Super Bowl LX started off slow, with the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots engaging in a tight, defensive battle. Heading into the halftime, where Bad Bunny performed, kicker Jason Myers had been the name of the game, scoring all 9 points, as Seattle led 9-0. His performance has now led fans to wonder if a kicker has ever been named Super Bowl MVP.
Super Bowl LX made history of its own. However, it wasn’t enough to accomplish a feat that feels impossible. So far, across all 60 Super Bowls, no kicker has ever received the MVP distinction. That is despite several championship games coming down to the wire and being decided by the accuracy of kickers’ cleats.
Although Myers made a solid argument to become the first kicker to be named MVP in Super Bowl history, it was running back Kenneth Walker III who took home that honor on Super Bowl LX. Many believe Myers was snubbed, but a truth remains. Hadn’t it been for Walker III’s production on the ground game, Myers wouldn’t have kicked any field goals.
As a result, a recent trend is still standing. Since Super Bowl 50, when Denver Broncos edge-rusher Von Miller took home the award, all Super Bowl MVPs have been players on the offensive side of the ball. The detailed breakdown since Super Bowl 50 features eight quarterbacks, two wide receivers, and one half-back (Walker III).
Kicker with most points in one Super Bowl
Though Myers didn’t set an NFL precedent as the first kicker to be named Super Bowl MVP, he did break a Super Bowl record. Myers recorded 17 points (five FGs and two XPs), breaking the mark set for most points by a kicker in a Super Bowl.
That record has now been broken in consecutive years, as Philadelphia Eagles kicker Jake Elliott scored 16 points during Super Bowl LIX, when his team cruised to a 44-20 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Prior to the consecutive record-breaking feats, the record was held by Don Chandler, who had put up 15 points during Super Bowl II, when the Green Bay Packers defeated the Oakland Raiders by a score of 33-14.
Special teams get their recognition
Although a kicker has never won the Super Bowl MVP award, special teams have had their recognition once. That was when Green Bay Packers kick returner Desmond Howard received the honor for his 244 all-purpose yards, including a 99-yard kickoff return, in Super Bowl XXXI, when the Cheeseheads took down the Patriots.