The Fifteen Greatest Quarterbacks in NFL History
After the 2015 NFL season, the NFL lost a true legend at the QB position, Peyton Manning. He retired after 17 seasons, two Super Bowl rings, five NFL MVP awards, and about 5,000 NFL passing records. He waited until he won that coveted second Super Bowl ring before hanging up his cleats and that has brought us to today.
With only a few QBs left in the NFL that belong in this discussion, we thought it would be a perfect time to give our opinion on who is the greatest NFL QB of all time, one of the most heated debates that a football fan can get into.
Tom Brady won his fourth Super Bowl and it started to look as if maybe he was the easy choice but what if you measured more than just winning Super Bowls?
Michael Jordan and LeBron James can take over a game and lead their teams to a championship, but that’s basketball. They can play both sides of the court.
In football, the QB is the manager of the offense but has no control over the defense. Even if Dan Marino threw for 10,000 yards in a season, he still wasn’t going to be playing defense.
Let’s take a look at the Top 15 NFL QuarterBacks of All-Time.
15. Drew Brees (2001-Present)
Teams: San Diego Chargers, New Orleans Saints
- Super Bowls: 1 (XLIV)
- Super Bowl MVP: 1 (XLIV)
- All-Pro Selections: 4
- Pro Bowls: 9
Regular Season
| Record | Comp | Comp % | Yards | TD | Int | Rate | Yds/Gm | 4QC | GWD |
| 124-95 | 5,458 | 66.4% | 61,965 | 436 | 206 | 96 | 281.7 | 26 | 38 |
Playoffs
| Record | Comp | Comp % | Yards | TD | Int | Rate | Yds/Gm | 4QC | GWD |
| 6-5 | 306 | 65.9% | 3,539 | 24 | 6 | 100.7 | 321.7 | 2 | 3 |
The number of records Drew Brees owns is second only to Peyton Manning. During Week 2 of this season, he passed up Dan Marino on the all time passing yards list and is now in 3rd place behind Brett Favre and Peyton Manning. His accuracy is legendary and he has changed the future for small pocket passing QBs in the NFL.
14. Troy Aikman (1989-2000)
Team: Dallas Cowboys
- 2006 Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Super Bowls: 3-0 (XXVII, XXVIII, XXX)
- Super Bowl MVP: 1 (XXVII)
- All-Pro Selections: 1
- Pro Bowls: 6
Regular Season
| Record | Comp | Comp % | Yards | TD | Int | Rate | Yds/Gm | 4QC | GWD |
| 94-71 | 2,898 | 61.5% | 32,942 | 165 | 141 | 81.6 | 199.6 | 16 | 21 |
Playoffs
| Record | Comp | Comp % | Yards | TD | Int | Rate | Yds/Gm | 4QC | GWD |
| 11-4 | 320 | 63.7 % | 3,849 | 23 | 17 | 88.3 | 240.6 | 1 | 1 |
From 1992 to 1996, Troy Aikman did all he needed to do in his 12 year career to earn himself the title of one of the best NFL QBs ever. Not only did he win 3 Super Bowls in those five years, he threw for 15,000 yards, 79 TDs, and ended up with a record of 56-19.
13. Fran Tarkenton (1961-1978)
Teams: Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants
- 1986 Pro Football Hall of Fame
- MVP: 1
- Super Bowls: 0-3
- All-Pro Selections: 2
- Pro Bowls: 9
Regular Season
| Record | Comp | Comp % | Yards | TD | Int | Rate | Yds/Gm | 4QC | GWD |
| 124-109 | 3,686 | 57% | 47,003 | 342 | 266 | 80.4 | 191.1 | 30 | 34 |
Playoffs
| Record | Comp | Comp % | Yards | TD | Int | Rate | Yds/Gm | 4QC | GWD |
| 6-5 | 149 | 51% | 1,803 | 11 | 17 | 58.6 | 163.9 | 1 | 1 |
Fran Tarkenton was passing the ball and had the most passing yards in NFL history from 1977 to 1995 when Dan Marino passed him up. If he could have figured out a way to win at least one Super Bowl, he was 0-3 in the big game, then maybe he could have climbed a little higher on the list.
