Over 100 quarterbacks have appeared at the Super Bowl, of which only eight were Black. Of the eight who have led their teams, only three have won.
WASHINGTON — The Super Bowl dates back to Jan. 15, 1967. From that day forward, the NFL’s biggest game would continue to be played in January for 37 consecutive years. On Sept. 11, 2001, tragedy struck the country and we all stood still with baited breath.
Out of respect for those who lost their lives during the 9/11 attack, the NFL decided to push the league’s regular season games by a week. Subsequently, this pushed the Super Bowl back as well. In 2002, the Super Bowl XXXVI was held in February. The following year the league reverted to its January tradition. In 2004 the league opted to restore the bye week before the Super Bowl, permanently moving the game into February.
February also coincides with Black History Month and on Feb. 11, Patrick Mahomes will return to the field to add to his legacy. Sunday will mark Mahomes’ fourth Super Bowl appearance in the last five years.
Over 100 quarterbacks have appeared at the Super Bowl, of which only eight were Black. Of the eight who have led their teams, only three have won. In 2023, Mahomes made history by becoming the first Black quarterback to win two Super Bowl championships.
Let’s break down the legends that came before him.
Doug Williams
Team: Washington Redskins
Super Bowl Appearance: 1987
Doug Williams was the first Black quarterback to be selected in the first round of an NFL draft in 1978. He joined the Washington Redskins, now Commanders, as a backup quarterback in 1986. Williams became the first player to throw four touchdown passes in a single Super Bowl quarter, and Washington won 42-10. Williams was named the MVP and became the first Black quarterback to start in and win any NFL championship game, including those that started before the Super Bowl existed.
Steve McNair
Team: Tennessee Titans
Super Bowl Appearance: 2000
McNair spent 13 years with the Titans and led the team to four playoff appearances and Super Bowl XXXIV against the St. Louis Rams where he was just one yard short of becoming the second Black quarterback to win an NFL Super Bowl.
Donovan McNabb
Team Philadelphia Eagles
Super Bowl Appearance: 2005
McNabb spent 11 seasons with the Eagles, he led the team to five conference championships and an appearance at Super Bowl XXXIX against the New England Patriots. He became the first quarterback to throw more than 30 touchdowns and fewer than 10 interceptions in one season.
Colin Kaepernick
Team: San Francisco 49ers
Super Bowl Appearance: 2013
Kaepernick became the 49ers starting quarterback in the middle of the 2012-2013 season. He led the team to Super Bowl XLVII that same year. A few years later he famously took a knee on the field during the national anthem to protest racial inequality and police brutality in 2016.
Russell Wilson
Team: Seattle Seahawks
Super Bowl Appearance: 2014 and 2015
Wilson was the first Black quarterback to appear in two Super Bowls. Heading into Super Bowl XLVIII the Seahawks were considered the underdogs facing the Broncos, led by the legendary, Peyton Manning. Despite the odds, the Seahawks blew them out of the water 43-8. The win clinched Wilson’s spot as the second Black quarterback to win a Super Bowl championship.
Cam Newton
Team: Carolina Panthers
Super Bowl Appearance: 2016
Newton set rookie records for passing and rushing yards as a quarterback, becoming the first rookie quarterback to throw 4,000 yards in a single season. Newton and the Panthers played the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50 where he was sacked six times. Unfortunately, the Panthers lost 24-10.
Jalen Hurts
Team Philadelphia Eagles
Super Bowl Appearance: 2023
In 2020, Hurts became the Eagles’ starting quarterback in his rookie year. The following season he led the team to the playoffs. In 2022, Hurts and wide receiver A.J. Brown achieved the Eagles first 8-0 start in franchise history. This prepared them for 2023 when they made it all the way to the Super Bowl to face off against the Chiefs. This year was monumental, as it was the first time in NFL history that two Black quarterbacks would be starting at the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, there can only be one victor and the Chiefs took the ring.
Patrick Mahomes
Team: Kansas City Chiefs
Super Bowl Appearance: 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024
Mahomes is a Super Bowl veteran, having led the Chiefs to four championship games in the last five years. In 2023, the Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35, making Mahomes the only Black quarterback to win two Super Bowls. His first win is like Deja Vu, in 2020 Mahomes and the Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 31-20. Now the two will face off again on Sunday, but will history repeat itself?
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