Super Bowl History: How Have First-Time Quarterbacks Fared?

While Patrick Mahomes will be making his fourth Super Bowl appearance when the Kansas City Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers in this year's Super Bowl, Brock Purdy will be making his debut in the big game. The second-year quarterback has helped San Francisco's offense reach historic heights this season under head coach Kyle Shanahan.

According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the 49ers are currently 2.5-point favorites, and the over/under is set at 47.5 for the Niners' impending showdown against the Chiefs. With Purdy manning the controls of the offense, many expect San Francisco to win its first Lombardi Trophy since the 1994-1995 season.

Ahead of Purdy's premiere in the Super Bowl, let's take a look at the history of quarterbacks making their debuts in the Super Bowl since the 1990-1991 campaign.

Super Bowl History of First-Time Quarterbacks

Over the years, we've witnessed plenty of quarterbacks make their Super Bowl debuts. Some quarterbacks noticeably struggle with the added pressure of playing on the biggest stage while other quarterbacks rise to the occasion.

Since the 1990-1991 season, there have been 39 different quarterbacks who have started in the Super Bowl. Of those 39 quarterbacks, 38 of them made their Super Bowl debuts in that span -- with the lone exception being John Elway.

Making it back to the Super Bowl is easier than done for quarterbacks who reached the final game of the season before. When looking over the last 33 seasons in the NFL, 27 of the quarterbacks who made their debuts in the Super Bowl have failed to make a second appearance as a starter.

Considering that quarterbacks are typically favored to win Super Bowl MVP, 12 quarterbacks who have made their Super Bowl debut in the last 33 seasons have won the award. The most recent quarterback to make his debut in the Super Bowl and be named the Super Bowl MVP in the contest was Mahomes in 2019-2020 when he defeated the 49ers.

So, what should we expect from Purdy in his first career start in the Super Bowl?

Purdy's Outlook in His Super Bowl Debut

In his first full season -- including the playoffs -- as the starting signal-caller for the 49ers, Purdy has totaled 4,799 passing yards, 33 passing touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. The final pick of the 2022 NFL draft also led all quarterbacks in expected points added per drop back (0.24) and passing success rate (54.4%), via NextGenStats.

The one thing that has stood out for Purdy this season is his efficiency despite attempting the 16th-most passes (514) among quarterbacks. With the loaded arsenal of weapons they possess on the offensive side of the ball, the 49ers don't often need Purdy to put the team on his back.

Following a strong showing from Purdy up to this point, the over/under on Purdy's passing yards prop for the upcoming Super Bowl is listed at 245.5 yards. Purdy's passing touchdown prop of over 1.5 passing touchdowns is also sitting at -122 odds, indicating that many expect him to toss multiple touchdowns in his debut.

For the Super Bowl MVP betting market, Purdy boasts the second-best odds (+200) behind Mahomes. Even with Purdy having a shaky stretch in the postseason, there is confidence in him bouncing back when it matters most for the 49ers.

Despite it being Purdy's first start in the Super Bowl, expectations are fairly high for Purdy entering Sunday's clash against the Chiefs.

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