5 Worst NFL Quarterbacks With Super Bowl Rings
Brad Johnson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Winner: Super Bowl XXXVII, 1/26/03
As long as we’re talking about former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterbacks, let’s talk about the ginger who wouldn’t quit, Brad Johnson.
Johnson is another quarterback that lucked into playing for a tremendous defense, and simply had to work on not losing games, and letting the defense do the rest. The 2002 Buccaneers became the first team to lead the league in total defense, points allowed, and interceptions since the ’85 Bears, and they opposing quarterbacks to a 48.4 passer rating for the season.
Johnson was an efficient passer during his 15-year career, but other than his 61.7 completion percentage, there isn’t much to speak of in terms of stats. He ended with a 68-50 career mark as a starter, and a 82.5 QB rating. He was never really a bad quarterback, but just not that great either.
It was Jon Gruden’s first year as head coach of the Buccaneers, and his reputation as a guy who can coach up quarterbacks was never more evident than with the job he did coaching Johnson that season.
After their Super Bowl win, Johnson and the Bucs both began a decline, and by 2004 Johnson was out of a starting job, and then on his way to Minnesota, spending two seasons with the Vikings and finishing with a cup of coffee with the Cowboys.
Like some of the previous quarterbacks on the list, it was the synergy of a top defense, the right coach, and a lot of luck and timing that helped Johnson on the way to his Super Bowl victory. Certainly not the worst quarterback in the world, but far from a legendary arm either.