Top 10 QBs of all time

[Joker]

wait a minute....no Ducks Throwington?...Jet fan is going to be very angry with you, Deus...

 

[condon84]

I can only go by the QBs I've seen play. My criteria would be, if all these teams were equal, which QB in their prime would I want to start if my life depended on the game. So my list goes

1. Montana
2. Brady
3. Marino (yeah yeah he never won. But he always had an inferior team. I blame Shula)
4. Warner
5. Rodgers
6. Elway
7. Favre
8. Young
9. Peyton/Brees/Kelly

 

[Deus Irae]

wait a minute....no Ducks Throwington?...Jet fan is going to be very angry with you, Deus...

I would love to have seen Chad with a fully healthy shoulder for his career. He may have been the most accurate QB we've ever seen play the game.

 

[1960Pats]

Figure nothing else is going on. Do another top 10 list. This list will not feature QBs who did not play the modern era (AKA SB era) as the game is so different that they should have their own category... That list would have names like Baugh, Graham, Luckman, ect... You need to play at least some part of your career in the SB era to qualify for this list.

#10 Kurt Warner – A bit of a surprise to some I am sure. However it should not be. This guy was really good. Not only did he put up the numbers in the regular season his 31 TDs to 14 Ints in the playoffs with a 9-4 record speak well. He went to 3 SBs and really should have won 2… that Pitt lose was very fluky ala some of the loses Brady has had. What is interesting about his career is his injuries. He had 3 reasonably healthy years at the beginning and 3 reasonably healthy years at the end and took his team to the SB half the time when this was the case with 2 different franchises. What could have been if he did not have basically 5 years wasted. Still what he accomplished was very impressive in the time and he showed more in just those 6 healthy years then the vast majority of starting QBs have in entire careers. However health and longevity matter so those can and should be held against him.

#9 Dan Marino – Marino; the best to never win. However when you look at him he was not so bad in the playoffs honestly. Yes he did not do great much of the time but he does lacks many of the legendary vomit inducing performances that Peyton Manning has. The 4 worst happened at the tail end of his career and I don’t think that is coincidence. By the time the hard cap came into play he was past his best days and it was too late. The truth is if he had to play Grossman and Manning had to play Montana I think we know who would have a ring. His loses in his prime were to Seattle 83 (rookie year), SF 85 (simply a power house), Patriots 86 (better team), Bills 87 (put up 34 points.. that one is on the D), Bills 92 (much better team but the worst lose of his prime years with only 10 points). SD 95 (had a very good game and run that year). Then he helps score 22 vs the Bills next year in a “meh” game but falls off hard after. He was not clutch by any means but I think performances at the end hurts his case for what were some very decent games in his prime years and he never lost a game in his prime years he shouldn’t have IMO.

#8 John Elway – I know this one might get me hate one way or another. However what he did with the team he had to get them to the SB 3 times was very impressive but it was clear how overmatched his team was. He also did win 2 and was a very large part of the 2nd one throwing for 336 yards. Did he get carried a little? Yep. Did he do some carrying of his on in those runs he won? You bet. His stats are not impressive but he is a man where the stats do not tell the whole story. Not to mention he did improve as time passed with his passing and that is a big reason why he was able to get over the hump.

#7 Aaron Rodgers - This might be too high too early to some. He has started for 7 years and in this time he has been more impressive than many others QBs I could put over him. Not only does he win and have the best stats of his era and a ring. The way he has played in the playoffs though is key here. He gets a bit of this choker label but I am not sure that is fair. 23 TDs 7 Ints and 101 QB rating in the playoffs looks good on paper. I am not for excuse making but looking at the games the only 2 loses in the playoffs I really put on him are the past 2 years (SF and SEA) and you can argue the injury was a big reasons he lost last year though I think he was probably being a bit of a baby. The other 3 loses his team gave up 51, 37 and 45 points. I will cut him some slack for those. I am putting him here assuming another ring is coming. If not I might reevaluate.

#6 Bart Starr - This one is usually hard to defend but it really shouldn't be. Yes he had a great coach and great team. Still does not change the fact he was 9-1 in the playoffs and had 2 SB (5 overall) championships. His QB rating in the playoffs speaks for itself in such an era. The guy knew how to win and though he often didn't need to he could and would take over games if need be like he did vs Dallas on route to their 1st SB. He knew that the first key to winning is not losing and how easy it can be to beat yourself. One of the best ever.

