Top Ten Quarterbacks

           The subject of many of disputes and arguments, the greatest quarterback of all time debate has no definitive answer. Unlike sports like hockey, basketball, and baseball, there is no ultimate answer to the question of best of the game’s most important position.  There is a valid case for many different quarterbacks and you will probably hear a variety of answers if ask people across the country. There is no definite way to measure quarterback greatness. Stats are a good standard but statistics for quarterbacks have gotten better over the years for a variety of reasons including: better talents at receiver, more developed offenses and various rule changes favoring quarterbacks. So for those reasons I factored in: winning percentage, Super bowl appearances and wins, and stats. It is important to note then, that I look at stats relatively; how well the quarterback compared to the rest of the league.  I also didn’t include any quarterbacks who retired before the merger, 1970. This list will probably add to my crazy and irrational reputation but with the basketball and hockey seasons ended and the football season looming closer and closer, there is no better time to join this debate than now.

Honorable Mention

Fran Tarkenton- Possibly the greatest statistical quarterback not on this list, Fran Tarkenton was one of the league’s premier quarterbacks for much of his career. Tarkenton was an innovator and forever changed the league with his mobile style. He was a nine time Pro Bowler and 1975 league MVP, so why is not on my list? It was truly a tough decision and I was debating between Tarkenton and Bradshaw for that final, tenth spot. Ultimately it came down to championships; Bradshaw has four, Tarkenton has zero. While Bradshaw excelled in the Super Bowl, Fran Tarkenton’s play diminished. When Bradshaw and Tarkenton faced off in Super Bowl IX, Tarkenton threw for a dismal 11-26 102 yards passing and three interceptions. While he was facing on the greatest defenses of all time, Tarkenton also had a great defense on his side; “The Purple People Eaters”. Overall, winning a championship would have enormously helped Tarkenton’s legacy.

Drew Brees- The man who currently holds the single season passing yards record, Drew Brees’s legacy is still being built. He resurrected the Saints franchise and helped build a perennial contender for years to come. Drew Brees has been selected to six Pro Bowls and has been named All Pro four times. Brees has overcome more adversity than other player in the league. Through facing much adversity, Brees was able to become the leader of the Super Bowl 42 winning Saints team. In sum, a few more great seasons and possibly another Super Bowl would solidify Drew Brees’s presence on my list.

Top Ten

10. Terry Bradshaw- as a Steelers’ fan myself, I really should have Terry Bradshaw higher on this list. He led the Steelers’ dynasty of the 70s to four Super Bowl victories, and two of them he was the MVP. Bradshaw also made three Pro Bowls and was MVP of 1978. Perhaps Bradshaw’s biggest shortcoming was his early career struggles. For the first five seasons of his career, Bradshaw was statistically ranked in the bottom half of quarterbacks at that time. Even in his prime Bradshaw never led the league in passing rating.  The reason Bradshaw made this list though, was during his eight year prime, 1975-1982, Bradshaw was an elite quarterback and won three Super Bowls during that span. Overall, Terry Bradshaw was a great quarterback who helped achieve stardom by having quite possibly the greatest defense of all time on his team.

9. John Elway- He is immortalized in NFL history for “The Drive” and ending his career with consecutive Super Bowl victories but in my opinion, John Elway is largely overrated. His stats relative to his time were above average but not great. Had he not had his career resurrected by then “quarterback guru” Mike Shannahan, he probably wouldn’t have even been mentioned on this list. During John Elway’s five Super Bowl runs, he had some fairly talented teams behind him. During Elway’s three Super Bowl losses, 1986, 1987 and 1989, his defenses were ranked 15^th, 7^th, and 1^st, respectively. Elway also had some pretty prominent coaches during his career including: Mike Shannahan, Chan Gailey, Dan Reeves, Gary Kubiak and Wade Phillips. To say John Elway’s teams were not talented enough to win him more championships is simply false. Despite all of my criticisms, Elway still has one the highest winning percentages of all time, was selected to nine Pro Bowls, 1987 NFL MVP, and was Super Bowl XXXIII MVP. Overall, for the reasons listed above, John Elway’s spot on my list is justified.

8. Dan Marino- Quite possibly the greatest statistical quarterback of all time, Dan Marino will go down in football history as the greatest quarterback never to win a Super Bowl. His 1984 season will probably go down as the greatest statistical year ever for a quarterback. He threw for 48 touchdowns and 5084 passing yards, in 1984, breaking both records by extremely large margins. Marino’s greatest concession is that he never won a Super Bowl. His play in the postseason also diminished. Despite be quite possibly the greatest regular season quarterback of all time and having one of the highest winning percentages of all time, Marino posted a dismal playoff record of 8-10 and only appeared in one Super Bowl. There several viable reasons for Marino’s lack of championships including his lack of defensive support. Marino’s defense never ranked higher than fifth and for the vast majority of his career it was ranked in the bottom half of the league. Marino also never had a good running back, at time when the NFL was still a run-first league. Marino only had one thousand-yard rusher during his career. In sum, if Dan Marino would have had sum more support from his team, he probably would have been ranked higher.  

