With the NFL Super Bowl happening today I thought it would be fun to look at how the different Super Bowl teams have been constructed from a financial standpoint. What I did was go back and look at every team since 2013 and determined the average annual spending on each position. For the Super Bowl teams I then determined the percentage above or below the league average that the team spent in the year they came to the Super Bowl.
Here are the results. The table should be sortable if you click the headers.
| Team | Year | QB | EDGE | WR | IDL | OT | CB | IOL | S | LB | TE | RB | ST |
| Chiefs | 2020 | 90.0% | 12.9% | 33.4% | 3.0% | 25.8% | -55.8% | -40.8% | 40.0% | -5.2% | 62.4% | -19.4% | 4.1% |
| Chiefs | 2022 | 85.4% | -12.8% | -29.1% | 14.1% | -3.2% | -69.8% | -5.8% | -5.8% | -61.6% | 47.0% | -25.8% | 1.2% |
| Broncos | 2013 | 69.7% | -8.5% | -19.0% | -32.6% | 37.9% | 56.7% | 28.7% | -21.8% | -31.8% | 2.8% | -37.3% | 32.6% |
| Panthers | 2015 | 49.0% | 43.7% | -36.7% | -50.7% | -49.8% | -60.1% | 17.5% | -42.0% | 81.6% | 32.8% | 46.4% | -1.2% |
| Chiefs | 2023 | 47.5% | -40.2% | -11.6% | -8.8% | 8.6% | -63.1% | 5.4% | 7.9% | -30.1% | 39.7% | -42.0% | 27.7% |
| 49ers | 2019 | 30.5% | 85.6% | 6.4% | -61.2% | 16.9% | -8.3% | 0.6% | 4.5% | 15.2% | -45.9% | 130.4% | 23.0% |
| Patriots | 2017 | 21.6% | -37.0% | 7.4% | -39.3% | 43.1% | 35.1% | -59.7% | 57.7% | 29.9% | 158.4% | 55.4% | 40.6% |
| Rams | 2021 | 21.2% | 58.7% | 60.1% | 43.2% | -11.3% | 37.7% | -68.1% | -55.2% | -79.8% | -0.7% | -26.7% | -18.1% |
| Falcons | 2016 | 20.8% | 32.9% | 47.5% | -68.3% | -18.3% | -7.4% | 44.5% | -49.4% | -2.1% | -50.0% | -62.7% | 36.5% |
| Patriots | 2016 | 18.1% | -31.7% | 9.5% | -66.4% | 60.9% | -72.8% | -70.3% | 37.9% | 17.0% | 79.0% | -28.5% | 43.6% |
| Broncos | 2015 | 15.4% | 15.8% | 40.7% | -40.4% | 18.1% | 58.6% | 9.3% | 6.5% | -82.0% | 95.6% | -77.0% | -3.0% |
| Buccaneers | 2020 | 12.5% | 22.9% | -4.7% | 1.5% | -6.7% | -65.2% | 34.1% | -67.7% | 31.5% | 102.7% | -29.8% | -14.4% |
| Patriots | 2018 | 10.0% | -25.8% | -7.4% | -45.4% | -18.2% | 3.4% | -19.0% | 75.9% | 8.4% | 87.7% | 40.3% | 45.0% |
| Patriots | 2014 | -7.4% | -51.9% | 17.3% | -20.8% | 5.1% | 100.6% | -38.1% | -39.8% | 49.4% | 82.6% | -34.7% | -2.8% |
| Eagles | 2017 | -29.8% | 23.0% | 24.2% | 73.1% | 49.9% | -66.1% | 27.9% | 66.2% | 16.6% | 61.9% | 1.2% | -23.5% |
| Bengals | 2021 | -54.1% | 18.7% | -0.9% | 13.3% | -38.2% | 50.5% | -20.0% | -15.2% | -50.8% | -24.6% | 36.4% | -21.6% |
| Rams | 2018 | -60.8% | -48.2% | 20.3% | 193.7% | 36.2% | 18.8% | -25.6% | 8.1% | -17.0% | -67.1% | 84.3% | 34.9% |
| Chiefs | 2019 | -61.1% | 88.7% | 64.2% | -61.7% | 70.5% | -61.3% | -33.6% | 71.0% | 14.5% | 25.0% | -4.1% | 36.5% |
| 49ers | 2023 | -78.9% | 119.4% | 15.3% | 74.4% | 11.2% | -5.2% | -46.7% | -48.3% | 108.8% | 56.1% | 112.8% | -13.7% |
| Seahawks | 2014 | -81.2% | 0.4% | -42.6% | -3.8% | -11.8% | 21.9% | -7.7% | 105.7% | 23.7% | 14.7% | 30.1% | 12.7% |
| Seahawks | 2013 | -84.4% | 92.7% | 64.5% | -32.0% | 13.3% | -66.5% | 0.0% | 41.6% | -30.2% | 36.1% | 23.4% | -30.2% |
| Eagles | 2022 | -87.5% | 128.8% | 5.4% | 66.6% | 72.5% | 49.5% | 23.5% | -77.8% | -40.6% | 39.4% | -53.4% | 12.0% |
As a quick reference here are the rankings of this years Chiefs and 49ers teams.
| Position | Chiefs | 49ers |
| QB | 5 | 19 |
| EDGE | 20 | 2 |
| WR | 18 | 10 |
| IDL | 11 | 2 |
| OT | 13 | 12 |
| CB | 17 | 11 |
| IOL | 8 | 19 |
| S | 10 | 18 |
| LB | 15 | 1 |
| TE | 11 | 9 |
| RB | 19 | 2 |
| ST | 8 | 17 |
Finally here is the summary data looking at the average and median spends relative to the rest of the NFL for the Super Bowl teams
| Position | Average | Median |
| TE | 38.0% | 39.6% |
| EDGE | 22.2% | 17.2% |
| OT | 14.2% | 12.3% |
| WR | 12.0% | 8.5% |
| ST | 10.1% | 8.1% |
| RB | 5.4% | -11.8% |
| S | 4.6% | 5.5% |
| LB | -1.6% | 3.1% |
| IDL | -2.2% | -14.8% |
| QB | -2.4% | 14.0% |
| CB | -7.7% | -6.3% |
| IOL | -11.1% | -6.8% |
The tight end number here really surprised me but then again we are looking at teams with Gronkowkski and Kelce with multiple showings. Im not sure if that’s really meaningful since they are so special but it is one of those positions that can create a mismatch in these shorter season scenarios. Not surprisingly pass rush and offensive tackle are high.
The four standouts on the negative end are interior defensive line, running back, cornerback and the interior offensive line. RB and IDL do have a big disparity between the average and median where the numbers are skewed by a few players. CB being low I think has more to do with the need for multiple players and the fact that young players on cheap contracts are usually better than the more expensive veterans. Guards and centers can often be found in those mid draft rounds and teams are willing to move on rather than re-signing them. At least for this small subset of teams it works out well.