#5 Steve Young - What could have been. Steve Young did not get a chance to start till he was 30. I don't care how healthy you are 30 is 30. No amount of practice can make you ready for the NFL. You just need to go out their and play. He had to learn how to be a starter in the NFL while also on the verge of his physical decline starting which matters so much for a QB that likes to run. I believe if he got to start when he was 22 or 23 and go the more normal route he would have gotten more than 1 ring. However his play in his prime and in that overall 8 year span of starting is enough to put him on this list. We barely got to see his best but it was very good.

#4 Johnny Unitas - Basically invented the modern QB position and is still one of the best at it. I will not say too much as I have not seen enough of his tape to go into detail but it is clear to me he deserves this spot but is not in my "holy trinity".

#3 Roger Staubach - Rodger the Dodger. This is the most underrated great player of all time in any sport. He went to 4 SBs and won 2. He was up against the most loaded era in all of football. The Steelers dynasty which was just so ridiculously over talented all around. The Dolphins in the early 70s which went undefeated and nearly did so the next year. No other QB on this list had to go against such monstrous teams. I do believe if him and Montana swap eras Montana might be 2 out of 4 and Staubach 4 out of 4. However looking at the play of each Montana seems to be just a little better.

#2 Joe Montana - Some will call him the best. Some will bring up his D and talent around him and argue he is a bit overrated. I think his play speaks for itself. He is the cog which made the offense go and though his team was stacked he had to beat other stacked teams on his way to 4 championships. He was still the best till about 4 months ago. And solidly holds the 2nd place spot that is not getting taken away anytime soon

#1 Tom Brady - Though I could understand Montana being #1 Brady to me has been better. Regardless of what others might say not only is he one of the most clutch QBs of all time he is the best regular season QB to boot. His winning % is the highest of any QB with even comparable sample size and he is so consistent. Last year getting his 4th ring and the way he got it is the kicker to me. Best ever.

I almost stopped reading when I saw Warner at #10. I don't think he's even in a discussion about top ten QBs. I'm glad that I kept reading though.

For Warner's replacement I would go with Ken Stabler

In general I like your list, but I also think that Marino is a bit better than his #9 ranking. So is Johnny U at #4. I'd put him just behind Montana.

I'd also get Young and move him back to the #9 spot that Marino vacated when he, Elway and Rodgers moved up.

 

[sb1]

Warner's name shouldn't be near this list. His 2002-2007 seasons were lost years and he wasn't even a starter for a bit of time.

 

[1960Pats]

1) Tom Brady
2) Peyton Manning
3) Dan Marino
4) Joe Montana
5) Johnny Unitas
6) John Elway
7) Otto Graham
8) Aaron Rodgers
9) Steve Young
10) Drew Brees

I know Patriots fans are biased against him, but if your list doesn't contain Manning something is wrong.

I think you're mistaken. One of the things that holds Manning back is his awful playoff performances. He had 9 one and done playoffs and many of those were with the best record in the regular season. In a top ten clutch QB poll from a couple of years ago, Manning wasn't even listed on any of those from NYFLN, SI.com and NFL Films. They ought to know.

As for bias, it's not about that at all. It's just difficult to respect the performance of a QB who has looked like an amateur against our team so many times. I have more respect for Eli than Peyton. At least Eli steps his game up in the playoffs.

I'd take Manning and Brees (The Stats Chasers) off that list and put Staubach, Bart Starr, Aikman or Stabler instead, after I mixed them all up a bit.

 

[PATS16N0]

#1. TOM BRADY. Tom is just a ****ing beast. Let's be real. His 9 AFC Championship appearances says to me nearly what 4 world championships does. This guy is just always ****ing there.

9 AFC Championships means that almost every single season, an entire nation of jealous haters has to watch, yet again, Brady play in the NFL's Final Four Championship weekend. That's honestly just crazy. NINE AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES. The Steelers come and the Steelers go. The Colts come, the Colts go. For 14 years the greatest conference rivalry in the AFC has been The Patriots vs. Somebody Else.
Steelers. Colts Chargers. Jets. Ravens. Broncos. They come. They go. Tom Brady and the Patriots remain.

21 post season wins. Just get wrecked.

He's the freaking GOAT. Any other opinion is trash.

