The Super Bowl MVP is given annually to the most valuable player of the NFL’s championship game. Ahead of Super Bowl LVI, set for Feb. 13 at SoFi Stadium, first-year Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is the frontrunner to earn the award.

Let’s dive into the history of the highest individual honor of the Super Bowl to determine who is most likely to claim the Pete Rozelle Trophy on Sunday night in Tampa.

Super Bowl MVPs by position

Just like the NFL’s regular-season MVP award, the Super Bowl MVP most often goes to a quarterback. Since 1967, a QB has been named MVP 31 times, starting with Bart Starr of the Green Bay Packers.

In the past decade, a signal-caller has taken home the MVP eight times, including three times by NFL icon Tom Brady.

Since 2009, the only other positions to receive the Super Bowl MVP are wide receiver (twice) and linebacker (twice). In 2009, wideout Santonio Holmes secured the MVP as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and most recently in Super Bowl LIII, receiver Julian Edelman collected the award.

Linebackers Malcom Smith (Seattle) and Von Miller (Denver) hoisted the trophy in 2014 and 2016.

Wide receiver is tied with running back for second-most wins by position, but a back hasn't earned MVP since the Broncos' Terrell Davis did so in 1998.

No tight end has ever won Super Bowl MVP.

Offense vs. defense

It should come as no surprise that players on offense earn the Super Bowl MVP more often than defenders, considering quarterbacks' popularity with the voting committee.

In the past 55 Super Bowls, 45 offensive players have won the MVP, compared to 10 on defense. Only once has a member of special teams accomplished the feat, when Desmond Howard tallied a Super Bowl record 90 punt return yards and 154 kickoff return yards with a touchdown for the Packers in Super Bowl XXXI. His 244 all-purpose yards also tied a Super Bowl record.

Age of Super Bowl MVP

Brady achieved history as the oldest Super Bowl MVP at the age of 43 in 2021. Raiders running back Marcus Allen became the youngest recipient in 1984 at the age of 23.

Brady is both the oldest player from the NFC to win the award at 43 years, 6 months, and 5 days, and the oldest player from the AFC to win Super Bowl MVP at 39 years, 6 months, and 2 days.

Non-traditional MVPs

Typically, the Super Bowl MVP is a member of the Super Bowl-winning team. But in 1971, the committee broke tradition and handed Dallas Cowboys linebacker Chuck Howley the MVP, despite his team losing in Super Bowl V.

Howley recorded two interceptions and forced a fumble in the Cowboys' 16-13 defeat to the Baltimore Colts.

In 1978, Dallas made history again, as defensive end Harvey Martin and defensive tackle Randy White became the first and only Super Bowl co-MVPs.

Franchises with most Super Bowl MVPs

The Cowboys’ one MVP winner from a losing Super Bowl team and their co-MVPs have helped land Dallas in first place for most Super Bowl MVPs, to date with seven. The Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots each own six, and the 49ers boast five.

Multiple winners

Only five players in NFL history have been named Super Bowl MVP more than once. Brady is the leader with five MVP trophies, two more than 49ers legend Joe Montana. Bart Starr, Terry Bradshaw and Eli Manning each own two MVPs, with Starr and Bradshaw the only men to achieve the distinction in back-to-back years.