The same 3 quarterbacks have represented the AFC in 15 of the last 17 Super Bowls

Tom Brady starts his eighth Super Bowl for the Patriots this Sunday against the Eagles (6:30 p.m. ET, NBC). Combine Brady’s appearances in that game with Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and the Colts’ and Broncos’ Peyton Manning, and you’ll notice what amounts to a monopoly on AFC quarterback appearances this century.

Here’s every AFC starting Super Bowl quarterback since 2002:

• 2002: Tom Brady, Patriots (beat Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI)
• 2003: Rich Gannon, Raiders (lost to Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII)
• 2004: Tom Brady, Patriots (beat Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII)
• 2005: Tom Brady, Patriots (beat Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX)
• 2006: Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers (beat Seahawks in Super Bowl XL)
• 2007: Peyton Manning, Colts (beat Bears in Super Bowl XLI)
• 2008: Tom Brady, Patriots (lost to Giants in Super Bowl XLII)
• 2009: Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers (beat Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII)
• 2010: Peyton Manning, Colts (lost to Saints in Super Bowl XLIV)
• 2011: Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers (lost to Packers in Super Bowl XLV)
• 2012: Tom Brady, Patriots (lost to Giants in Super Bowl XLVI)
• 2013: Joe Flacco, Ravens (beat 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII)
• 2014: Peyton Manning, Broncos (lost to Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII)
• 2015: Tom Brady, Patriots (beat Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX)
• 2016: Peyton Manning, Broncos (beat Panthers in Super Bowl 50)
• 2017: Tom Brady, Patriots (beat Falcons in Super Bowl LI)
• 2018: Tom Brady, Patriots (facing Eagles in Super Bowl LII)

Flacco took MVP honors after a three-point Ravens win in Super Bowl 47. Gannon’s team got drubbed against Jon Gruden’s Bucs a decade before that.

And those are the only interlopers to the AFC’s highly exclusive Super Bowl quarterbacking club. The conference has had stunningly little parity.

It’s charitable to lump Manning and Roethlisberger in with Brady.

Another way this post could’ve been headlined is just, “Tom Brady and the Patriots have made eight of the last 17 Super Bowls.” That would’ve been fine.

Manning’s four appearances and Roethlisberger’s three are impressive on their own, though. The NFC’s had two appearances apiece in the same span by Eli Manning (two with the Giants), Kurt Warner (with the Rams and Cardinals), and Russell Wilson (with the Seahawks).

Brady’s 5-2 in Super Bowls, but his numbers have been great.

He’s won five Super Bowls and four Super Bowl MVPs. In his seven appearances, he’s averaged 296 yards per game. His total touchdowns-to-interceptions ratio is 15-to-5, which is pretty well in line with his 3-to-1 career ratio during the regular season.

Brady holds the most Super Bowl records he possibly can — but he can always break some of his own this Sunday against the Eagles.

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