The Best QBs
What makes a great quarterback? Let's count down the best to ever play the position and you can tell us how right—or wrong—we are.
30: Bernie Kosar (1985-96)
Had it not been for The Drive and The Fumble, we could be talking about Bernie Kosar as the quarterback who took the Cleveland Browns to two Super Bowls.
Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
29: Phil Simms (1979-1993)
Phil Simms might just be the least talked about quarterback to ever win two Super Bowls—and in one of those Super Bowls, he completed 22 of 25 passes (the highest-ever completion percentage in the big game) and threw three touchdowns. He retired in 1993 with 3,199 touchdowns and 3,462 yards (a yardage total that had him placed 11th of all time—at the time).
Thomson200, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
28: Ken Stabler (1970-84)
A standout quarterback during the 70s, Stabler led the Oakland Raiders to their first ever Super Bowl win, was league MVP in 1974, and led the league in touchdown passes in '74 and '76. He was posthumously inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016.
27: Russell Wilson (2012-)
He is one of only three quarterbacks with a career passer rating over 100 and he was also the third QB ever to toss 30 touchdowns in four consecutive seasons. Wilson also led his Seahawks to two consecutive Super Bowls (XLVIII & XLIX)—winning the first and losing the second on an interception at the goal line. If they'd just handed it off to Marshawn Lynch, Wilson would probably have two rings to his name.
Mike Morris, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
26: Lamar Jackson (2018-)
He wasn't the first running quarterback but he is the greatest one to ever play. Standing on the shoulders of such rushing QBs like Randall Cunningham and Michael Vick, Lamar Jackson has taken the dual-threat thing to a never before seen level. And, with his improvements as a pocket passer over the years, Jackson has become a complete player at the position—and earned himself two MVPs in the process.
The legit knock on Jackson so far has been his failures in the playoffs, but he still has time to turn that story around and maybe move up some spots on the list by the time he is done.
All-Pro Reels, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
25: Dan Fouts (1973-87)
One of the greatest quarterbacks that hardly anyone ever talks about anymore. Well, allow us to enlighten you to a few things. Fouts was the first QB to pass for 4,000 yards three seasons in a row. He was also named NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year in 1982, and while he never took his San Diego Chargers to the Super Bowl, his career did take him right to the Hall of Fame. And speaking of great Charger's quarterbacks...
Rex Lilly, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
24: Philip Rivers (2004-20)
Rivers threw 421 TDs in his career and is the winningest quarterback in Chargers franchise history. He was an accurate and prolific passer and while he too never made it to a Super Bowl, his talent can't be overlooked.
Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
23: Sammy Baugh (1937-52)
One quarterback holds the record for leading the league in passing for six straight seasons. That quarterback was Sammy Baugh. Baugh also won two NFL Championships (this is before the Super Bowl era) and is ranked as one of the top 20 punters in NFL history.
Harris & Ewing, Wikimedia Commons
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22: Eli Manning (2004-19)
We will get to his brother later on in this list, but we can't sleep on Eli Manning here. Sure, consistency was a problem at times, with some mediocre seasons to his name. But when he was on, he was on. And he just happened to be on for two amazing playoff runs and iconic Super Bowl wins against the daunting Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. Who else can say that?
Keith Allison, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
21: Warren Moon (1984-2000)
Moon spent the first six years of his career in the Canadian Football League, where he won five Grey Cups! Then, he moved to the NFL where he played for 17 seasons, winning MVP once and leading the league in passing twice. It's also been said that Moon threw the most beautiful spiral.
Oilers Tribute Week, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
20: Jim Kelly (1986-96)
Who is the only quarterback to lead his team to four straight Super Bowls? That's right, it's Jim Kelly. Yes, he lost all four—but come on. Four in a row is an amazing stat that should be appreciated much more than it is. Also, the first of those four Super Bowls was a 20-19 loss to the New York Giants which came down to Scott Norwood's now infamous "wide right" missed field goal. If that went in, maybe Kelly would have gotten more of the respect that he deserves.
