The Super Bowl MVP award exists for the moments that change The Big Game — and shape careers.
The honor of Super Bowl MVP — which stands for Most Valuable Player — goes to the player whose performance leaves the biggest mark on the game, decided by a panel of media voters moments after the game ends.
With Super Bowl LX right around the corner, the next MVP performance will cement another entry into NFL lore.
Below, we’ll dive into the five best Super Bowl MVPs of all-time and provide a full history of Super Bowl MVP winners list as February’s big gameapproaches. With PrizePicks Team Picks, you can turn your Super Bowl MVP predictions — plus game winners, spreads, and totals — into real money if you’re right.
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5 Best Super Bowl MVPs of All-Time: Sizing Up the Field
It’s no secret that there have been some truly historic performances in the most important annual NFL game. Below are the five best Super Bowl MVPs ever, ranked in ascending order.
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#5: 49ers QB Joe Montana – Super Bowl XXIV vs. Broncos
In what wound up being the final Super Bowl performance of his illustrious career, QB Joe Montana delivered with execution that matched the hype. Going 22-of-29 passing (75.9%), the longtime San Francisco signal-caller amassed 297 yards and 5 TDs through the air with a 147.6 passer rating.
The performance earned Montana his third Super Bowl MVP and a perfect 4-0 record in the championship game. A dominant 55-10 win over the Broncos — the biggest Super Bowl margin of victory to this day — was a perfect way to end his age-33 season.
Montana went on to play four more seasons and sit one out due to injury, going 3-3 in the playoffs.
#4: Redskins QB Doug Williams – Super Bowl XXII vs. Broncos
Despite appearing in just five regular-season games in 1987, Doug Williams managed to justify head coach Joe Gibbs’ decision to turn to him at QB prior to the playoffs.
Williams piled up seven passing touchdowns in that three-game playoff run, including a 340-yard, four-touchdown performance in the Super Bowl.
As the first Black QB to start in a Super Bowl, Williams made history. Throwing for 340 yards, he helped dig Washington out of an early 10-0 hole to drop 42 points in a row.
A special night, for multiple reasons, will stand forever in sports history.
#3: 49ers WR Jerry Rice – Super Bowl XXIII vs. Bengals
WR Jerry Rice led the 1988-89 playoff field in targets (29), receptions (21), receiving yards (409), and TDs (6). An 11-catch, 215-yard, 1-TD outing in Super Bowl XXIII capped off his postseason legend for the season.
Rice’s game-tying TD in the final frame helped propel San Francisco back to victory. Accounting for 47.8% of Montana’s completions and 60.2% of his passing yards, it was a downright excellent game from the best WR ever.
#2: Patriots QB Tom Brady – Super Bowl LI vs. Falcons
The Patriots’ comeback from down 28-3 with 2:15 left in the third quarter might be the single-most impressive feat in NFL history. They likely don’t get it done without QB Tom Brady at the helm, and the G.O.A.T. lived up to his reputation in Super Bowl LI.
Brady set Super Bowl records with 43 completions and 62 attempts, adding 466 yards and 2 TDs. In the first Super Bowl to go to overtime, the stakes couldn’t have been higher.
Historic stat lines like Brady’s 466-yard comeback performance are exactly why Super Bowl MVP predictions and DFS picks get so much attention ahead of the Super Bowl on sports picks apps like PrizePicks.
#1: 49ers QB Steve Young (Super Bowl XXIX vs. Chargers)
In his first Super Bowl as a starter, QB Steve Young raised the bar with a Super Bowl-record six passing touchdowns, including three to Hall of Fame WR Jerry Rice. It completed a near-perfect postseason stretch for Young, where the Hall of Fame QB posted a 117.2 passer rating with 9 TDs and 0 INTs.
San Francisco’s choice to move on from Montana and give Young the keys to the car was proven right. Despite giving up 26 points, the 49ers scored 49 behind Young’s performance — more than enough to come away with a statement win.
Young also became the first QB to lead both teams in passing (325) and rushing yards (49) in a Super Bowl. That accomplishment puts him in football immortality.
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Full Super Bowl MVP Winners List
The Super Bowl MVP is awarded to one player who gives the most valuable performance in every Super Bowl game. Here’s a complete list of every player to come home with a Super Bowl MVP award.