7. Brett Favre- If not for some late career drama, Brett Favre’s legacy would a lot greater in the heart of the average fan. Favre was perhaps the NFL’s last “gun-slinger” and played the game with so much passion and heart. His mentality toward the game lead to both great triumph and defeat for Favre.    He absolutely loved the game of football and would play it even through tragedies like his father’s death. Favre’s longevity will probably be unmatched and greatly admired by future players. Perhaps Favre’s greatest accomplishment is his consecutive game streak of 321. Favre’s three consecutive NFL MVPs, his 11 eleven Pro Bowl appearances, and his Super Bowl XXXI appearance solidified his spot on my list. At the time of his retirement, Favre was the leader of almost every significant passing statistic.

6. Steve Young – As painful as it is for me personally to put him on this list; I cannot deny the great talent that Steve Young was at quarterback. At the time of Young’s retirement, he was the best rated passer in NFL history. Young’s journey to the top was longer and more challenging than most before him. In 1987, Bill Walsh knew what he was doing when he brought in Steve Young to eventually replace Joe Montana.  Young was not given the full time starting job until the 1993 season, his ninth year as a starter. Even then, the 49er fans would put him under the same expectations as Joe Montana, arguably the greatest quarterback of all time. Young would answer most of his critics when he won Super Bowl XXIX and was named MVP, throwing a record six touchdown passes. His great Super Bowl victory and his record breaking numbers solidified his spot on my list, but his inanity as a football analyst instills my hatred of him.

5. Roger Staubach- Known as “Captain America” on “America’s Team”, Roger Staubach personified the great mix of both talent and class that made the 70s Cowboys a dynasty. Roger Staubach was perhaps football’s biggest star in the 70s. His talent and leadership abilities helped the Cowboys make five Super Bowls in the 70s and win two of them. Staubach made six Pro Bowls, was named to the 70s all-decade team, and was MVP of Super Bowl VI during his short 11 year career. He also led the league in passing rating four times.  In sum, Staubach’s great talent at the quarterback position captured the heart of Americans and his stats and his late game heroics justified his spot on my list.

4. Johnny Unitas- In the NFL prior to the revolution of the passing game, there was Johnny Unitas, and then there was everyone else. Unitas was the icon of a league still in its early days. He was a three time NFL MVP, a 10 time Pro Bowler, and five time All Pro. Unitas also lead his team to three championships including a victory over the Cowboys. Perhaps Unitas’ greatest record is his 47 consecutive games with a touchdown pass. That record is one the will never broken. Overall, Johnny Unitas’ numbers would have been great in any era and they are even better considering the times. Unitas was a league above most quarterbacks of the time.

3. Peyton Manning- The love of my fellow writer’s life, Peyton Manning is undoubtedly today’s most popular and iconic quarterback. For much of Manning’s career, he was compared to Dan Marino as being a great statistical quarterback who couldn’t win a championship. This comparison ended in 2007 when he won Super Bowl XLI. Manning is still like Marino in many ways for being an all-time great regular season quarterback, then playing poorly in the playoffs. Manning has career playoff record of 9-10. Marino is also comparable to Marino because they carried their respective teams for most of their careers. Manning is so valuable that his team only won two games without him. Manning, like Marino, never had a top ranked defense and more often than not, had a defense that was ranked in the bottom half of the league. They both also had little support from their running backs for most of their careers. Where Manning distinguishes himself from Marino is his Super Bowl XLI victory and MVP and his AFC championships. Overall with 11 Pro Bowls, 4 All Pro, and 4 MVPs, Manning could very well retire higher on this list barring his health. If Peyton Manning stays healthy a couple more seasons, he could very well obtain every significant quarterback record.  

2. Tom Brady- After much thought and inner-conflict I have come to the realization that Tom Brady is unfortunately an all time great. His numbers have been escalating since his humble beginnings and he is as good of a quarterback now then he ever was. Brady is a seven time Pro Bowler, two time All  Pro, two time NFL MVP, and two time Super Bowl MVP. Brady is often matched up against his rival Peyton Manning and was once again for that second and third spot on my list. They both have comparably great regular season stats and both have their fair share of accolades, where Brady distinguishes himself from Manning is his postseason performance. Brady has a 14-5 career playoff record while Manning has a dismal 9-10. Brady has two more Super Bowl rings than Manning and has played much better in the outdoors during the postseason. Brady is also comparable to Manning in the fact that the each has carried their team for most of their careers. Both have had many below average defenses and lack of running games. Overall, seeing Brady carry his team to the Super Bowl on the 31^st ranked defense has solidified his legacy, in my mind, and has justified his spot on my list.

1. Joe Montana- Nicknamed “Joe Cool” for his calm and attitude and late game heroics during crunch time, Montana had the whole package: he won many championships, put up great numbers, and was incredible late in games. Montana seemed like an unlikely quarterback destined for greatness being drafted in the third round, but he proved all his critics wrong. Montana with the help of his mentor and head coach Bill Walsh, transformed the 49ers from a consistently bad team to quite possibly the greatest dynasty in NFL history. Montana won four Super Bowls for 49ers during the 1980s and was named MVP of three of them. Montana made eight Pro Bowls, was named All Pro three times, and was a two time NFL MVP. Overall, Montana’s great numbers, late game heroics and winning percentage puts ahead of quarterbacks of his time and of NFL history.