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Throughout NFL history, certain quarterbacks have solidified their legacies not just through regular-season success or Super Bowl victories, but by orchestrating some of the most dramatic comebacks in football history. In this article, we will go through some of the biggest NFL quarterback comebacks and how they affected the rest of their legacies. Let’s dive in.
Kirk Cousins has had a bit of a rollercoaster career. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins to be the backup to Robert Griffin III. Three years as the backup was enough to show that he could play.
Cousins put together a solid three-year career in Washington, earning himself a massive three-year $84 million contract with the Vikings. He also put up a solid career throughout his time in Minnesota. However, his knock to his game was that he could not win the big one. Cousins was 7-9 in primetime games while with the Vikings.
However, in Week 15 of the 2022 season, the Vikings were down 33-0 at halftime. But Cousins, showing poise and determination, threw for four second-half touchdowns, leading the Vikings to a 39-36 overtime victory. Cousins finished the game with 460 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions, producing one of the most memorable comebacks in NFL history. While his career still has room to evolve now that he has joined the Atlanta Falcons, this victory was a career-defining moment that likely changed how fans and critics view Cousins’ legacy.
Andrew Luck had one of the most interesting careers that we have seen from a quarterback. He went from being the number-one pick in the 2012 NFL Draft to retiring after just six seasons played. He retired after the 2018 season in which he threw for 39 touchdowns, which was a shock for everyone – including the Colts.
Perhaps the greatest moment of his career as a Colt was the 2013 Wild Card game against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs led the game 38-10 at one point and it seemed like the Colts were heading for an early playoff exit. Luck then went on to engineer a 28-point comeback, throwing for 443 yards and four touchdowns, one of which being a 64-yard game-winner to T.Y. Hilton, while also throwing three interceptions. The Colts won 45-44, marking one of the most remarkable playoff comebacks in NFL history.
In just his second year, Trevor Lawrence showcased his resilience in a way that few quarterbacks can claim. In the 2022 Wild Card, Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars found themselves down 27-0 to the Los Angeles Chargers, with Lawrence throwing four interceptions in the first half. Despite the rough start, Lawrence refused to back down.
He led the Jaguars to a 31-30 win, throwing four second-half touchdowns and erasing the 27-point deficit. His final stat line – 28 of 47 for 288 yards, four touchdowns, and four interceptions – may not look perfect, but the fact that Lawrence could remain confident and turn the game around after such a rough start speaks volumes about his leadership and growth as a quarterback.
While Lawrence’s career is still in its early stages, this comeback gave fans hope that he could be a future star for the Jaguars and a quarterback capable of leading his team to greater heights.
There’s no debate: Tom Brady is widely regarded as the greatest quarterback of all time. And if there was ever a moment that cemented that status, it was his legendary comeback in Super Bowl LI against the Atlanta Falcons.
The Patriots were down 28-3 midway through the third quarter, and the odds of a comeback seemed nearly impossible. But Brady, being Brady, had other plans. He threw for 466 yards, completing 43 of 62 pass attempts, and orchestrated 25 unanswered points to tie the game. In overtime, the Patriots scored the game-winning touchdown, completing the largest comeback in Super Bowl history.
Brady’s performance in this game solidified his legacy as the most clutch quarterback the NFL has ever seen. This comeback not only earned him his fifth Super Bowl title but also set a new bar for what it means to be “the GOAT.”
Dylan has had a love for sports since he was a kid. Four years ago, he decided to dive into the sports content-creating industry specializing in Fantasy Football, NFL and NBA. He has since had his work published on sites that include Fantasy Alarm, Fansided, and Fantasy Six Pack.