Table of Contents
Top 10 NFL Quarterbacks of All Time
At the moment, the quarterback is the most glamorous position in American sports, not just in the NFL. Many quarterbacks have left their mark on the game’s history. But to be considered among the greatest, you must do something extraordinary.
When it comes to the greatest, everyone must have an idea.
Tom Brady is unquestionably the best quarterback in the world.
Peyton Manning and Tom Brady
After the game, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning exchanged handshakes.
However, to find out who else is on our list of the top ten greatest quarterbacks, let’s take a quick look at our list.
10. Roger Staubach,
- Dallas Cowboys,
- two-time Super Bowl champion
- Career: 1969-1979
Roger Staubach is the Dallas Cowboys’ most popular quarterback.
Because he was the quarterback of America’s Team, a former US Navy officer was dubbed “Captain America” (Dallas Cowboys).
Similarly, he was nicknamed “Roger Dodger” for his scrambling ability and “Captain Comeback” for his ability to make game-winning plays.
Losing four seasons in the Navy and ending his career with injuries, primarily concussions, had a minor impact on his career.
Despite not having flashy career numbers, he had an incredibly successful NFL career that ranks him 10th.
He made the Pro Bowl six times in his 11-year career.
Similarly, he assisted the Cowboys in winning Super Bowl VI and XII. He also won Finals MVP in Super Bowl VI.
He is also the fourth player in history to win both the Heisman Trophy and the Super Bowl Finals MVP.
Furthermore, Roger Staubach was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the 1985 class.
9. Brett Favre
- Green Bay Packers, New York Jets, and Minnesota Vikings
- 1 Super Bowl victory
- 3 NFL MVPs
Brett Favre retired as one of the NFL’s greatest quarterbacks in 1991.
Because of his strong arms, swagger, and unpredictability, he was dubbed The Gunslinger.
When he retired, he led the NFL in passing yards, passing touchdowns, and quarterback wins.
During his two decades in the NFL, Favre amassed 71,838 yards, 508 touchdowns, and 196 victories.
His 297 (321 including playoffs) consecutive starts are an NFL record in and of themselves.
Similarly, Favre is the only quarterback to win three consecutive NFL MVP awards.
He has also set a record with four NFL passing touchdowns.
He is also an 11-time Pro Bowler and three-time First-Team All-Pro. Favre won his first Super Bowl with the Packers in Super Bowl XXXI.
8. Denver Broncos John Elway
- 2 Super Bowls and 1 NFL MVP
- 1983-1998: Career
The Denver Broncos’ ultimate franchise player is John Elway.
He is well-known for his ability to run. Furthermore, he is the only quarterback in Super Bowl history to complete a rushing touchdown.
Elway rushed for 3,407 yards and scored 33 touchdowns in his 16-year career.
Similarly, he was clutch in the playoffs, recording four fourth-quarter comebacks and six game-winning dives.
The Denver Broncos hired John Elway as their general manager.
Furthermore, the 1987 NFL MVP is the first to start five Super Bowls.
However, he lost the first three times before winning the last two.
Elway retired with 300 touchdown passes, 226 interceptions, and 148 victories.
Notably, he retired second in the NFL in passing yards and completions.
During his career, he gained 51,475 yards and completed 4,123 passes.
Furthermore, he currently holds 33 Broncos franchise records. Elway was later inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
7. Aaron Rodgers
- Packers of Green Bay
- 1 Super Bowl victory/ 3 NFL MVPs
- 2005 to the present
Aaron Rodgers is widely regarded as the most gifted quarterback in NFL history.
However, he has not been as successful in the postseason.
His only Super Bowl victory came in 2011 (Super Bowl XLV), and he was also named MVP.
Rodgers has also been named league MVP three times.
He has also been named to three First-Team All-Pro teams and nine Pro Bowls.
Rodgers’ true exceptional skill is his passing accuracy. As a result, he holds numerous records in NFL history.
New Orleans Saints vs. Green Bay Packers
Rodgers has the lowest interception percentage in NFL history (1.35).
In addition, he has the lowest interception percentage in a season (0.3).
He is the only quarterback in history to have thrown 300 and 400 touchdown passes before throwing 100 interceptions.
Furthermore, he completed 402 consecutive passes without being intercepted.
His career passer rating of 103.9 ranks third in NFL history, but he is the first to have a career passer rating of 100 or higher.
Similarly, before Patrick Mahomes arrived on the NFL scene, he had the best touchdown to interception ratio of 4.63.
Rodgers is without a doubt one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, and his playoff records don’t change that.
6. Dan Marino
- Miami Dolphins
- 1x NFL MVP (1983-1999)
Dan Marino is most likely the greatest quarterback who never won a Super Bowl.
That is the sole reason he is lower on our list.
Without a supporting cast, he led the Dolphins to ten playoff appearances and one championship game.
However, he was unable to win the coveted trophy during his career.
He did a better job of evaluating the performance of his teammates.
During his MVP season in 1984, he set numerous single-season records, including 5,084 passing yards, 48 touchdown passes, and nine 300-yard passing matches.
Dan Marino’s Professional Career
He has nine Pro Bowl appearances and three First-Team All-Pro selections to his credit.
Marino also led the NFL in passing yards five times and passing touchdowns three times.
Marino retired with nearly 40 NFL records, but the majority of them had already been broken.
He retired with career highs in passing attempts and completions of 8,358 and 4,967, respectively.
Similarly, he had 61,361 passing yards and 420 career touchdown passes.
