Patriots Starter: Tom Brady
Super Bowl LI will feature a match-up between two elite quarterbacks, both of whom can make a case for being the 2016 NFL MVP. The New England Patriots have Tom Brady, who already has four Super Bowl rings and three Super Bowl MVP trophies to go with them. The 39-year-old Brady missed the first four games of the 2016 season and still managed to make the Pro Bowl, throw 28 touchdowns and pass for 3,554 yards and posting a 67.4 percent completion percentage. He threw just two interceptions in 432 pass attempts in his 12 games.
In the postseason, Brady didn't have a great game against the Houston Texans, throwing two interceptions and going 18-38 in pass attempts. But the Pats offence still posted 34 points and the defense kept the Texans to just 16. Against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship game, Brady was precise, throwing no interceptions, three touchdowns and going 32-42, with 384 passing yards. He heads into Super Bowl LI looking to win his fifth, which would be the most all-time for a quarterback. It's his seventh Super Bowl, all with coach Bill Belichick.
Click through to meet the other quarterbacks taking part in Super Bowl LI, even if some of them spend the whole game on the bench. (Getty)
Falcons Starter: Matt Ryan
The 31-year-old Matt Ryan, who attended Boston College, is finally in his first Super Bowl after nine seasons with the Atlanta Falcons. He's been remarkably healthy in his career, starting all 16 games in eight of nine seasons. The last time he started less than 16 games was in 2009, when he missed two games. In 2016, Ryan put together an incredible year and the fact that he played in 16 games gives him the edge over Brady in the MVP race. He led the Falcons to an 11-5 record, with 38 touchdowns and 4,944 passing yards in 373 completed passes. He threw seven interceptions in 534 passing attempts all year. He also posted the best QBR in the league with an 83.3. That's just ahead of Brady's 82.8 QBR. (Getty)
Patriots Backup: Jimmy Garoppolo
Thanks to Brady's "Deflategate" suspension, the Patriots got an opportunity to see what they had in backup Jimmy Garoppolo. The 25-year-old has been Brady's backup since 2014, meaning that he already has a Super Bowl ring. Garoppolo was impressive in his start against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1, but was injured during his Week 2 start against Miami. After Brady returned, Garoppolo made appearances in blowouts. He finished 2016 with no interceptions, four touchdowns and 502 passing yards. (Getty)
Falcons Backup: Matt Schaub
If Matt Ryan gets hurt, the only backup the Falcons have to turn to is Matt Schaub. The 35-year-old Schaub began his career as a backup in Atlanta in 2004, 2005 and 2006. In 2007, he joined the Houston Texans and led the franchise to its first winning season in 2009. In 2014, he was traded to the Oakland Raiders, only to be benched in favor of rookie Derek Carr. He spent 2015 as the backup in Baltimore before returning to the Falcons on a one-year deal for 2016. Schaub only appeared in five games in 2016, filling in for Ryan late in blowout wins. (Getty)
Patriots Backup: Jacoby Brissett
The 24-year-old Jacoby Brissett had to come in for Garoppolo when he was injured during the Week 2 Miami game. In Week 3, he managed to do enough to help the Patriots beat the Texans 27-0 at Gillette Stadium. However, he had to have thumb surgery after suffering an injury in the 16-0 loss to Buffalo. He was put on injured reserve, but was activated in December. After playing in three games, Brissett finished with no interceptions or touchdowns, but threw for 400 yards. (Getty)
Super Bowl LI: Meet the Falcons & Patriots Quarterbacks