Much like this year’s Tom Brady situation if he were to go to the Super Bowl. It’s his first season with the Bucs, who had a losing record last year. What, if any, past quarterbacks have taken their new team that had a previous losing record to the super bowl in that first season with the new team?
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2Tom Brady wasn't traded; are you okay with "signed to a new team or traded"?– Joe ♦Jan 24, 2021 at 23:49
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3 Answers
Jake Delhomme might be the most recent clearly similar example, though obviously with a very, very different path through his career to that point (only a brief stint in the NFL, then more success in NFL Europe). He was signed by the 7-9 Panthers in the 2002-2003 offseason, and went on to lose Superbowl XXXVIII narrowly to Tom Brady's Patriots.
Trent Dilfer nearly qualifies; he won Superbowl XXXV with the Ravens, in his only season on the team. They went 8-8 in 1999, however, and certainly no-one would suggest Dilfer was particularly responsible for that team's success.
Another quarterback who might qualify, depending on how you count things, is Nick Foles for the 2017 Philadelphia Eagles, whose MVP-winning performance in Superbowl LII came the year after the Eagles were atrocious, but of course he wasn't the primary quarterback for the team until late in the game the Eagles clinched the division after Wentz sprained his ACL.
Matt Stafford was traded from the Lions to the Rams in 2021 and won Super Bowl LVI with his new team in their first season together.
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While Stafford did win the Super Bowl immediately after trading to the Rams, their three previous seasons all had winning records, each of which improved on the last (9-7, 10-6, 12-5). This does not fully answer the question, however it is another close example.– Nij ♦Aug 14, 2022 at 22:14
I don't think its ever happened. The closest would probably be Steve Young but he did sit on the bench behind Montana for a few years. Kurt Warner might be a possibility but I think he was signed as a free agent and not traded for.
