Overview

The Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award, commonly called the Super Bowl MVP, recognizes the single player judged to have delivered the most outstanding performance in the National Football League's championship game. The award is announced and presented immediately after the game and is one of the highest-profile individual honors in American professional football.

Criteria and selection process

There is no strict statistical formula; the choice reflects perceived impact on the game's outcome. Traditionally a panel of media professionals determines the winner, and in modern times a public or fan component has been added to the voting process. The trophy is presented on the field, typically by a league official, often the commissioner.

History and notable winners

The honor dates back to the first Super Bowl, when the inaugural recipient was a leading player from the winning team. Over the decades the award has most frequently gone to quarterbacks, reflecting that position's central role in scoring and game management. Tom Brady holds the record for the most Super Bowl MVP awards, and other multiple-time winners include celebrated quarterbacks whose playoff performances shaped their legacies.

Examples and exceptions

While quarterbacks dominate the list of recipients, the award has occasionally gone to running backs, receivers, defensive standouts or special teams players who changed the momentum of the game. Defensive players and return specialists have won in games where turnovers or big returns proved decisive, demonstrating that the award can recognize game-changing plays from any phase.

Significance and legacy

Winning the Super Bowl MVP amplifies a player's reputation and can be a key element in Hall of Fame consideration and historical rankings. It often becomes a defining highlight of a career and is repeatedly cited in retrospectives, contract talks, and media retrospectives about the player and the game.

Further reading

Notable facts: the award has been presented every Super Bowl and is announced live on television; while quarterbacks receive most honors, memorable singular performances from other positions have occasionally claimed the trophy.