# The best NFL QB that never won the Superbowl? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [January 3, 2011, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-nfl-qb-that-never-won-the-superbowl/566245 "2011-01-03T18:05:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2011, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-nfl-qb-that-never-won-the-superbowl/566245/21 "2011-01-03T20:43:22Z")
Jim Kelly is the first that came to mind because of the 4 consecutive SB appearances. Marino and Tarkenton are also great choices. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2011, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-nfl-qb-that-never-won-the-superbowl/566245/22 "2011-01-03T20:52:13Z")
> [@kidchameleon](#): > > Does he count? Like Bernie Kosar, he has a ring, but he didn’t ‘win the big game’. I forgot White has a ring. Then I’ll switch to Gary Hogeboom. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2011, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-nfl-qb-that-never-won-the-superbowl/566245/23 "2011-01-03T20:54:53Z")
> [@Bearflag70](#): > > I forgot White has a ring. Then I’ll switch to Gary Hogeboom. What is this, the random lousy Cowboys quarterback thread? The question was about the best quarterback, not the worst. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2011, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-nfl-qb-that-never-won-the-superbowl/566245/24 "2011-01-03T20:56:42Z")
Agree with everyone so far, but incorrigible homer that I am, I’ll throw Sonny Jurgensen in as an honorable mention. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2011, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-nfl-qb-that-never-won-the-superbowl/566245/25 "2011-01-03T21:01:32Z")
Another vote for Marino, with honorable mention to Tarkenton, Kelly, Fouts, and Manning the Elder. (I didn’t include those from the pre-Super Bowl era.) ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2011, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-nfl-qb-that-never-won-the-superbowl/566245/26 "2011-01-03T21:04:41Z")
So, now the question is only: Who, other than Dan Marino, is the best quarterback to never win the Super Bowl? ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2011, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-nfl-qb-that-never-won-the-superbowl/566245/27 "2011-01-03T21:15:28Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > What is this, the random lousy Cowboys quarterback thread? The question was about the best quarterback, not the worst. White was a half-way serious answer because he was pretty good. Hogeboom was a joke. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2011, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-nfl-qb-that-never-won-the-superbowl/566245/28 "2011-01-03T21:37:16Z")
I think it’s safe to say who ever he was he wasn’t a Bear. ---
**Author:** ![Mince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@Mince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mince)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2011, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-nfl-qb-that-never-won-the-superbowl/566245/29 "2011-01-03T21:40:18Z")
You guys are forgetting that Craig Krenzel never won the Super Bowl. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2011, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-nfl-qb-that-never-won-the-superbowl/566245/30 "2011-01-03T23:11:09Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > So, now the question is only: > > Who, other than Dan Marino, is the best quarterback to never win the Super Bowl? I thought I was going to have a sure thing for a bar bet with Johnny Unitas. But it turns out the Colts won Super Bowl V even after Johnny U. left the game. I’ll go with Fran Tarkenton. ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2011, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-nfl-qb-that-never-won-the-superbowl/566245/31 "2011-01-03T23:23:26Z")
Hmmm,\* Ace Ventura Pet Detective\* was better than _That’s Incredible!_, so I’m going with Dan Marino over Fran Tarkenton by a tail. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-nfl-qb-that-never-won-the-superbowl/566245/32 "2011-01-04T02:48:07Z")
Marino. A more interesting question is the WORST quarterback to WIN the Super Bowl. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-nfl-qb-that-never-won-the-superbowl/566245/33 "2011-01-04T02:49:41Z")
Trent Dilfer. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-nfl-qb-that-never-won-the-superbowl/566245/34 "2011-01-04T02:59:44Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Trent Dilfer. Assuming that’s a nomination for “worst SB-winning QB”, I’d agree. I think I’d also put Jim McMahon and Jeff Hostetler on that list. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-nfl-qb-that-never-won-the-superbowl/566245/35 "2011-01-04T03:37:08Z")
McMahon doesn’t belong on the list. He’s no super star but he’s no where near the worst. Some names for discussion, Brad Johnson, Joe Namath, Mark Rypien, Doug Williams. Doug Williams probably had the greatest game of all time but was probably the worst ever from a career standpoint. Rypien is probably second worst. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-nfl-qb-that-never-won-the-superbowl/566245/36 "2011-01-04T04:09:41Z")
Another vote for Marino, just slightly ahead of Ken Anderson. But if you want to know all current Hall of Fame QBs in the Super Bowl era who never won a Super Bowl, there’s… Dan Fouts Sonny Jurgensen Jim Kelly Dan Marino Fran Tarkenton Warren Moon If you want to know the quarterbacks with the highest career ratings that have never won a Super Bowl (I’ll exclude active players), they are (in order): Daunte Culpeper Jeff Garcia Trent Green Rich Gannon Jim Kelly Steve McNair Brian Griese Neil Lomax Sonny Jurgensen Ken Anderson Bernie Kosar ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-nfl-qb-that-never-won-the-superbowl/566245/37 "2011-01-04T04:15:25Z")
Those are some awesome names. Culpepper, Gannon, McNair, Griese, Lomax…they sound like names you’d invent for a movie script about quarterbacks. ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-nfl-qb-that-never-won-the-superbowl/566245/38 "2011-01-04T05:30:51Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > If you want to know the quarterbacks with the highest career ratings that have never won a Super Bowl (I’ll exclude active players), they are (in order): > > Bernie Kosar Bernie won one in 1994 with the Cowboys. I think Mark Rypien was the worst QB to win a Super Bowl myself. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-nfl-qb-that-never-won-the-superbowl/566245/39 "2011-01-04T05:34:49Z")
> [@kidchameleon](#): > > Bernie won one in 1994 with the Cowboys. > > I think Mark Rypien was the worst QB to win a Super Bowl myself. And Tom Flores won one as a scrub with the Chiefs, but does anyone call him a “Super Bowl winning QB”? Kosar has a ring, and he DID help the Cowboys get to the Super Bowl, here and there. But even he probably doesn’t consider himself a Super Bowl winning quarterback. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-nfl-qb-that-never-won-the-superbowl/566245/40 "2011-01-04T05:35:52Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > Those are some awesome names. Culpepper, Gannon, McNair, Griese, Lomax…they sound like names you’d invent for a movie script about quarterbacks. I don’t say you have to accept these guys as elite quarterbacks- but IF you buy into the pro football ranking system, these guys rank with the best ever. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-nfl-qb-that-never-won-the-superbowl/566245.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-nfl-qb-that-never-won-the-superbowl/566245.md?page=3)