Joe Burrow vs. Matthew Stafford just second Super Bowl battle of No. 1 QBs

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford will go head-to-head when their respective teams meet at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA, for Super Bowl 56.

This showdown has a unique distinction as it will be just the second time ever that two quarterbacks selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft will face each other in the Super Bowl. The first matchup like this happened in 2016 when Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos faced Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50. This rarity is born out of the fact that of the 26 quarterbacks selected with the No. 1 overall pick since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, only 11 of them have made a Super Bowl appearance as the starter.

Following a successful collegiate career at Georgia, the elder Stafford was selected first overall by the Detroit Lions in 2009 and spent just over a decade toiling with that franchise before being traded to Los Angeles one year ago this week. The younger Burrow was selected first overall by Cincinnati in 2020 following a historic year at LSU where he won the Heisman Trophy and led the Tigers to a national title.

A Super Bowl victory in Inglewood would certainly cement either QB’s legacy for years to come.