Tom Brady has an opportunity to surpass the quarterback he grew up idolizing, Joe Montana, by winning a fourth Super Bowl MVP on Sunday. If Brady claims MVP honors go with a fifth ring when the Patriots face the Falcons in Super Bowl LI in Houston, is he the greatest of all time? One word: Yes.
In 50 Super Bowls, there have been 51 MVPs but only one who played on the losing team. That player -- you'll have to scroll down to see -- is also one of only 10 defensive players to claim the honor. Yeah, everybody loves offense, and especially QBs, who've claimed Super Bowl MVP honors 27 times.
It's a list that winds from Packers legend Bart Starr's two MVPs in Super Bowls I and II to the Broncos' Von Miller claiming MVP honors last January in Santa Clara, Calif., with a six-tackle, 2.5-sack throttling of Cam Newton and the favored Panthers in Super Bowl 50.
Super Bowl LI will be played at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, home of the Houston Texans. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. ET.
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Here is the full list of the previous 50 Super Bowl MVP winners:
| Super Bowl | MVP, Position, Team | Stat line |
| I | Bart Starr, QB, Green Bay | Two touchdown passes in the Packers' 35-10 win over the Chiefs |
| II | Bart Starr, QB, Green Bay | 202 yards passing, 1 TD in the Packers' 33-14 win over the Oakland Raiders |
| III | Joe Namath, QB, New York | 206 yards passing in the Jets' 16-7 upset win over the Colts |
| IV | Len Dawson, QB, Kansas City | 142 yards passing, 1 TD in the Chiefs' 23-7 win over the Vikings |
| V | Chuck Howley, LB, Dallas | Two interceptions and a fumble recovery in a 16-13 loss to the Colts |
| VI | Roger Staubach, QB, Dallas | 119 yards passing and 2 TDs and a 24-3 Cowboys' rout of the Dolphins |
| VII | Jake Scott, S, Miami | Two interceptions in the Dolphins' 14-7 win over the Redskins to cap the NFL's only perfect season |
| VIII | Larry Csonka, FB, Miami | 33 carries, 145 yards rushing, 2 TDs in the Dolphins' 24-7 win over the Vikings |
| IX | Franco Harris, RB, Pittsburgh | 158 yards rushing, 1 TD in the Steelers' 16-6 win over the Vikings |
| X | Lynn Swann, WR, Pittsburgh | 4 catches, 161 yards, 1 TD in the Steelers' 21-17 win over the Cowboys |
| XI | Fred Biletnikoff, WR, Oakland | 4 catches, 79 yards in the Raiders' 32-14 win over the Vikings |
| XII | Harvey Martin & Randy White, DL, Dallas | Led Dallas defense that forced eight turnovers in a 27-10 win over the Broncos |
| XIII | Terry Bradshaw, QB, Pittsburgh | 318 yards passing, 4 TDs in a 35-31 win over the Cowboys |
| XIV | Terry Bradshaw, QB, Pittsburgh | 309 yards passing, 2 TDs in a 31-19 win over the Los Angeles Rams |
| XV | Jim Plunkett, QB, Oakland | 261 yards passing, 3 TDs in a 27-10 win over the Eagles |
| XVI | Joe Montana, QB, San Francisco | 157 yards passing, 1 TD in a 26-21 win over the Bengals |
| XVII | John Riggins, RB, Washington | 166 yards rushing, 1 TD in a 27-17 Redskins' win over the Dolphins |
| XVIII | Marcus Allen, RB, Los Angeles | 20 carries, 191 yards rushing, 2 TDs in a 38-9 Raiders' win over the Redskins |
| XIX | Joe Montana, QB, San Francisco | 331 yards passing, 3 TDs in a 38-16 win over the Dolphins |
| XX | Richard Dent, DE, Chicago | 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles in the Bears' 46-10 demolition of the Patriots |