2. JOE MONTANA
Clutch but overrated. Joe Montana was a sports icon when I was a little kid, too young to evaluate skills at the time, but I've since watched a lot of old Niner games over the last couple of years.

Tom Brady is just better than this dude. Forget stats, forget championships, forget post season wins, forget everything, even though it's all in Brady's favor anyway. Tom just has a better game, period.
Joe Montana isn't nearly as exciting to watch kill defenses as Tom Brady is. Not even in the same ballpark. Montana is the clear #2 for his championships and big moments in big games, but, all due respect to Joe, I don't even think it's a debate. It's only a debate on paper, but football isn't dungeons & dragons and it can't be played on paper. Brady is just the supreme ultimate bad ass of quarterback play.

IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER

I won't rate the guys from the Unitas era because that would involve pretending I've seen them play in worthwhile sample size.


JOHN ELWAY
I can never decide if John Elway is underrated and overrated. For one, Bronco fans have gone full Steeler fan since diving into a conference rivalry with the big time, and failing miserably. This makes me want to say **** John Elway.

I never liked his dumb horserace when he played. A friend of mine was a Bronco fan and I just didn't understand it. I hated their uniforms with the big stupid D on the helmet. I hated their colors. They were Marino's Dolphins v2 until they ignored the salary cap. Everything about them sucked.

Still, Elway has his shining moments. His helicopter for his ring is something you'll never see Peyton Manning do. It could be daring heroics or it could be spun as pitiful desperation to not go down like Marino. I guess I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. 5 Superbowl appearances is definitely impressive, but the AFC was garbage compared to the NFL. It lacked the talent of the NFC teams, so if that's his excuse for getting humiliated in those Superbowls, why am I celebrating his 3 pre-Davis runs through the conference? The AFC was talent starved and sucked. So you went through bad Conference 3 times. Then embarrassed yourself against a real team. It seems like what he's heralded for, and what he needs excuses for, sort of contradict his all time greatness in terms of a top 5 list.

I don't know where Elway belongs, but I'd ballpark it late in the top 10.

IN REGARDS TO AARON RODGERS.
Dude has as many post season wins in his own stadium as Eli Manning. Last year his defense gifted him great field position for easy scores in the NFC Championship game. Beyond those scores, most of which were field goals IIRC, he didn't do squat. I've said it before and I'll say it again, because I think it's accurate. Every time Aaron Rodgers has an opportunity to do some epic Tom Brady ****… he doesn't.

He has to go on a tear to even get on any top 10 list of mine. I don't see it happening, as talented as he is.

JOE FLACCO
January Joe is the quarterback playing right now that has a chance to get on a top ten list, more so than even Big Ben IMO. The dude has like 10 playoff road wins. Only Tom Brady is a better big game, big moment quarterback. Joe Flacco is right up there, and criminally underrated by the media because his face isn't as marketable as the other star quarterbacks.

I'm gonna' stop typing.

 

[Deus Irae]

I think you're mistaken. One of the things that holds Manning back is his awful playoff performances. He had 9 one and done playoffs and many of those were with the best record in the regular season. In a top ten clutch QB poll from a couple of years ago, Manning wasn't even listed on any of those from NYFLN, SI.com and NFL Films. They ought to know.

As for bias, it's not about that at all. It's just difficult to respect the performance of a QB who has looked like an amateur against our team so many times. I have more respect for Eli than Peyton. At least Eli steps his game up in the playoffs.

I'd take Manning and Brees (The Stats Chasers) off that list and put Staubach, Bart Starr, Aikman or Stabler instead, after I mixed them all up a bit.

Your post reminds me that I did not put Stabler in my list of contenders for the top 25. Other notables not on my list include:

Lin Dawson
Joe Namath
Bob Griese
Phil Simms

Changes might need to be made, but I think it shows that it gets tougher outside the top 8.

 

[JMC00]

1. Brady
2-10. Guys who aren't Brady

 

[lurker1965]

...
#4 Johnny Unitas - Basically invented the modern QB position and is still one of the best at it. I will not say too much as I have not seen enough of his tape to go into detail but it is clear to me he deserves this spot but is not in my "holy trinity".
...

Rest of the list is good enough to ignore, but Unitas was overrated. He had Raymond Berry, the inventor of timing routes. This is pre-free agency, so he exclusively has receivers he can "throw open." The receiver is covered but will be open briefly when he cuts before the CB recovers. That is a major advantage but his Colts lost out to the Bart Starr led Packers in the pre/early Super Bowl era? Yes, they had an NFL championship in what 1958? Why, with that advantage, did not they go to the NFL championship* regularly? (*and hence early Super Bowls instead of the Packers.)

