Joe Burrow has done just about everything expected of him as a former No. 1 overall pick.
In just his second year under center, Burrow has led the Bengals to Super Bowl 56, the first time a first overall selection has taken a team to the big game in his first two years.
Burrow was a bit older coming out of college — he was a redshirt senior at LSU and was 23 when he was taken in the 2020 NFL Draft. Still, his age makes him one of the youngest quarterbacks to start in a Super Bowl. Should the Bengals win, he'd make even more history.
Where does Burrow rank among the youngest quarterbacks to both start, and, if it should play out this way, win a Super Bowl? Sporting News dives in.
Youngest quarterbacks to win a Super Bowl
When Burrow takes the field at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, he will be 25 years and 65 days old. The last quarterback that young to play in a Super Bowl was Patrick Mahomes when he faced the 49ers in his first trip to the game.
Few signal-callers younger than Burrow have ever won a Super Bowl. Here's the full list:
| Quarterback | Age | Super Bowl | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Roethlisberger | 23 years, 340 days | Super Bowl 40 | Steelers 21, Seahawks 10 |
| Patrick Mahomes | 24 years, 138 days | Super Bowl 54 | Chiefs 31, 49ers 20 |
| Tom Brady | 24 years, 184 days | Super Bowl 36 | Patriots 20, Rams 17 |
| Russell Wilson | 25 years, 65 days | Super Bowl 48 | Seahawks 43, Broncos 8 |
Ben Roethlisberger is the youngest quarterback to ever start and win a Super Bowl, when he led the Steelers to a title in 2006at just 23 years old. When Wilson beat Peyton Manning, he was the same age — to the day — that Burrow will be when the Bengals face the Rams on Sunday.
All told, only six quarterbacks 25 years old or younger have won a Super Bowl. Along with the aforementioned four, Joe Montana (1982) and Joe Namath (1969) were the other two quarterbacks to win a title at age 25 or younger. Those two Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterbacks were both older than Burrow at the time of the game.
Youngest quarterbacks to start a Super Bowl
Burrow will become only the 13th different quarterback 25 years old or younger to start in a Super Bowl. Mahomes is the only quarterback to start twice at age 25 or younger.
The youngest quarterback to start a Super Bowl was Dan Marino, who was 23 years old and 127 days when he started Super Bowl 19 for the Dolphins. The 49ers won the game 38-16.
Burrow will be tied with Wilson as the 12th-youngest quarterback to start in a Super Bowl.
The average age of a starting quarterback is 30 years old, and the median is 29. A plurality of the starting quarterbacks in the Super Bowl were 26 years old. Stafford will contribute to the group of 34-year-old QBs to make it nine, tying it for the sixth-most age.
Largest age differential at QB
Stafford is just days removed from turning 34 — his birthday came on Feb. 7 — making him nine years older than Burrow in the Super Bowl.
That is one of the largest age differentials between the teams' starting quarterbacks in the Super Bowl. Here's a look at the other large age differentials.
| Older QB | Younger QB | Age Differential | Super Bowl | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Brady (43) | Patrick Mahomes (25) | 18 | Super Bowl 55 | Buccaneers 31, Chiefs 9 |
| Tom Brady (41) | Jared Goff (24) | 17 | Super Bowl 53 | Patriots 13, Rams 3 |
| Peyton Manning (39) | Cam Newton (26) | 13 | Super Bowl 50 | Broncos 24, Panthers 10 |
| Peyton Manning (37) | Russell Wilson (25) | 12 | Super Bowl 48 | Seahawks 43, Broncos 8 |
| Tom Brady (40) | Nick Foles (29) | 11 | Super Bowl 52 | Eagles 41, Patriots 33 |
| Tom Brady (37) | Russell Wilson (26) | 11 | Super Bowl 49 | Patriots 28, Seahawks 24 |
| Kurt Warner (37) | Ben Roethlisberger (26) | 11 | Super Bowl 43 | Steelers 27, Cardinals 23 |
| Johnny Unitas (37) | Craig Morton (27) | 10 | Super Bowl 5 | Colts 16, Cowboys 13 |
| John Elway (37) | Brett Favre (28) | 9 | Super Bowl 32 | Broncos 31, Packers 24 |
| Joe Theismann (33) | David Woodley (24) | 9 | Super Bowl 17 | Redskins 27, Dolphins 17 |
| Earl Morrall (34) | Joe Namath (25) | 9 | Super Bowl 3 | Jets 16, Colts 7 |
There have been 11 Super Bowls, prior to this one, where there is at least a nine-year age gap between the two starting quarterbacks. Brady accounts for four of those entries and Peyton Manning had his two trips with Denver that placed him on the list.
In those games, seven times the older quarterback came out the winner, while only four times the younger came away with the victory.
