Nick Foles is trying to become the first backup quarterback to win the Super Bowl since Tom Brady in the 2001 season.Getty Images/AP/Business Insider/Mark Abadi
- Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles could become just the tenth backup quarterback to lead his team to a Super Bowl win on Sunday.
- The last backup quarterback to accomplish the feat was Tom Brady — Foles’ opponent in Super Bowl LII.
- Brady famously took over for Drew Bledsoe in Week 2 of the 2001 season, while Foles took over for Carson Wentz in Week 14 this year.
If the Philadelphia Eagles want any chance of winning Super Bowl LII on Sunday, they’ll need quarterback Nick Foles to outduel Tom Brady, arguably the greatest quarterback in NFL history.
A victory over the New England Patriots would cap a remarkable season for Foles, who took over for starter Carson Wentz in Week 14 after the MVP candidate went down with an ACL injury.
If Foles can pull off the upset, he would be just the tenth quarterback in NFL history to lead their team to a Super Bowl victory after starting the season as a backup.
Interestingly, the last backup quarterback to lead his team to a Super Bowl was none other than Brady himself.
As the famous story goes, Brady was second on the New England Patriots’ depth chart in 2001 behind starter Drew Bledsoe, a New England legend in his own right.
Just two games into the season, Bledsoe was injured on a devastating hit by New York Jets linebacker Mo Lewis. Brady took over quarterbacking duties, and performed so well that he never relinquished the starting role. The Patriots went 11-3 in Brady’s starts that season, and their magical season ended with a 20-17 Super Bowl win over the heavily-favored St. Louis Rams.
Now gunning for his record sixth Super Bowl victory, Brady will try to prevent Foles from etching his name in the history books.
Here are all the backup quarterbacks who have led their teams to Super Bowl victories:
- Earl Morrall, Baltimore Colts, Super Bowl V, 1971 season
- Roger Staubach, Dallas Cowboys, Super Bowl VI, 1972 season
- Terry Bradshaw, Pittsburgh Steelers, Super Bowl IX, 1974 season
- Jim Plunkett, Oakland Raiders, Super Bowl XV, 1980 season
- Doug Williams, Washington Redskins, Super Bowl XXII, 1987 season
- Jeff Hostetler, New York Giants, Super Bowl XXV, 1990 season
- Kurt Warner, St. Louis Rams, Super Bowl XXXIV, 1999 season
- Trent Dilfer, Baltimore Ravens, Super Bowl XXXV, 2000 season
- Tom Brady, New England Patriots, Super Bowl XXXVI, 2001 season
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