The Kansas City Chiefs entered the second half of Super Bowl LIX against the Philadelphia Eagles in a dire situation—with one pick-six that was took by a birthday player. Historically, nearly no quarterback has been able to overcome such a deficit, but one man once did.
According to recent NFL history, only one quarterback has ever won a Super Bowl after throwing a pick-six: Tom Brady in Super Bowl LI against the Atlanta Falcons. In that game, the Patriots trailed 21-3 at halftime, yet Brady orchestrated a historic comeback to win 34-28.
Brady had thrown his pick-six in the second quarter, a situation eerily similar to Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who also had a costly turnover in the second quarter against the Eagles—one that led to a score. Against Brady, the Falcons capitalized on an 84-yard return touchdown.
The record for quarterbacks in that unfortunate situation is 1-13, with Patrick Mahomes being the most recent to add to that difficult scenario from which a quarterback cannot escape in a Super Bowl. The Chiefs quarterback also threw an interception, in addition to the pick-six.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – FEBRUARY 09: Cooper DeJean #33 of the Philadelphia Eagles scores a touchdown past Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs after making an interception in the second quarter during Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome on February 09, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Defensive Players with the Most Career Pick-Sixes in the Super Bowl
Regarding players with the most pick-sixes in a Super Bowl, Dwight Smith leads the list with two. Several other names have one pick-six each, with Cooper DeJean being the most recent addition, scoring a touchdown after an interception.
see also
Top 15 NFL quarterbacks with the most Super Bowl rings: The greatest legends
Interception and Pick-Six Are Not the Same
People often confuse interceptions with pick-sixes. While they are similar, they are different. A pick-six occurs when a player intercepts a pass and runs it back to the end zone to score a touchdown, hence the term pick-six for the six points scored.
