A Career Built on Details
The quarterback position carries a weight unlike any other in professional sports. Some wear it well—Tom Brady's seven Super Bowl rings come to mind. Others feel the burden entirely too much. Dan Marino remains the gold standard for quarterbacks who dominated the regular season but never hoisted the Vince Lombardi Trophy. His career proves that individual brilliance doesn't always translate to championship glory. With that in mind, here's a ranking of the quarterbacks who could most use a Super Bowl win to define—or redefine—their legacies.
By winning last year's Super Bowl, Darnold erased every "bust" label that followed him for years. He's now a two-time Pro Bowler and a Super Bowl champion. A second title would shift the narrative surrounding him again, especially if he and the Seahawks successfully defend their crown this year. Darnold would become only the ninth starting quarterback to win back-to-back Super Bowls. Of the eight who have already done it, six are in the Hall of Fame, and the other two—Brady and Mahomes—will be when they become eligible.
The trophy did not need much decoration; the season had already done most of the talking.
Stroud, the 24-year-old ranked youngest on this list, has already stacked impressive early credentials. His first three NFL seasons include two division titles and three straight playoff berths. Along with Josh Allen, Stroud is the only quarterback to win a playoff game in each of the last three seasons. Inconsistency has plagued him, however, preventing the Texans from advancing past the divisional round. A Super Bowl win would quiet those lingering questions, and he has two years left on his rookie contract to get it done.
Purdy signed a contract extension befitting a top-tier quarterback two years after leading the 49ers to an NFC title. But if Purdy wants true elite status, he needs to help San Francisco end its 32-year championship drought. Ironically, Steve Young—the 49ers' quarterback the last time San Francisco won it all—faced a similar narrative before 1994. Young responded by winning his second league MVP, then added Super Bowl MVP honors after throwing a record six touchdown passes in a blowout win over the Chargers. Purdy has a chance to write a similar story in 2026.
The Record He Leaves
Stafford would rank higher if not for last season's MVP trophy. Now with a Super Bowl win and a league MVP already in hand, Stafford appears to be a lock for the Hall of Fame. Another Super Bowl win would still considerably elevate his career. Among active quarterbacks in this era, he'd join Mahomes as the only starter with multiple Super Bowl rings. That achievement could make Stafford a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Murray, 28, finds himself in an ideal situation for 2026. After toiling on mostly subpar teams in Arizona, he's now going to a Vikings franchise that won 43 games over the last four years. He's playing for a legitimate quarterback whisperer in coach Kevin O'Connell and with arguably the game's best receiver in Justin Jefferson. The only thing standing between Murray and a chance to do something special in Minnesota is J.J. McCarthy.
Mahomes already challenged Brady for the unofficial title of greatest quarterback of all time. That conversation began when Mahomes joined Brady and Joe Montana as the only three-time Super Bowl MVPs. He also replaced Brady as the most recent quarterback to win back-to-back Super Bowls and joined Brady as the only quarterbacks to win a Super Bowl in overtime. That conversation came to an abrupt end, though, after Mahomes suffered his second Super Bowl setback in decisive fashion. A disappointing 2025 season that ended early due to injury left him looking like the NFL's version of Steph Curry—a generational talent overshadowed recently by younger stars. Another Super Bowl win would put Mahomes right back among the top three or four quarterbacks of all time, joining Brady, Montana and Terry Bradshaw as the only starters with four Super Bowl rings.
By winning a second ring, Hurts would join an exclusive club: Bart Starr, Roger Staubach, Bob Griese, Bradshaw, Jim Plunkett, Montana, Troy Aikman, John Elway, Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Peyton Manning, Eli Manning and Mahomes as the only starting quarterbacks to win multiple Super Bowls. At 27, Hurts is younger than most on this list, but his sense of urgency to win a Super Bowl is probably just as high.
The Part People Remember
Love took over for Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay and showed impressive poise in 2023, his first year as a starter. After a 3-6 start, Love led the Packers to six wins in their final eight games to clinch a playoff berth. In the playoffs, he spearheaded Green Bay's shocking upset win over the Cowboys in the wild-card round before playing well in a close divisional round loss to the eventual NFC champion 49ers. The Packers couldn't match that level of success the last two years, which is why Love is surely eager for a big 2026.
Goff's career has been nothing short of an enigma. Despite a successful run with the Rams that included a Super Bowl berth in 2018, he was traded to Detroit in the deal that sent Stafford to Los Angeles. Stafford won his elusive Super Bowl with the Rams, while Goff has enjoyed similar individual success in Detroit, leading the Lions' resurgence. In 2023, he defeated his former team while leading the Lions to their first playoff win in 32 years. But despite his continued success in Detroit, Goff remains overlooked among other quarterbacks in his era. That'll likely remain his lot unless he leads the Lions to their first Super Bowl title.
Rodgers already cemented his status as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. A second Super Bowl win, however, would put him in even more rarified air. He'd join Brady and Peyton Manning as the only starting quarterbacks to win Super Bowls with multiple franchises, and he'd join Brady as the only quarterback to win a Super Bowl with two different teams.