History has not been on the side of quarterbacks who lose in their first Super Bowl appearance, especially over the last 30 years. Jalen Hurts has a chance to end one of the weirdest quirks in recent Super Bowl history, needing a victory in the NFC Championship game to accomplish the task.
If Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Washington Commanders, Hurts will become the first quarterback to lose in his Super Bowl debut as a starter and return to the championship game since Jim Kelly in 1992 — back when there were 28 teams in the NFL. The last 19 quarterbacks to make their Super Bowl debut as a starter and lose, never returned to the championship game.
Of these 19 quarterbacks, only Drew Bledsoe did return to the Super Bowl — as a backup to Tom Brady on the 2001 New England Patriots. Steve McNair, Jake Delhomme, Donovan McNabb, Colin Kaepernick, Jared Goff, Jimmy Garoppolo and Joe Burrow all went back to the conference championship game — but didn’t return to the Super Bowl.
Hurts can end this skid that has lasted for 33 years. Kelly went to four consecutive Super Bowls, but lost in all four of them. The last quarterback to lose in his Super Bowl debut as a starter only to win a Super Bowl later in his career was John Elway in 1998 (Super Bowl XXXII).
Of the quarterbacks to lose a Super Bowl in their debit as a starter and return to the Super Bowl, only Len Dawson, Bob Griese and Elway won the championship in their second appearance. This is the history at stake for Hurts with the NFC Championship game being the first step.
