Super Bowl LX: Drake Maye Comes Up Short, Roethlisberger’s Record Still Stands
Drake Maye had a shot at history in Super Bowl LX - a chance to etch his name alongside the legends by becoming the youngest quarterback to ever win a Super Bowl. But when the final whistle blew, the record still belonged to Ben Roethlisberger.
Roethlisberger, who led the Pittsburgh Steelers to a Super Bowl XL win at just 23 years old, had held the mark for nearly two decades. And he knew Maye was knocking on the door.
“He’s got a chance to break my youngest quarterback record that’s been running for a long, long time now,” Roethlisberger said during an appearance on FS1’s First Things First. “I’m rooting for it. I’m rooting for him.”
Maye, also 23, would’ve eclipsed Big Ben’s record by 178 days had the Patriots pulled off the win. But it wasn’t meant to be. Instead, Maye’s Super Bowl debut turned into a trial by fire.
The young quarterback completed 27 of 43 passes for 295 yards - respectable numbers on paper - but the game told a different story. He threw two touchdowns, but also gave up two interceptions and finished with a passer rating of 79.1.
More costly than the picks, though, was a fumble on a sack that turned into a game-sealing scoop-and-score for Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu. That play put Seattle up 29-7 and effectively slammed the door shut.
It was a tough outing for the Patriots offense as a whole. Their 51 total yards in the first half were the second-fewest by any team in a Super Bowl this century - only the Chiefs’ 23 yards against the Eagles the year before ranked lower.
For Roethlisberger, the night came with mixed emotions. While he was pulling for Maye to break his record, he wasn’t exactly eager to see the Patriots leapfrog his Steelers in the record books.
“I’m not rooting for the Patriots because then they pass the Steelers in the list of most Super Bowls,” Roethlisberger added. “So I’m torn there.”
As it stands, the Steelers and Patriots remain tied atop the all-time list with six Super Bowl wins each. And Roethlisberger, for now, keeps his place in history as the youngest quarterback to win it all.
For Maye, the loss will sting - but it’s also a reminder that even the greats have to take their lumps before they reach the mountaintop.