The Washington Commanders are just a game away from their first Super Bowl appearance since 1993. It would be a significant feat for the franchise and their rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, who would become the first rookie signal caller to play in the big game in the 59-year history. And if he led his team to victory, he would be just the third Heisman Trophy winning QB to ever take home the Lombardi Trophy.
Just 2 Heisman Winning QBs Have Ever Won A Super Bowl
It was Caleb Williams who was thought of as the consensus can’t-miss prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Bears had the no. 1 overall pick and selected the USC product, but it was Daniels who wound up having the better rookie season in the NFL. Not only did he have more impressive numbers, but he led his team to a 12-5 record in the regular season, and was the catalyst for some of their big clutch wins throughout their schedule. He is the front-runner to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
Of the 89 players who have taken home the Heisman Trophy award since 1935, 36 of them have been quarterbacks. And of that elite bunch, there have only been two that have led NFL teams to a Super Bowl victory.
| Quarterback | School | Heisman Trophy Year | Super Bowl Victory Year |
| Roger Staubach | Navy | 1963 | 1971, 1977 |
| Jim Plunkett | Stanford | 1970 | 1980, 1983 |
The first was Roger Staubach. The quarterback for Navy took home the hardware during his junior season in 1963, and was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys after serving in the military after his college days. It took him just three years in the NFL for him to lead his team to the Super Bowl during the 1971 season, as the Cowboys were the ones to win it all in Super Bowl VI. But that wasn’t the only time that Staubach hoisted the trophy, as the Cowboys won again in 1977, solidifying their quarterback as one of the early NFL greats.
It wouldn’t take long for another Heisman-winning QB to become a Super Bowl champion. In 1980, Jim Plunkett led the Oakland Raiders to their second championship in franchise history. He was in his 9th year in the league, and was 10 years removed from being named the Heisman Trophy winner while playing for Stanford in 1970.
6 minutes of epic Jayden Daniels finishes but they get increasingly more clutch 📈 @Commanders pic.twitter.com/WmHhyoTuTS
— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) January 17, 2025
Joe Burrow Came Close In 2019
Those two names conclude the list. There hasn’t been a Heisman Trophy winner that has gone on to win the Super Bowl in the NFL in nearly 45 years. Joe Burrow was the one who came the closest most recently, as the 2019 Heisman winner came up short in the big game during the 2021 season.
Does Jayden Daniels have a chance of breaking the streak? The oddsmakers are against him and the Commanders. Entering Conference Championship Weekend, Washington has by far the longest odds of any of the four teams, currently listed at +750. They are listed as 6.5-point underdogs for their upcoming game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
