When Matthew Stafford found Cooper Kupp for the game-winning touchdown with 1:25 left in Super Bowl LVI, he joined an exclusive fraternity of quarterbacks who have thrown at least three touchdown passes in a single Super Bowl. When Kupp, who caught two of those TD passes, was named the game’s MVP, it put Stafford in a class by himself.
Stafford is the only quarterback in Super Bowl history to throw at least three TD passes for the winning team and not be named the game’s MVP.
Stafford, who completed 26 of 40 passes for 283 yards and three scores, became the 17th player in NFL history to throw at least three touchdowns passes in a Super Bowl. Tom Brady has accomplished the feat four times and Joe Montana has done it twice.
Stafford is just the seventh quarterback to throw three TDs in a Super Bowl but not walk away with the Pete Rozelle Trophy as the game’s MVP. The first six made more sense—they all came in a losing effort:
Roger Staubach, Cowboys, Super Bowl XIII (MVP was Steelers QB Terry Bradshaw, who also threw three TDs in that game)
Brett Favre, Packers, XXXII (Terrell Davis was MVP for Broncos)
Jake Delhomme, Panthers, XXXVIII (Brady, with three TDs, was MVP for Patriots)
Donovan McNabb, XXXIX (Brady was MVP for Patriots)
Kurt Warner, Cardinals, XLIII (Santonio Holmes was MVP for Steelers)
Tom Brady, Patriots, LII (Nick Foles, with three TDs, was MVP for Eagles)
Kupp, who had a storybook 2021 season in which he led the NFL in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, had eight catches for 92 yards and two scores in the 23–20 win over the Bengals in Super Bowl LVI.
Few fans are questioning whether Kupp deserved MVP honors, but Stafford not winning it made history.
