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The biggest honor a football player can receive is winning Super Bowl MVP.
That award usually means that a player was a crucial part to their team’s championship victory, typically representing the best player on the best team in the Super Bowl. Normally, this award goes to a quarterback, but any player who has a standout performance in the Super Bowl is eligible to win the award.
There are some exclusive clubs in the NFL, but the club of Super Bowl MVPs is one of the most exclusive. Here’s everything there is to know about the Super Bowl MVP award.
MORE: Which team has won the most Super Bowls?
Which player has the most Super Bowl MVPs?
Tom Brady has the most Super Bowl MVPs in NFL history, having won five awards in his seven victories. Brady clears second on the list by two, as Patrick Mahomes and Joe Montana both have three Super Bowl MVP awards.
Additionally, Brady is the only player in NFL history to win Super Bowl MVP with two different franchises.
MORE: How Tom Brady leads the way with most Super Bowl wins
Most Super Bowl MVPs by playerPlayerPositionTeam(s)MVPsSuper BowlsTom BradyQBPatriots, Buccaneers536, 38, 49, 51, 55Patrick MahomesQBChiefs354, 57, 58Joe MontanaQB49ers316, 19, 24Eli ManningQBGiants242, 46Terry BradshawQBSteelers213, 14Bart StarQBPackers21, 2
One of the most exclusive clubs in NFL history is the group that has won multiple Super Bowl MVPs. Only six players have done that in their careers, all being quarterbacks, as Tom Brady unsurprisingly leads the way with five.
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How many Super Bowl MVPs does Tom Brady have?
Tom Brady has five Super Bowl MVPs in his career to go along with his seven wins.
Super Bowl 36: Patriots 20, Rams 17
Stats: 16-of-27, 145 passing yards, 1 touchdown
Brady won MVP in his first Super Bowl victory, as the New England Patriots upset the St. Louis Rams. Brady’s numbers didn’t jump off the page, as the story of the game was largely the New England defense stifling the “Greatest Show on Turf.” However, with 81 seconds left in a tie game, Brady successfully got the Patriots into field goal range, allowing Adam Vinatieri to hit a game-winning field goal.
Super Bowl 38: Patriots 32, Panthers 29
Stats: 32-of-48, 354 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception
Brady played a much bigger role in his second Super Bowl MVP performance, as he totaled 354 passing yards and three scores in another three-point win. Once again, Brady was able to get the Patriots into field goal range in the final seconds, when Vinatieri won the game.
Super Bowl 49: Patriots 28, Seahawks 24
Stats: 37-of-50, 328 passing yards, 4 touchdowns, 2 interceptions
Super Bowl 49 is most-remembered for the Malcolm Butler interception, but that would never have happened if Brady didn’t lead a 10-point comeback. Down 24-14 entering the fourth quarter, Brady helped execute two huge touchdown drives against the “Legion of Boom” defense, taking a four-point lead that would end up as the final score.
Super Bowl 51: Patriots 34, Falcons 28
Stats: 43-of-62, 466 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception
Brady took over Super Bowl 51 and executed the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history, helping erase a 28-3 deficit against the Atlanta Falcons. Brady set a record for most passing yards in a Super Bowl, which he would break a year later, and helped the Patriots score three touchdowns in the fourth quarter and overtime to win his fifth Super Bowl.
Super Bowl 55: Buccaneers 31, Chiefs 9
Stats: 21-of-29, 201 passing yards, 3 touchdowns
Brady became the first player to win a Super Bowl MVP with two different teams when he led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a championship in Super Bowl 55. While Brady scored three touchdowns in the game, he didn’t need to do much as the Buccaneers defense dominated the Chiefs offense. Still, Brady was efficient and helped Tampa Bay get out to an insurmountable 21-6 lead at halftime.
MORE: What are the biggest comebacks in Super Bowl history?
How many Super Bowl MVPs does Patrick Mahomes have?
Patrick Mahomes has three Super Bowl MVPs, having won the award in each of his championships.
Super Bowl 54: Chiefs 31, 49ers 20
Stats: 26-of-42, 286 passing yards, 29 rushing yards, 3 total touchdowns, 2 interceptions
A year after winning his first league MVP, Patrick Mahomes won his first Super Bowl in comeback fashion against the San Francisco 49ers. The Chiefs were down 10 points in the fourth quarter when Mahomes led three-straight touchdown drives to not only take the lead, but produce a two-possession lead. Mahomes scored three touchdowns in the game, two by air and one on the ground.
Super Bowl 57: Chiefs 38, Eagles 35
Stats: 21/27, 182 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, 44 rushing yards
Mahomes’ numbers in Super Bowl 57 aren’t overly explosive, but the Chiefs needed all three of his touchdowns to beat the Phiadelphia Eagles. Once again, the Chiefs came from behind as they were down 24-14 at halftime, but Mahomes helped lead three scoring drives in the fourth quarter to outlast the Eagles by three.
