SB starting QB not drafted by SB team

[The Gipper]

Here is one of my little statistical analyses that I do sometimes:

 

There have been 57 men who have started a Super Bowl game. Of these 57, 25 of them, or 43.85%% started a Super Bowl for a team other than the team that drafted them. So that is almost half of all Super Bowls started by QBs who have moved around. But, some notes on this:

 

A. Two of those QBs were never drafted by anyone: Kurt Warner and Jake Delhomme.

 

B. Two of those QBs started a SB for the team that drafted them AND for another team: Craig Morton and Peyton Manning. (Kurt Warner also started for two teams...but as noted was UDFA)

 

C. A few, and there may be more than I list here, never played a game with the team that did draft them, including Eli Manning (Chargers), John Elway (Colts), John Unitas (Steelers), Joe Theisman (Dolphins),maybe some others

 

D. Two teams drafted 3 different QBs who started for a SB for a different team: The Bucs drafted Doug Williams (Redskins), Steve Young (49ers) and Trent Dilfer (Ravens). The Chargers drafted Billy Kilmer (Redskins), Drew Brees (Saints), and Eli Manning (Giants).

 

E. Daryl Lamonica and Billy Kilmer were actually drafted by two teams that they did not take to a Super Bowl: Lamonica by the Bills of the AFL and the Packers of the NFL. Kilmer by the 49ers of the NFL and Chargers of the AFL. (Lamonica did play for the Bills and Kilmer did play for the 49ers)

 

F. Perhaps, technically the number should be 26 QBs and 45.6%.....as I did not include Joe Namath who was drafted by the Cardinals and the Jets....but played with the Jets.

 

So, the moral of the story is: Teams almost as often as not get their Super Bowl starting QB other than from drafting them. Many are obtained later via trade or free agency. A couple were the subject of draft day (or immediate post draft day) trades, like Eli and Elway.

 

So, think about it.....when the Browns make the Super Bowl, there may be about a 45% chance it will not be with a QB that they drafted.

 

And FYI, no, no QB ever drafted by the Browns ever started a Super Bowl. The closest I can think of is Bernie Kosar coming in at the very end of the game in the 1993 SB for the Cowboys vs. the Bills.

The Browns have had 3 SB starting QBs on their roster at some point. They had Len Dawson in like 1960 start one game for them. Then they let him go...not sure why. Then both Trent Dilfer and Jake Delhomme were on the Browns at the very ends of their careers.

[dawg2fan]

Agree with all points. If you listen to Bruce Drennan Live you'll think we will never make it to a SB.

[The Gipper]

But....I am not inferring that the Browns will have a 45.6% chance of making a Super Bowl with Josh McCown.

That would be rich though.

[sisky fringo]

I really like this one a lot Gip...and although it probably doesn't show up much, i really appreciate your time and effort put into doing stuff like this. good stuff.

[LondonBrown]

I really like this one a lot Gip...and although it probably doesn't show up much, i really appreciate your time and effort put into doing stuff like this. good stuff.

 

Hear hear, these and the quizzes are a great source of info for me.

[gftChris]

I think starting QB could potentially be misleading, as you can end up with guys filling in for someone injured in the playoffs, or guys who are/were just game managers (trent dilfer?). Not sure what's a better statistic though - maybe look at only those who have started multiple SBs?

[The Gipper]

I think starting QB could potentially be misleading, as you can end up with guys filling in for someone injured in the playoffs, or guys who are/were just game managers (trent dilfer?). Not sure what's a better statistic though - maybe look at only those who have started multiple SBs?

Fair point....at least as far as the "multiple starts" QBs. I did not mean to say that of the 98 starters of a Super Bowl game that 45 percent of them were not drafted by their team. Yes, there are those who started multiple games like Brady, Bradshaw, Montana, who did start 4 or more with the team that did draft them. (though 5 time starter Elway was not one of them).

As noted: 57 individuals have been among the 98 starters. (2x49) It is 45% of those individuals who did not start for the team that drafted them.

 

But, to my recollection, there were not that many "fill-in QBs" in Super bowls. A few notables were Earl Morrall filling in for Unitas, Jeff Hostetler filling in for Simms, I actually don't know of any others. Trent Dilfer became the Ravens starting QB halfway through that season....not because he filled in but because he took over. You could say that Brady was a "fill-in" for a part of that 2001 season...but he certainly took the team over long before playoff time.

Then there was Bob Griese.....he was the incumbent starter for the Dolphins in 1972, but got injured very early in the season. Earl Morral came in and started nearly every game that year...until the Super Bowl, when Griese recovered and was given the SB start.

Also, really Kurt Warner was like Brady in 1999. He did not start out the Rams starting QB. I believe Trent Edwards did.....but when Edwards got hurt early on Warner came in and took the job.

The other one I am not sure of is Craig Morton. He and Staubach were battling for the starters positions on those 1970 Cowboys. Morton had the reigns that year, even though Staubach wrested them from him in later years.