Tom Brady has won more Super Bowl rings than any other player in NFL history, but he doesn't have all the bragging rights in Tampa. And that's because there is one former Buccaneers player who actually holds a record for Super Bowl rings that not even Brady has been able to match.
When the Buccaneers handed out their Super Bowl rings on Thursday night, Kenjon Barner collected the third ring of his career. Although Brady has won four more rings than Barner, the running back does hold one edge over Brady: He won the three rings with three different teams, which means Barner is now tied with Matt Millen when it comes to the NFL record for most Super Bowl rings with different teams.
During his 12-year career, Millen won a total of four rings with three different teams (Raiders twice, 49ers, Washington). Barner's path to the Super Bowl ring record is a little bit crazier than Millen's, and that's because the 32-year-old has basically spent his entire career as a journeyman running back who has thrived on special teams. On the other hand, Millen was on the field as a starting linebacker for his entire career.
Barner's NFL career started with the Panthers in 2013 after Carolina made him a sixth-round pick in the NFL Draft. Although things didn't work out with the Panthers, Barner did latch on with the Eagles in 2014 and he was still there in 2017, which allowed him to win his first Super Bowl ring.
During Philly's 2017 season, Barner touched the ball just 21 times on offense, however he did touch the ball regularly on special teams. In the Eagles' Super Bowl LI win over the Patriots, Barner made his mark on special teams by averaging 24.3 yards on three returns.
After four seasons in Philly, Barner moved on to New England in 2018. During a wild season, Barner was cut by the Patriots three different times over the course of three months. During his five games on New England's active roster, Barner carried the ball 19 times for 71 yards.
For some teams, that might not be enough to earn a Super Bowl ring, but it was for the Patriots, who definitely didn't have to give Barner a ring. Under NFL rules, the league will only provide money for up to 150 rings. However, Robert Kraft ended up paying for 231 rings and Barner was one of the players who got one even though he didn't end the season on New England's roster (you can read more details on that unique situation by clicking here).
Barner's third ring, of course, came with the Buccaneers. The running back signed with Tampa Bay's practice squad in September and ended up playing in a total of six games for the Buccaneers in 2020. Unfortunately for Barner, he suffered a groin injury in Week 16, which forced Tampa Bay to put him on injured reserve. Despite being on IR for the Super Bowl, he still got a ring on Thursday, which means he now has three rings with three different teams, something not even Brady can say he's done.
Of course, once Brady finds out about this, no one will be surprised if he finds a new team to win a Super Bowl with, just so he can match Millen's and Barner's record.
That being said, Barner is currently a free agent, which means if he finds a new team to play for and that team wins the Super Bowl this season, then he'll leave Millen in the dust and have the all-time record to himself.