Super Bowl 58: Chiefs 25, 49ers 22
Stats: 34/46, 333 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception, 66 rushing yards
Mahomes beat the 49ers again in Super Bowl 58, as Kansas City outlasted San Francisco in overtime. Mahomes was both the Chiefs’ leading passer and leading rusher in this game, and he led two crucial drives: a game-tying drive at the end of the fourth quarter to send the game to overtime, and a game-winning touchdown drive in overtime.
MORE: NFL quarterbacks with the highest career passer ratings
Here’s a look at every Super Bowl MVP by year.
YearSuper BowlPlayerPositionTeam202559Jalen HurtsQBEagles202458Patrick MahomesQBChiefs202357Patrick MahomesQBChiefs202256Cooper KuppWRRams202155Tom BradyQBBuccaneers202054Patrick MahomesQBChiefs201953Julian EdelmanWRPatriots201852Nick FolesQBEagles201751Tom BradyQBPatriots201650Von MillerLBBroncos201549Tom BradyQBPatriots201448Malcolm SmithLBSeahawks201347Joe FlaccoQBRavens201246Eli ManningQBGiants201145Aaron RodgersQBPackers201044Drew BreesQBSaints200943Santonio HolmesWRSteelers200842Eli ManningQBGiants200741Peyton ManningQBColts200640Hines WardWRSteelers200539Deion BranchWRPatriots200438Tom BradyQBPatriots200337Dexter JacksonCBBuccaneers200236Tom BradyQBPatriots200135Ray LewisLBRavens200034Kurt WarnerQBRams199933John ElwayQBBroncos199832Terrell DavisRBBroncos199731Desmond HowardKRPackers199630Larry BrownCBCowboys199529Steve YoungQB49ers199428Emmitt SmithRBCowboys199327Troy AikmanQBCowboys199226Mark RypienQBRedskins199125Ottis AndersonRBGiants199024Joe MontanaQB49ers198923Jerry RiceWR49ers198822Doug WilliamsQBRedskins198721Phil SimmsQBGiants198620Richard DentDEBears198519Joe MontanaQB49ers198418Marcus AllenRBRaiders198317John RigginsRBRedskins198216Joe MontanaQB49ers198115Jim PlunkettQBRaiders198014Terry BradshawQBSteelers197913Terry BradshawQBSteelers197812Harvey Martin, Randy WhiteDLCowboys197711Fred BiletnikoffWRRaiders197610Lynn SwannWRSteelers19759Franco HarrisRBSteelers19748Larry CsonkaFBDolphins19737Jake ScottSDolphins19726Roger StaubachQBCowboys19715Chuck HowleyLBCowboys19704Len DawsonQBChiefs19693Joe NamathQBJets19682Bart StarrQBPackers19671Bart StarrQBPackers
MORE: NFL teams without a Super Bowl victory
Super Bowl MVP FAQsHow does Super Bowl MVP voting work?
As the Super Bowl is winding down, or right after the game ended, 16 media members covering the game live vote on the Super Bowl MVP. There is also an NFL fan vote on NFL.com that counts for 20-percent of the vote. The 16 voters are comprised of:
Three reporters covering the AFC teamThree reporters covering the NFC teamThree at-large media membersTwo PFWA presidents Two PFWA pool reportersTwo Super Bowl broadcast partner analystsOne reporter from the host siteHas anyone won Super Bowl MVP in a loss?
The only time a player won Super Bowl MVP in a loss was in Super Bowl 5, when Dallas Cowboys defensive end Chuck Howley won the award while the Baltimore Colts won the game. Howley had two interceptions and two tackles in the defensive struggle, as the Colts won 16-13 without much offensive contribution from either side.
Who was the first Super Bowl MVP?
The first ever Super Bowl MVP was Green Bay Packers quarterback Bart Starr, who actually won MVP for Super Bowls 1 and 2.
Who was the youngest Super Bowl MVP?
Marcus Allen and Lynn Swann were both 23 years old when they won their Super Bowl MVPs. Allen was technically younger than Swann by a few weeks during his Super Bowl MVP, making him the youngest to win the award.
Who was the oldest Super Bowl MVP?
Tom Brady is the only player to win Super Bowl MVP in his 40s, as he was 43 when he won the award for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brady was also the second-oldest player to win the award, as his fourth Super Bowl MVP came at 39 years-old, one-year older the Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway’s lone Super Bowl MVP.
Has a defensive player ever won Super Bowl MVP?
There have been eight defensive players to win Super Bowl MVP in the game’s history. Most recently, Denver Broncos LB Von Miller won MVP in Super Bowl 50, and Seattle Seahawks LB Malcolm Smith won MVP in Super Bowl 48.
Has anyone repeated as Super Bowl MVP?
Three players have repeated as Super Bowl MVP: Bart Starr, Terry Bradshaw and Patrick Mahomes. Starr won the first two Super Bowl MVP awards, while Bradshaw was named MVP in Super Bowl 13 and 14, and Mahomes was MVP of Super Bowls 57 and 58.