Staff Sgt. Corenthia Fennell, Wikimedia Commons
19: Kurt Warner (1998-2009)
It took a few years, but Kurt Warner went from grocery store clerk to Super Bowl champion. In fact, Warner went to two Super Bowls (winning one) and was named MVP three times as well. Warner and his accurate and powerful arm was at the helm for the "greatest show on turf", the LA Rams.
John Trainor, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
18: Terry Bradshaw (1970-83)
He doesn't have the most wins or most passing yards or most touchdowns ever—but Terry Bradshaw did something that only one other quarterback has ever done: He went to four Super Bowls and he won all four!
The ASI Show, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
17: Otto Graham (1946-55)
There was a time when the Cleveland Browns were winning championships and that was when Otto Graham was their quarterback. Graham has four AAFC championships and three NFL championships to his name, as well as two MVP awards. He also held the highest career QB passer rating for 40 years after he retired.
Los Angeles Daily News, Wikimedia Commons
16: Troy Aikman (1989-2000)
Number-one draft picks don't always work out—but Troy Aikman sure did. And yes, his first season was, shall we say, not very good. But Aikman turned things around pretty quickly and ended up leading the Dallas Cowboys to three Super Bowls (winning all three).
Keith Allison, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
15: Bart Starr (1956-71)
Green Bay is used to having great quarterbacks—and Bart Starr was definitely one of them. Starr played for 16 seasons and only lost one playoff game in that entire time. He also won five titles—including leading the Packers to wins in the first two Super Bowls ever played.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
14: Roger Staubach (1969-79)
Staubach played all of his 11 NFL seasons with the Dallas Cowboys—winning two Super Bowls and an MVP award in that time.
Javier Chagoya, Wikimedia Commons
13: Brett Favre (1991-2010)
Favre had a pretty impressive 16-year career, which included three MVP awards, back-to-back Super Bowl appearances (winning one), and 186 regular season wins (which sees him tied for second place with Peyton Manning). Sure, he threw a few timely interceptions that cost him and his team—but Favre was boom or bust and did much more booming than busting. He is also the NFL Iron Man, having played in 297 consecutive regular-season games (a record that will probably never be broken).
MN National Guard, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
12: Ben Roethlisberger (2004-21)
Ben Roethlisberger came out of the gates flying—going 13-1 in his rookie season and taking home the much-deserved Rookie of the Year trophy. At 23, he was also the youngest starting QB to win the Super Bowl and he would win a second one a few years later.
Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
11: Fran Tarkenton (1961-78)
Fran Tarkenton could run and pass at a time when the rushing part wasn't something quarterbacks did much—if at all. A dual-threat unlike any other QB that had come before him, Tarkenton played 18 seasons in the league, was the MVP in 1975, and led the Minnesota Vikings to three Super Bowls—unfortunately, the Hall of Famer never won the big game.
10: Steve Young (1985-99)
Imagine taking over the QB position of the San Francisco 49ers after Joe Montana. Steve Young can—because that's exactly what he did. He might not be Montana (no one is), but he did win two MVP awards, was the starting QB for one Super Bowl win, and his 4,239 rushing yards ranks fifth of all time among quarterbacks.
Presidio of Monterey, Wikimedia Commons
9: Johnny Unitas (1956-73)
Four-time MVP Unitas led the Baltimore Colts to victory in Super Bowl V (to go along with his three NFL championships). The man was one of the pillars at the QB position.
Malcolm W.Emmons, Wikimedia Commons
8: Aaron Rodgers (2005-Present)
You can knock him for only going to one Super Bowl (which he won), but—as far as his on the field play goes—there isn't much else you can knock Aaron Rodgers for (and he has been so close to going to at least one or two more). Admittedly, his last couple seasons have been less than stellar, but he is a four-time MVP, with his most recent win coming as recently as 2021.
All-Pro Reels, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
7: Dan Marino (1983-99)
Dan Marino took his Miami Dolphins to the Super Bowl in just his second season. Miami lost that game and Marino never made it back to the Super Bowl, but we can't let that detract too much from an otherwise unbelievable career. The man had an arm like few others who have played the game and there was a time when he held pretty much every passing record there was. And while many have since been surpassed, he still tops a few records and no one can ever take away his Rookie of the Year award and his MVP award.
