30 Greatest Quarterbacks in NFL History

Quarterbacks are the preeminent faces of American sports--the brightest stars excelling the biggest stages. Thousands of players have donned the shoulder pads and gone under center in the NFL, and these 30 men have been the best of the best, the measuring sticks by which all other passers will be judged. Honorable mentions go to Ken Anderson, Len Dawson, Boomer Esiason, Dan Fouts, Bobby Layne, Warren Moon, Ken Stabler and Bob Waterfield.
 
30. Norm Van Brocklin
"The Dutchman" is among the pioneers of tossing the pigskin. Debuting with the Rams in 1949, Van Brocklin may have been the best quarterback of the 1950s. He toughed out 12 seasons as a Ram and an Eagle, accumulating nine trips to the Pro Bowl and one All-Pro nod--in his final season. He was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971, and went on to a second career as NFL coach and general manager.

29. Phillip Rivers
For the critics who claim Phillip Rivers is only a product of his era, there are dozens and dozens of other NFL quarterbacks who came and went in the last 20 years who didn't get anywhere near 63,440 yards and 421 touchdowns. In 12 of his 17 seasons Rivers threw for more than 4,000 yards, and more than 30 touchdowns in a season six times. His career numbers are amongst the elites, ranking top seven in yards, touchdowns and completions. He's also an eight-time Pro Bowler.

28. Y.A. Tittle
Y.A. Tittle has been immortalized by one newspaper photo, but his legacy goes far beyond this stillshot. Tittle may have been the first gunslinger. Entering the league in 1948 and playing for 17 seasons, Tittle posted 33,070 passing yards and 242 passing touchdowns in an era where his most talented contemporaries were fortunate to reach 30,000 yards or 200 touchdowns. Tittle spent time with the Colts and Niners before a late career renaissance with the Giants led to his most notable seasons, including his MVP campaign in 1963.

27. Matt Ryan
Matt Ryan may look like a strange fit amongst NFL icons and hall-of-famers, but looking at the numbers, Ryan belongs in the pantheon of the elites. Ryan is one of eight quarterbacks with more 60,000 career yards--the rest of whom are on this list. Ryan is also ninth in touchdowns and sixth in completions. "Matty Ice" is also an MVP with four Pro Bowl elections and one All-Pro team on his resume.
 
26. Russell Wilson
One of the few active quarterbacks on this list, Wilson has the greatest potential to fly up the board in the ensuing decade. In his first ten years in the league Wilson surpassed the 37,000 yard marker, joining 25 other QBs; he is also poised to be the 14th man to reach 300 passing touchdowns. Illustrating his diverse talents, Wilson's 4,689 rushing yards are more than any QB currently in the Hall of Fame. He's also got nine Pro Bowl trips and a Super Bowl win to his name.
 
25. Roger Staubach
"Captain America" doesn't have the eye-popping statistics of his peers on this list, but his importance to the league is unmatched. During his 11 year run the Cowboys became "America's Team," and appeared in five Super Bowls. They won two championship games, and Staubach picked up six trips to the Super Bowl. As football exploded in popularity, it was Staubach as the face of the sport's most valuable franchise. Staubach was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 1985.

24. Ben Roethlisberger
"Big Ben" was part of the new wave of athletic quarterbacks to take over the league in the early 2000s. He wasn't the gamebreaker that Michael Vick was, but Roethlisberger's biggest strength was his ability to keep plays alive. He didn't down the field for yards, but his massive build and deceptive quickness allowed him to improvise and turn would-be sacks into major gains. He finished his career ranked in the top eight of yards, touchdowns and completions. His two championships and six Pro Bowl games are the prelude to his trip to Canton.

23. Sid Luckman
If Sammy Baugh turned the forward pass into an art form, Sid Luckman mastered it. He spent 12 years with the Chicago Bears, and collected five All-Pro awards and four Pro Bowl accolades. From 1939-1950, Luckman routinely led the league in passing. Perhaps most important to the fans in the Windy City, Luckman was part of four championship teams. Inducted in 1965, Luckman was one of the first 22 men inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame. Football is a sport of constant evolution, and the story of the game's evolution can't be told without Sid Luckman.

22. Bob Griese
He quarterbacked the only unbeaten Super Bowl championship team in history--that alone deserves consideration for this list. But Bob Griese is more than just that one mythical season. Two world titles, two All-Pro teams and a 14-year career, Bob Griese can put his resume up against anybody.