| XXI | Phil Simms, QB, New York | 268 yards passing, 3 TDs in the Giants' 39-20 win over the Broncos |
| XXII | Doug Williams, QB, Washington | 340 yards passing, 4 TDs in the Redskins' 42-10 rout of the Broncos |
| XXIII | Jerry Rice, WR, San Francisco | 11 catches, 215 yards, 1 TD in the 49ers' 20-16 win over the Bengals |
| XXIV | Joe Montana, QB, San Francisco | 297 yards passing, 5 TDs in the 49ers' 55-10 drubbing of the Broncos |
| XXV | Ottis Anderson, RB, New York | 102 yards rushing, 1 TD in the Giants' 20-19 win over the Bills |
| XXVI | Mark Rypien, QB, Washington | 292 yards passing, 2 TDs in the Redskins' 37-24 win over the Bills |
| XXVII | Troy Aikman, QB, Dallas | 273 yards passing, 4 TDs in the Cowboys' 52-17 win over the Bills |
| XXVIII | Emmitt Smith, RB, Dallas | 30 carries, 132 yards, 2 TDs in the Cowboys' 30-13 win over the Bills |
| XXIX | Steve Young, QB, San Francisco | 325 yards passing, 6 TDs in the 49ers' 49-26 rout of the Chargers |
| XXX | Larry Brown, CB, Dallas | Two interceptions in the Cowboys' 27-17 win over the Steelers |
| XXXI | Desmond Howard, KR, Green Bay | 244 all-purpose yards, 99-yard kick return TD in the Packers' 35-21 win over the Patriots |
| XXXII | Terrell Davis, RB, Denver | 30 carries, 157 yards, 3 TDs in the Broncos' 31-24 win over the Packers |
| XXXIII | John Elway, QB, Denver | 336 yards passing, 1 TD in the Broncos' 34-19 win over the Falcons |
| XXXIV | Kurt Warner, QB, St. Louis | 414 yards passing, 2 TDs in the St. Louis Rams' 23-16 win over the Titans |
| XXXV | Ray Lewis, LB, Baltimore | Led a dominant Ravens defense in a 34-7 win over the Giants |
| XXXVI | Tom Brady, QB, New England | 145 yards passing, 1 TD in a 20-17 win over the Rams |
| XXXVII | Dexter Jackson, CB, Tampa Bay | Two first-half interceptions in a 48-21 Bucs' rout of the Raiders |
| XXXVIII | Tom Brady, QB, New England | 354 yards passing, 3 TDs in the Patriots' 32-29 win over the Panthers |
| XXXIX | Deion Branch, WR, New England | 11 catches, 133 yards in the Patriots' 24-21 win over the Eagles |
| XL | Hines Ward, WR, Pittsburgh | 5 catches, 123 yards, 1 TD in the Steelers' 21-10 win over the Seahawks |
| XLI | Peyton Manning, QB, Indianapolis | 247 yards passing, 1 TD in the Colts' 29-17 win over the Bears |
| XLII | Eli Manning, QB, New York Giants | 255 yards passing, 2 TDs in the Giants' 17-14 upset of the Patriots |
| XLIII | Santonio Holmes, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers | 9 catches, 131 yards, 1 TD in the Steelers' 27-23 win over the Cardinals |
| XLIV | Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints | 32-of-39, 288 yards, 2 TDs in the Saints' 31-17 win over the Colts |
| XLV | Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers | 24-of-39, 304 yards, 3 TDs in the Packers' 31-25 win over the Steelers |
| XLVI | Eli Manning, QB, New York Giants | 30-of-40, 296 yards, 1 TD in the Giants' 21-17 win over the Patriots |
| XLVII | Joe Flacco, QB, Baltimore Ravens | 22-of-33, 287 yards, 3 TDs in the Ravens' 34-31 win over the 49ers |
| XLVIII | Malcolm Smith, LB, Seattle Seahawks | INT for TD, fumble recovery, 10 tackles in the Seahawks' 43-8 demolition of the Broncos |
| XLIX | Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots | 37-of-50, 328 yards, 4 TDs in the Patriots' 28-24 win over the Seahawks |
| 50 | Von Miller, LB, Denver Broncos | Six tackles, 2.5 sacks, one pass defended in the Broncos' 24-10 win over the Panthers |