For NFL fans looking to make their Super Bowl MVP predictions on apps like PrizePicks, this list also shows which positions tend to win the award most.
Super Bowl I-X MVPs: Full List
Super Bowl I: Packers QB Bart Starr
Super Bowl II: Packers QB Bart Starr
Super Bowl III: Jets QB Joe Namath
Super Bowl IV: Chiefs QB Len Dawson
Super Bowl V: Cowboys QB Chuck Howley
Super Bowl VI: Cowboys QB Roger Staubach
Super Bowl VII: Dolphins S Jake Scott
Super Bowl VIII: Dolphins FB Larry Csonka
Super Bowl IX: Steelers RB Franco Harris
Super Bowl X: Steelers WR Lynn Swann
Super Bowl XI-XX MVPs: Full List
Super Bowl XI: Raiders WR Fred Biletnikoff
Super Bowl XII: Cowboys DL Harvey Martin, Randy White
Super Bowl XIII: Steelers QB Terry Bradshaw
Super Bowl XIV: Steelers QB Terry Bradshaw
Super Bowl XV: Raiders QB Jim Plunkett
Super Bowl XVI: 49ers QB Joe Montana
Super Bowl XVII: Redskins RB John Riggins
Super Bowl XVIII: Raiders RB Marcus Allen
Super Bowl XIX: 49ers QB Joe Montana
Super Bowl XX: Bears DE Richard Dent
Super Bowl XXI-XXX MVPs: Full List
Super Bowl XXI: Giants QB Phil Simms
Super Bowl XXII: Redskins QB Doug Williams
Super Bowl XXIII: 49ers WR Jerry Rice
Super Bowl XXIV: 49ers QB Joe Montana
Super Bowl XXV: Giants RB Ottis Anderson
Super Bowl XXVI: Redskins QB Mark Rypien
Super Bowl XXVII: Cowboys QB Troy Aikman
Super Bowl XXVIII: Cowboys RB Emmitt Smith
Super Bowl XXIX: 49ers QB Steve Young
Super Bowl XXX: Cowboys CB Larry Brown
Super Bowl XXXI-XL MVPs: Full List
Super Bowl XXXI: Packers WR Desmond Howard
Super Bowl XXXII: Broncos RB Terrell Davis
Super Bowl XXXIII: Broncos QB John Elway
Super Bowl XXXIV: Rams QB Kurt Warner
Super Bowl XXXV: Ravens LB Ray Lewis
Super Bowl XXXVI: Patriots QB Tom Brady
Super Bowl XXXVII: Buccaneers CB Dexter Jackson
Super Bowl XXXVIII: Patriots QB Tom Brady
Super Bowl XXXIX: Patriots WR Deion Branch
Super Bowl XL: Steelers WR Hines Ward
Super Bowl XLI-L MVPs: Full List
Super Bowl XLI: Colts QB Peyton Manning
Super Bowl XLII: Giants QB Eli Manning
Super Bowl XLIII: Steelers WR Santonio Holmes
Super Bowl XLIV: Saints QB Drew Brees
Super Bowl XLV: Packers QB Aaron Rodgers
Super Bowl XLVI: Giants QB Eli Manning
Super Bowl XLVII: Ravens QB Joe Flacco
Super Bowl XLVIII: Seahawks LB Malcolm Smith
Super Bowl XLIX: Patriots QB Tom Brady
Super Bowl L: Broncos LB Von Miller
Super Bowl LI-LIX MVPs: Full List
Super Bowl LI: Patriots QB Tom Brady
Super Bowl LII: Eagles QB Nick Foles
Super Bowl LIII: Patriots WR Julian Edelman
Super Bowl LIV: Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes
Super Bowl LV: Buccaneers QB Tom Brady
Super Bowl LVI: Rams WR Cooper Kupp
Super Bowl LVII: Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes
Super Bowl LVIII: Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes
Super Bowl LIX: Eagles QB Jalen Hurts
Who Will Win The 2026 Super Bowl MVP?
The most legendary NFL players of all-time have cemented their legacies with incredible Super Bowl MVP performances.
The Super Bowl MVP award doesn’t always go to the most famous name on the field, but it almost always reflects how the game was won.
You can make your playoff picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks. Just pick players, predict More or Less on their projected stats, and cash in if you’re correct. With Team Picks, make predictions on winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 30 states.
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