10 most unlikely Super Bowl MVPs
The Super Bowl can serve as an opportunity for unexpected stars to shine. Here are the 10 most unlikely players to win Super Bowl MVP of all-time.
Entering Super Bowl 51, there have been 51 Super Bowl MVPs. Tom Brady and Joe Montana have each won three while Eli Manning, Terry Bradshaw, and Bart Starr each have two. Of the 51 MVPs, 23 of them have been won by a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Counting Ray Lewis, Brady and Peyton Manning, who are future Hall of Famers, that’s 28.
While the MVP of the Super Bowl is generally a great player, there have been some very unlikely award winners. Players previously unknown to the world have shined on the NFL’s biggest stage. There are different definitions of “unlikely”. Whether it’s because the odds were stacked against them, because they were thought of as role players, or because they were one of a kind, each of these 10 players are unlikely Super Bowl MVPs.
Joe Flacco
Quarterback, Baltimore Ravens
There’s a bit of a debate if Joe Flacco is an elite quarterback. The main reason why the debate exists is because of Super Bowl 47. Flacco led the Baltimore Ravens to their second franchise title, picking up the MVP of the big game along the way. Is it a total surprise he won? No, because quarterbacks are the most common position of the winners. But the odds were certainly not in Flacco’s favor.
He had to beat Peyton Manning in Denver with an aging defense which nearly blew the game. However, a miracle pass to Jacoby Jones helped them advance. Next up, Flacco had to go to battle against arguably the best postseason quarterback ever, Tom Brady. No problem. Flacco did very well in the Super Bowl, getting the Ravens out to a huge lead and helping them hang onto it after the San Francisco 49ers attempted a comeback.