Marino is easily the greatest quarterback to never win a Super Bowl.
6: Patrick Mahomes (2017-present)
He might not be the best of all time just yet, but he certainly looks like he could be on his way there. In just six seasons as a starter in the league, Mahomes has racked up two MVPs and four Super Bowl appearances—winning the thing three times (and had it not been for a nagging ankle injury, he would probably be 4-0 in the big game). He is only the second quarterback to pass for 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns in a season and the magic he makes on the football field is undeniable.
All-Pro Reels, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
5: Drew Brees (2001-20)
He was good in San Diego, but it was once Drew Brees went to New Orleans that his "one-of-the-greatest" legacy became a reality. He led the Saints to their only Super Bowl ever—winning the game and being named MVP. He also ranks second of all time in passing yards (80,358), completions (7,142), and touchdown passes (571). He also has the record for consecutive games with a touchdown pass (54), and no other quarterback threw for 70,000 yards quicker than did Brees.
Also, had it not been for the Minneapolis Miracle in 2018 and one of the worst no-calls in NFL history in 2019, Brees could've gone to two more Super Bowls and added more hardware to his impressive legacy.
Senate Democrats, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
4: Peyton Manning (1998-2015)
Super Bowls aside, no quarterback has more records and accomplishments than Peyton Manning. Five League MVPs, 10 times All-Pro—and when he retired in 2015, he held the record in all these categories: passing yards (71,940), touchdown passes (539), fourth-quarter comebacks (43), game-winning drives (54), career wins as a starting quarterback (200, including playoffs), 4,000-plus-yard passing seasons (14), and consecutive seasons with at least 25 touchdown passes (13).
If you wanna talk Super Bowls, the man went to four (two with Indianapolis and two with Denver), winning twice (once with each team). And he most definitely would've gone to a few more had it not been for the next guy on our list...
Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
3: Tom Brady (2000-23)
As a sixth-round draft pick, Tom Brady wasn't supposed to be one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game and the winningest QB of all time. But that's what TB12 became. We're talking seven division titles, nine Super Bowl appearances, and six wins in 20 years with New England—including the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history. Then, he went to Tampa Bay and won another Super Bowl.
Brady Won three league MVPs and his 286 victories (regular season and postseason) is an NFL record—as are his career passing yards (89,214 regular season, 13,400 in the playoffs) and touchdowns (649 regular season, 88 playoffs). But remember, he played 23 seasons—which is at least 4-8 more than almost any other QB in this top tier, giving him more time to rack up more stats (although, that high level of play into his mid-40s is something we've never seen before and needs to be recognized as well).
Playing in a weak AFC East division for most of his time did make things easier on him and the Patriots—and don't get us started on the "tuck rule" game, spygate, or deflategate.
But as much as many want to be haters, there's no denying the accomplishments, the longevity, the talent, and all that winning.
Alexander Jonesi, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
2: John Elway (1983-98)
After having gone to three Super Bowls and losing all three, it looked for a while like John Elway was going to have a Dan Marino-esque career that would always see him talked about as a "greatest that never won". But then, in the final two years of his career, he went to two more Super Bowls and won them both. Talk about going out on top!
All-Pro Reels, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
1: Joe Montana (1979-94)
The greatest to ever play the position. He was a winner in all aspects, at all levels, from his national championship at Notre Dame to his 4-0 record in Super Bowls (taking home the game MVP three times as well). There were also the two league MVP awards and five All-Pro selections. He was one half of the greatest quarterback-to-wide receiver duo in the history of the game (with Jerry Rice)—and for his last two seasons, he played in Kansas City and took his new team to the AFC Championship game.
And speaking of those Super Bowls, Montana has the highest collective all-time QB rating in the Super Bowl (127.8), as well as the most passes thrown without an interception (122 in four games). He was smart and calm and his ability in the clutch might never be matched. Ergo his nicknames: Joe Cool & The Comeback Kid.
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