12. Aaron Rodgers (2000-Present)
Team: Green Bay Packers
- MVP: 2
- Super Bowls: 1-0 (XLV)
- Super Bowl MVP: 1
- All-Pro Selections: 3
- Pro Bowls: 5
Regular Season
| Record | Comp | Comp % | Yards | TD | Int | Rate | Yds/Gm | 4QC | GWD |
| 82-40 | 2,688 | 64.9% | 33,016 | 264 | 66 | 104.0 | 255.9 | 10 | 14 |
Playoffs
| Record | Comp | Comp % | Yards | TD | Int | Rate | Yds/Gm | 4QC | GWD |
| 7-6 | 298 | 63.8% | 3,454 | 27 | 8 | 98.2 | 246.7 | 1 | 1 |
At only 32 years old, Aaron Rodgers has put himself in position to become the greatest of all-time. He already owns one Super Bowl title and has a lot of football left. His accuracy and efficiency is among the greatest of all-time too. He has an incredible 264 Touchdowns to 66 Interceptions, that is a 4 to 1 difference and is almost twice as good as Steve Young, who is the current retired leader in that category.
11. Terry Bradshaw (1970-1983)
Team: Pittsburgh Steelers
- 1997 Pro Football Hall of Fame
- MVP: 1
- Super Bowls: 4-0 (IX, X, XIII, XIV)
- Super Bowl MVP: 2
- All-Pro Selections: 1
- Pro Bowls: 3
Regular Season
| Record | Comp | Comp % | Yards | TD | Int | Rate | Yds/Gm | 4QC | GWD |
| 107-51 | 2,025 | 51.9% | 27,989 | 212 | 210 | 70.9 | 166.6 | 19 | 27 |
Playoffs
| Record | Comp | Comp % | Yards | TD | Int | Rate | Yds/Gm | 4QC | GWD |
| 14-5 | 261 | 57.2% | 3,833 | 30 | 26 | 83 | 201.7 | 4 | 4 |
Back when Terry Bradshaw was playing, he didn’t have to throw the ball often. He had a great defense and an even better running game, however, he won four Super Bowls and belongs near the top ten at least.
10. Otto Graham (1946-1955)
Team: Cleveland Browns
- 1965 Pro Football Hall of Fame
- MVP: 3
- NFL Championships: 3 (1950, 1954, 1955)
- AAFC Titles: 4
- All-Pro Selections: 5
- Pro Bowls: 5
Regular Season
| Record | Comp | Comp % | Yards | TD | Int | Rate | Yds/Gm | 4QC | GWD |
| 57-13 | 1,464 | 55.8% | 23,584 | 174 | 135 | 86.6 | 187.2 | 1 | 2 |
Playoffs
| Record | Comp | Comp % | Yards | TD | Int | Rate | Yds/Gm | 4QC | GWD |
| 9-3 | 159 | 53% | 2,101 | 14 | 17 | 67.4 | 175.1 | 1 | 2 |
Based on his numbers, Otto Graham was the first to really begin throwing the ball instead of settling for the run. But the most important takeaway about Otto Graham is that he won seven championships before the Super Bowl became a thing.
9. Roger Staubach (1969-1979)
Team: Dallas Cowboys
- 1985 Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Super Bowls: 2-2 (VI, XII)
- Super Bowl MVP: 1 (VI)
- Pro Bowls: 6
Regular Season
| Record | Comp | Comp % | Yards | TD | Int | Rate | Yds/Gm | 4QC | GWD |
| 85-29 | 1,685 | 57% | 22,700 | 153 | 109 | 83.4 | 173.3 | 15 | 23 |
Playoffs
| Record | Comp | Comp % | Yards | TD | Int | Rate | Yds/Gm | 4QC | GWD |
| 11-6 | 223 | 54.4% | 2,791 | 24 | 19 | 76 | 139.6 | 2 | 2 |
Ask anyone in Dallas who they think is the greatest QB of all time and they will say Roger Staubach. Let them sell it to you too. He was great and is one of the best ever but they seem to think he was the top. But he did bring Dallas to four Super Bowls and that is something that is hard to match.