21. Jim Kelly
How high could Jim Kelly be on this list if the Bills had won just one Super Bowl during his tenure? He may have played during the greatest quarterback era in NFL history; John Elway, Joe Montana, Steve Young, Dan Marino and Troy Aikman were all in their prime at the same time as the Buffalo icon. During his 11-year NFL career Kelly made five Pro Bowls and was named to an All-Pro team.

20. Kurt Warner
Kurt Warner's journey is one of the most inspiring in NFL history--a testament to never giving up on a dream and a lesson in dedication to a craft. It's a well-known tale by this point--undrafted coming out of Northern Iowa, cut by the Packers, returned to Iowa to stock shelves at the grocery store until the St. Louis Rams came calling. He would quickly become the ringmaster for the "Greatest Show on Turf" and lead the Rams to a Super Bowl win. He would play in two more Super Bowls, win two MVP awards, be named to two All-Pro teams and get elected to four Pro Bowls.

19. Joe Namath
Perhaps the original swaggering quarterback, "Broadway Joe" was more glitz and glamour than his peers and predecessors. Namath was drafted by the Jets in 1965 and fast became one of the premiere passers in the league; he threw for 4,007 yards in 1967--nearly 700 yards more than second place. Namath's signature moment remains guaranteeing the Jets, a heavy underdog, would win Super Bowl III. They did just that, the only Super Bowl victory in Jets' history, and Namath was named Super Bowl MVP.

18. Sonny Jurgensen
Contrary to most superstars on this list, Sonny Jurgensen took a few years to find his groove in the NFL. He barely during his first four seasons, but in 1961 he became the starter for the Eagles and put the league on notice. He was named an All-Pro and posted 3,723 yards and 23 touchdowns--numbers that would still be impressive in a modern season. He would move onto spend most of his career with Washington and contend with fellow Hall of Fame inductees like Johnny Unitas, Bart Starr and Y.A. Tittle for "best in the league" status.

17. Steve Young
Despite a 15-season NFL career, Steve Young really only had eight seasons in the spotlight. However, during that span he may have been the best player on the planet. He had a largely forgettable two years in Tampa Bay and then moved on to San Francisco where he mostly sat on the bench for four years. When the 49ers finally transitioned from Joe Montana to Young, he was ready for primetime. He was a two-time MVP and three-time All-Pro, plus he claimed Super Bowl MVP honors while guiding the Niners to a win in Super Bowl XXIX.

16. George Blanda
The ultimate ironman, George Blanda seemingly fit three careers into one. Starting his career in 1949, Blanda was largely a backup for a decade with the Chicago Bears. He retired in 1959, then returned in 1960 for his best career run with the Houston Oilers. The apex of his career came in 1961 when the Oilers won the AFL championship and Blanda was named the AP First-Team All-Pro quarterback. He would go on to play until 1975, splitting time between the Oilers and Raiders, and splitting time as a quarterback and kicker.

15. Troy Aikman
Troy Aikman is the Terry Bradshaw of the 1990s. Their careers are strikingly similar. Aikman's numbers are modest by Hall of Fame standards, but his three Super Bowl wins are only surpassed by Tom Brady, Bradshaw and Joe Montana. In addition to the three championships, Aikman made it to six Pro Bowls in his 12-year career.

14. Bart Starr
The first superstar of the Super Bowl Era, Bart Starr was the commander of Vince Lombardi's vaunted Green Bay Packers. He was the MVP of the first two Super Bowl games, and earned league MVP honors after the 1966 season. Even so, Starr's greatest performances may have been before the Super Bowl even existed; he led the Packers to three NFL championships in 1961, 1962 and 1965.

13. Terry Bradshaw
Terry Bradshaw is one of the game's great winners. His statistics aren't remarkable, but few quarterbacks can match his performance in big games. The 1970s Pittsburgh Steelers are a strong candidate for the NFL's greatest ever dynasty, and much of that success is owed to Bradshaw. The team had coaching, defense and skilled weapons all over the field, but Bradshaw was the straw that stirred the drink. In their four Super Bowl runs, Bradshaw was the game MVP twice. He was enshrined in Canton in 1989.

12. Sammy Baugh
Sammy Baugh didn't invent the forward pass, but he turned it into a viable threat. He entered the league in 1937 when the single-season passing yard record was 1,239 yards and the single-season passing touchdown record was 11. Baugh would immediate set the league on fire, earning Pro Bowl or All-Pro nods in each of his first seven seasons; he was also a two-time world champion with Washington. By the time his 16-year career came to a close, players like Sid Luckman and Otto Graham had taken passing to the next level, but it was Baugh who introduced it as an art form.

