns. However, The Seattle Seahawks lost in the Divisional Round on a last-second field goal.

It isn’t easy to find high level success – let alone get to a Super Bowl – as a rookie quarterback in the NFL. It also isn’t easy to profit in NFL betting without some guidance. Stop by our NFL betting guide for some extra help before you place your next bet.

Rookie QBs Who Just Missed the Super Bowl

While no rookie quarterback has ever played in the Super Bowl, several have come painfully close. This list highlights five rookie QBs who led deep playoff runs, reaching conference championship games before falling just short of the NFL’s biggest stage.

From Ben Roethlisberger’s historic 2004 run to Joe Flacco and Mark Sanchez shocking the league as underdogs, these seasons stand out as rare rookie success stories. If you’re looking to bet on today’s rising stars, check out the best options at our football betting sites page for trusted sportsbooks and expert picks.