8. Steve Young (1985-1999)
Teams: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, San Francisco 49ers
- 2005 Pro Football Hall of Fame
- MVP: 2
- Super Bowls: 2-0 (XXIV, XXIX)
- Super Bowl MVP: 1 (XXIX)
- All-Pro Selections: 6
- Pro Bowls: 7
Regular Season
| Record | Comp | Comp % | Yards | TD | Int | Rate | Yds/Gm | 4QC | GWD |
| 94-49 | 2,667 | 64.3% | 33,124 | 232 | 107 | 96.8 | 196 | 14 | 17 |
Playoffs
| Record | Comp | Comp % | Yards | TD | Int | Rate | Yds/Gm | 4QC | GWD |
| 8-6 | 292 | 62% | 3,326 | 20 | 13 | 85.8 | 151.2 | 1 | 1 |
After Joe Montana, Steve Young popped up with the difficult job of replacing a legend by the Bay. The left-handed scrambler quickly laid all that to rest and it wasn’t long before he had San Francisco celebrating another Super Bowl title.
7. Dan Marino (1983-1999)
Team: Miami Dolphins
- 2005 Pro Football Hall of Fame
- MVP: 1
- Super Bowls: 0-1
- All-Pro Selections: 7
- Pro Bowls: 9
Regular Season
| Record | Comp | Comp % | Yards | TD | Int | Rate | Yds/Gm | 4QC | GWD |
| 147-93 | 4,967 | 59.4% | 61,361 | 420 | 252 | 86.4 | 253.6 | 36 | 51 |
Playoffs
| Record | Comp | Comp % | Yards | TD | Int | Rate | Yds/Gm | 4QC | GWD |
| 8-10 | 385 | 56% | 4,510 | 32 | 24 | 77.1 | 250.6 | 3 | 4 |
If Dan Marino had won a Super Bowl, just one, then he would be in the top three and that is just sad. The man was an incredible QB that turned players like Mark Duper into Hall of Famers. His lack of a postseason title has been argued as his downfall and why he is not one of the greatest and that makes sense. The Super Bowl is the reason we play 16 games each year. The stats only matter if you can win that last game.
6. Johnny Unitas (1956-1973)
Teams: Baltimore Colts, San Diego Chargers
- 1979 Pro Football Hall of Fame
- MVP: 4
- Super Bowls: 1-1 (V)
- NFL Championships: 3 (1958, 1959, 1968)
- All-Pro Selections: 7
- Pro Bowls: 10
Regular Season
| Record | Comp | Comp % | Yards | TD | Int | Rate | Yds/Gm | 4QC | GWD |
| 118-63 | 2,830 | 54.6% | 40,239 | 290 | 253 | 78.2 | 190.7 | 27 | 29 |
Playoffs
| Record | Comp | Comp % | Yards | TD | Int | Rate | Yds/Gm | 4QC | GWD |
| 6-2 | 120 | 53.1% | 1,663 | 7 | 10 | 68.9 | 184.8 | 2 | 2 |
Long before anyone else was passing the football in a Colts uniform, Johnny Unitas was dominating football. Before Peyton Manning, Mr.Unitas held the NFL record for the most MVPs with 4 and is now in 2nd place all time.
5. Brett Favre (1991-2010)
Teams: Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers, New York Jets, Minnesota Vikings
- 2016 Pro Football Hall of Fame
- MVP: 3
- Super Bowls: 1-1 (XXXI)
- All-Pro Selections: 6
- Pro Bowls: 11
Regular Season
| Record | Comp | Comp % | Yards | TD | Int | Rate | Yds/Gm | 4QC | GWD |
| 186-112 | 6,300 | 62% | 71,838 | 508 | 336 | 86 | 237.9 | 30 | 45 |
Playoffs
| Record | Comp | Comp % | Yards | TD | Int | Rate | Yds/Gm | 4QC | GWD |
| 13-11 | 481 | 60.8% | 5,855 | 44 | 30 | 86.3 | 244 | 2 | 2 |
Brett Favre changed the sport of football. He didn’t make it pretty but he found a way to win and to put his teams in situations that could get them a title. His gun slinging style with his bullet like speed made him fearless when throwing the ball, which is probably why he has 336 interceptions.