Not in the top ten but often under rated, Brian Greise. Yes, I know he only threw 8 passes in VIII. Back then the QB called the plays. Behind him were two future Hall of Famers and he made the correct decision to NOT take the ball out of their hands. Someone else playing QB for the Dolphins might have insisted on being the man and forced a throw.

 

[lurker1965]

1. Tom Brady



2. Joe Montana
3. Dan Marino
4. Roger Staubach
5. Johnny Unitas
6. Bart Starr
7. Otto Graham
8. John Elway
9. Brett Favre
10. Fran Tarkenton

Wrong. And I will painfully say why.
#1 Slingin' Sammy Baugh. Before him the QB was one of four possible RBs who might throw two or three times a game. He made the QB the passer. And, no it was not the coach - he had three. Until Brady finds a new way to get the ball downfield (telekinesis ), he can't top that.

Then 2-5 Brady, Starr, Montana, and Graham. (Different eras and such, although Brady can easily be a clear #2

The rest are OK. Well, OK-ish. I'd drop the guys with obvious holes in their resume like Marino and, it pains me to say it, Tarkenton. The first "no championship" QB is Y.A. Tittle. 36 TDs in 14 games when no defensive holding - PI only if ball was in the air, no timing routes, and no rules about roughing the passer* was a bigger achievement than Marino's 48. (*Google image search and see a picture of him BLEEDING FROM THE HEAD.)

 

[Froob]

Rodgers doesn't belong on that list just yet. Peyton probably should be on there somewhere. And lol@Peyton at #2 on that dude's list.

 

[lurker1965]

SB era only
Brady
Montana
Starr
Elway
Staubach

Unitas (Yeah, I know what I said. I said he was over rated, not that he sucks.)
Bradshaw (He picked up his game in the playoffs, but he was no slouch in the regular season. Look him up on pro-football reference. It is rare, but he did sometimes lead the league in stuff.)
Then maybe Warner and Favre before we get to the guys without championships(Marino, Kelly, Tarkenton, Esiason, etc.)

 

[Deus Irae]

Rest of the list is good enough to ignore, but Unitas was overrated. He had Raymond Berry, the inventor of timing routes. This is pre-free agency, so he exclusively has receivers he can "throw open." The receiver is covered but will be open briefly when he cuts before the CB recovers. That is a major advantage but his Colts lost out to the Bart Starr led Packers in the pre/early Super Bowl era? Yes, they had an NFL championship in what 1958? Why, with that advantage, did not they go to the NFL championship* regularly? (*and hence early Super Bowls instead of the Packers.)

Not in the top ten but often under rated, Brian Greise. Yes, I know he only threw 8 passes in VIII. Back then the QB called the plays. Behind him were two future Hall of Famers and he made the correct decision to NOT take the ball out of their hands. Someone else playing QB for the Dolphins might have insisted on being the man and forced a throw.

(You'll understand when I tease you here , and I'm not actually commenting on your list...)

BRIAN GRIESE? Are you high?

 

[lurker1965]

(You'll understand when I tease you here , and I'm not actually commenting on your list...)

BRIAN GRIESE? Are you high?

I did not say he was good. I said he was under rated. If you are making a top 100 QBs list and leave him out, I'll make a case for him at #99.

 

[Deus Irae]

I did not say he was good. I said he was under rated.

Dude...... that's not the issue I was teasing you about. Wrong Griese: that's the issue. You mean Bob, not Brian.

 

[lurker1965]

Dude...... that's not the issue I was teasing you about. Wrong Griese: that's the issue. You mean Bob, not Brian.

Is there an icon of a breeze flying over your head? Gee, I feel sheepish or whatever. Must be bedtime!

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

Brady
Brady
Brady
Brady
Brady
Brady


Do i have to keep going?

 

[Deus Irae]

Is there an icon of a breeze flying over your head? Gee, I feel sheepish or whatever. Must be bedtime!

It happens to us all.

 

[anditsgood]

Rodgers doesn't belong on that list just yet..

This...

AR has only started for 7 years, he does definitely have potential to be there, but its a bit premature to include him in a list of all time.. I have no issue putting him at 1 or 2 for the last 3 years....