Furthermore, he is the first quarterback to complete 50,000 and 60,000 passing yards while also scoring 400 touchdowns.
Dan Marino was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005.
5. Drew Brees
- (New Orleans Saints, San Diego Chargers)
- 1x Super Bowl Champion
- Career: 2001-2020
Drew Brees has to be one of the most prolific passers in NFL history.
Unfortunately, the future Hall of Famer recently retired at the end of the 2020/21 season.
He is statistically the most dominant quarterback in history.
He lacked strength and athleticism, but he did produce year after year.
Drew Brees Brees finished his career with an NFL record of 80,358 passing yards and 7,142 completions.
He also holds the NFL record for the longest streak of consecutive games, with a touchdown pass lasting 54 games.
Brees has set a league record by leading the league in passing yards seven times and touchdowns four times.
Brees also led the league in passer rating twice and completion percentage six times.
He joined the Saints in 2006 and led them to their only Super Bowl victory in 2009.
Later in his career, he won Finals MVP but did not win NFL MVP.
He has also been named NFL Offensive Player of the Year twice and has been selected to 13 Pro Bowls.
4. Johnny Unitas
- San Diego Chargers, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Baltimore Colts
- 1 Super Bowl victory and 2 NFL MVPs
- 1955-1973: Career
Johnny Unitas is a game-changing figure in the NFL, popularizing and helping to popularize the game.
Unitas is known as the “Golden Arm” and is a modern-day quarterback prototype.
Furthermore, he most likely threw the most catchable football while leading one of the most lethal passing offenses in NFL history.
Similarly, Unitas exemplified calm traits long before Joe Montana.
Aside from that, he demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities, inspiring his teammates to believe in victory.
He always prioritized moving the ball, scoring points, and winning the game as a leader.
Johhny-Unitas-NFL-legend Wikimedia Commons
- As a ninth-round pick,
- Unitas won one Super Bowl,
- three NFL championships, and three NFL MVP awards.
Similarly, he was named to five First-Team All-Pro teams.
Unitas retired with several NFL records, the majority of which have already been broken.
For example, he held the record for the most Pro Bowl appearances by a quarterback with ten.
Similarly, he held the record for the most consecutive games with a touchdown pass with 47.
Johnny Unitas was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979.
3. Peyton Manning
- Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts
- 5x NFL MVP/ 2x Super Bowl Champion
- Career:1998-2015
If you want to create a perfect quarterback in the lab, the first thing you’d give him is Peyton Manning’s brain.
Mannings made the offensive line’s job easier by avoiding pressures throughout his career.
As a result, he is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, as evidenced by his five NFL MVP awards.
Peyton Manning is on the field.
Mannings is also a two-time Super Bowl champion.
Similarly, he is the first quarterback in NFL history to win 200 games as a starter.
He has also been named 7 times All-Pro, twice Offensive Player of the Year, and 14 times to the Pro Bowl.
Manning almost certainly holds the NFL record for most passing touchdowns and yards in a single season, with 55 touchdowns and 5,477 yards.
Similarly, his 71,940 passing yards and 539 touchdowns rank third in his career.
Mannings will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on August 8, 2021.
2. Joe Montana
- Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers
- 4 times Super Bowl champion, twice NFL MVP
- 1979-1994: Career
Joe Montano was the greatest quarterback until Tom Brady won his fifth and sixth championships.
He earned the moniker Joe Cool for his ability to remain calm under pressure.
Montana was always there for his team when they needed him.
During his career, he was a key contributor to his team’s 32 fourth-quarter comeback victories.
Similarly, Montana won every Super Bowl he appeared in.
Similarly, he was named MVP of the Super Bowl Finals three times in a row.
Montana set the NFL Super Bowl record with 122 passes in four games without an interception and a passer rating of 127.8.
Joe-Montana-Super-Bowl-Trophy
In 1989 and 1990, he was named NFL MVP.
Similarly, he is a two-time NFL passer rating leader and a two-time NFL passing touchdown leader.
Similarly, he led the NFL in completion percentage five times.
Montana finished his career with eight Pro Bowl appearances and three first-team All-Pro selections.
He was later inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000.
1. Tom Brady
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots
- Career: 7x Super Bowl Champion/
- 3x NFL MVP (2000-present)
Tom Brady takes the top spot on our list of the “best quarterbacks of all time.”
The 199th overall pick is the greatest winner in NFL history.
Tom Brady, according to Joe Montana, is the greatest NFL player of all time.
That is a fact that no one can deny.
Nobody has ever matched his seven Super Bowl titles and five Super Bowl Finals MVPs.
Furthermore, after winning his third NFL MVP at the age of 40, Brady became the NFL’s oldest MVP.
Furthermore, Brady’s records are ridiculous.
He is the only quarterback to have been named to two All-Decades teams.
He never had a losing season in his entire career.
Similarly, he holds the quarterback record for most Pro Bowl appearances with 14.
Brady has the most passing yards and touchdown passes in NFL history, with 91,653 yards and 664 touchdown passes.
Likewise, he has won 264 games, appeared in 364 games, and started 344 of them.
As a result, he is a quarterback leader in all of those categories.
The entire book could be written just about Tom Brady’s records.
He is still going strong at the age of 43, with no signs of slowing down.
Tom Brady is a proven champion and a dominant player.
There has never been and will never be another American footballer like him.
Also, read Abby Wambach’s wife, Who is Steve Kerr’s Wife?
Summary
When compared to other positions, ranking the quarterback is likely to be difficult.
Some notable names are left out, but they would appear on other people’s top ten lists.