4. John Elway (1983-1998)
Team: Denver Broncos
- 2004 Pro Football Hall of Fame
- MVP: 1
- Super Bowls: 2-3 (XXXII, XXXIII)
- Super Bowl MVP: 1 (XXXIII)
- All-Pro Selections: 2
- Pro Bowls: 9
Regular Season
| Record | Comp | Comp % | Yards | TD | Int | Rate | Yds/Gm | 4QC | GWD |
| 148-82 | 4,123 | 56.9% | 51,475 | 300 | 226 | 79.9 | 220 | 35 | 46 |
Playoffs
| Record | Comp | Comp % | Yards | TD | Int | Rate | Yds/Gm | 4QC | GWD |
| 14-7 | 355 | 54.5% | 4,964 | 27 | 21 | 79.7 | 225.6 | 4 | 6 |
When John Elway was drafted by the Baltimore Colts, he chose to go play baseball instead, he was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 2nd round of the 1981 MLB draft. He didn’t want to play for Frank Kush or the league’s worst team, the Colts. So he left the sport if he didn’t get what he wanted until he finally did and was sent to Denver where he would become a legend in Colorado.
3. Peyton Manning (1998-2016)
Teams: Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos
- MVP: 5
- Super Bowls: 2-2 (XLI, 50)
- Super Bowl MVP: 1 (XLI)
- All-Pro Selections: 10
- Pro Bowls: 14
Regular Season
| Record | Comp | Comp % | Yards | TD | Int | Rate | Yds/Gm | 4QC | GWD |
| 186-79 | 6,125 | 65.3% | 71,940 | 539 | 251 | 96.5 | 270.5 | 45 | 56 |
Playoffs
| Record | Comp | Comp % | Yards | TD | Int | Rate | Yds/Gm | 4QC | GWD |
| 14-13 | 649 | 63.2% | 7,339 | 40 | 25 | 87.4 | 271.8 | 2 | 2 |
Now that his 17 year career has finally come to an end, Peyton Manning can now be considered among the greatest to ever play the game. From his ability to rip apart the opponent’s defense to his incredible passing skills, he has earned the title of being among the top three of all-time.
2. Joe Montana (1979-1994)
Teams: San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs
- 2000 Pro Football Hall of Fame
- MVP: 3
- Super Bowls: 4-0 (XVI, XIX, XXIII, XXIV)
- Super Bowl MVP: 3 (XVI, XIX, XXIV)
- All-Pro Selections: 5
- Pro Bowls: 8
Regular Season
| Record | Comp | Comp % | Yards | TD | Int | Rate | Yds/Gm | 4QC | GWD |
| 117-47 | 3,409 | 63.2% | 40,551 | 273 | 139 | 92.3 | 211.2 | 31 | 33 |
Playoffs
| Record | Comp | Comp % | Yards | TD | Int | Rate | Yds/Gm | 4QC | GWD |
| 16-7 | 460 | 62.7% | 5,772 | 45 | 21 | 95.6 | 251 | 5 | 5 |
For a few years, the argument about who is the best NFL QB of all time was between Joe Montana or Tom Brady. It was based on many factors but mostly, postseason success. Joe Montana is one of the most clutch QBs in NFL history and is great, don’t forget about that.
1. Tom Brady (2000-Present)
Team: New England Patriots
- MVP: 2
- Super Bowls: 4-2 (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX, XLIX)
- Super Bowl MVP: 3 (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XLIX)
- All-Pro Selections: 4
- Pro Bowls: 11
Regular Season
| Record | Comp | Comp % | Yards | TD | Int | Rate | Yds/Gm | 4QC | GWD |
| 172-51 | 4,953 | 63.6% | 58,028 | 428 | 150 | 96.4 | 257.9 | 37 | 48 |
Playoffs
| Record | Comp | Comp % | Yards | TD | Int | Rate | Yds/Gm | 4QC | GWD |
| 22-9 | 738 | 62.4% | 7,957 | 56 | 28 | 88 | 256.7 | 6 | 9 |
The only reason Tom Brady gets the nod is because he still has a couple more seasons before calling it a career and he has the best shot at winning 1-2 more Super Bowls. He has been to six Super Bowls and is a winner, plain and simple. If he wins one more, he just might end the debate, with ease.