11. Otto Graham
The ultimate winner, Otto Graham played in 10 NFL championship games from 1946-1955, the entire length of his career. Graham's tenure wasn't as long as other icos on this list, but he achieved the most in the shortest amount of time. During that 10-year run the Browns won seven championships, all with Graham at the helm. He was also a seven-time All-Pro. Graham's numbers look pedestrian by today's standards, but he was one of the most dynamic passers of the '40s and '50s.

10. Brett Favre
The quintessential gunslinger, Favre is the ultimate high risk, high reward player. That led to a career interception record--by a wide margin--but it also led to 11 Pro Bowls, three MVP trophies and one Super Bowl. Favre blended the early days of wide-open NFL offense of Joe Montana, John Elway and Dan Marino era with the high-octane era of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees. Favre was far from polished, but his rocket arm, fiery demeanor and iron will kept his teams in contention for 20 seasons.

9. Fran Tarkenton
Fran Tarkenton was a  2020s quarterback playing in the 1960s. His frenetic energy and scrambling was decades ahead of its time. But he was from a one-trick pony. The longtime Vikings signal-caller amassed 47,003 passing yards--the only other quarterback drafted in 1970 or earlier to post more than 35,000 yards was Johnny Unitas. Tarkenton astonishingly peaked in his 15th season, winning his lone MVP award. Tarkenton was electrifying and his style would look at home next to the likes of Russell Wilson, Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson.

8. Johnny Unitas
Johnny Unitas represents the best of the old-school NFL. A hard-scrabble, gritty competitor, Unitas was the definition of a gamer and as hardnosed as any quarterback to ever suit up. Starting his career in 1956, Unitas picked up the baton from piooners like Sammy Baugh and Otto Graham and modernized the position as the NFL entered the Super Bowl Era. Unitas and Tarkenton were the marquee QBs of this pivotal growth period. Spending almost his entire career with the Colts, Unitas retired in 1973 with three MVP awards, five All-Pro teams and a ring from Super Bowl V.

7. Drew Brees
The NFL record book can be broken down into two phase--before Brees and after Brees. He was like a video game characted come to life. As the NFL transitioned to a more wide open, offense-focused league, Brees became the poster child for that style. Brees shattered several passing records and rewrote the standard for quarterbacks. Brees went from the odd man out in San Diego early into his career to arguably the greatest New Orleans Saint of all-time and a surefire Hall of Fame inductee.

6. Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers is on the shortlist for the best passer to ever play the game. He can make every throw imaginable, and his accuracy is nearly peerless. He will likely join the 60,000 passing yard club, only the ninth player to do so, and hit the 500 passing touchdown mark, making him the fifth QB to ever achieve that feat. Rodgers is a four-time MVP and guiding the Packers to another title or two would move him further up this list.

5. John Elway
John Elway has a strong argument for being the most complete quarterback to ever play. He was an athletic scrambler at a time when quarterbacks were more statues; his football IQ could rival Peyton Manning; his tenacity was comparable to Johnny Unitas; his ability to command a game was on-par with Joe Montana. Elway is a two-time champion, one-time MVP, nine-time Pro Bowl selection and was voted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2004.

4. Dan Marino
Dan Marino may have the best arm the NFL has ever seen. In his second season in 1984, Marino posted 5,084 yards and 48 touchdowns--in an era when ecplipsing 4,000 yards was an achievement for even the best passers. He retired in 1999 with more than 61,000 passing yards to his name. He earned three All-Pro selections and won one MVP award. Marino was ahead of his time and set the stage for the modern pass-happy NFL. He was the innovator that opened the door for the likes of Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers.

3. Joe Montana
Montana and the 1980s 49ers may be the greatest dynasty in NFL history. From the 1981-1989 seasons the Niners won four Super Bowls, all behind the magical arm of "Joe Cool." Bill Walsh was the mastermind head coach of the West Coast offense, but he needed the right field general to execute the plan. Montana that was man. Montana is a hall of famer, two-time MVP and three-time All-Pro.

2. Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning is the most cerebral quarterback to ever play; having him on the field was like having a coach under center. Manning seemingly new what all 22 players were going to do on every play. He was never going to "wow" anybody with his athleticism, but his intellect and arm talent more than made up for it. Manning won two Super Bowls, five MVPs and was named a first-team All-Pro seven times.

1. Tom Brady
Tom Brady is the greatest football player in history. He will retire with every meaningful passing record and is the only player the game's history with seven Super Bowl rings. Brady is the ageless wonder and has fundamentally changed the NFL over his more than 20-year career. Love him or hate him, Tom Brady has done everything a football player can do and will set a nearly untouchable standard.