From Slingin’ Sammy Baugh, who introduced the idea of a gunslinger in the late 1930s, to Joe Montana, who pioneered the West Coast offense, the NFL has seen many quarterbacks who have changed the game. A quarterback can go down in history as an all-time great despite the progress he made during his own era.
In 1971, Virgil Carter dominated the NFL in completion percentage; The quarterback record for rushing touchdowns is held by Cam Newton; The initial two Super Bowls were won by Bart Starr. However, a player’s accomplishments and sheer talent must transcend offensive systems, Super Bowl wins, and season records in order to be ranked among the top 10 quarterbacks of all time.
1. Tom Brady
Although Tom Brady lacks some of his contemporaries’ arm strength and mobility, his accuracy, decision-making abilities, and football IQ are rare. His hard working attitude is resolute and has permitted him to defeat a portion of the parts of his game that saw him tumble to the 6th round in the 2000 NFL draft.
He is also one of the NFL’s most reliable passers. Since becoming a starter, he has never thrown more than 14 interceptions in a season, and his completion rate has never been lower than 60%.
2. Joe Montana
One of the most important qualities for a great quarterback was Joe Montana’s: the capacity to maintain composure and perform well under pressure. With Joe Cool under focus, his groups were never out of it. The Rebound Youngster drove the San Francisco 49ers to a final quarter win down 16-13 with a 97-yard drive in Super Bowl XXIII.
3. Johnny Unitas
Johnny Unitas, on the other hand, exemplified that quality year earlier and earned Joe Montana the moniker “Joe Cool” for his capacity to maintain composure under pressure. Johnny U made a name for himself as an undersized passer (6’1″) who nevertheless led one of the league’s most deadly passing offenses, just as Drew Brees (6’0″) would do decades later.
“The type of quarterback he was, the leader he was, he was totally focused on moving the football, scoring points, and winning,” former teammate and Baltimore Colts wide receiver Raymond Berry said, according to the Baltimore Sun. He also gave his teammates the belief that they could win, which they did with two NFL championships and a victory in Super Bowl V.
4. Peyton Manning
The brain of Peyton Manning would be the first thing you would give to a quarterback if you made him in a lab. Manning is unparalleled in his capacity to detect coverages, communicate with opposing defensive coordinators at the line of scrimmage, and win the mental battle.
For all future passers, Manning irrevocably increased the burden of football IQ and film study. Additionally, he consistently eased the burden on his offensive line by evading pressure; He was able to keep his sack total ridiculously low (303 in 17 seasons) due to his efficiency and diagnosis skills.
5. Brett Favre
The accuracy of “The Gunslinger” was not widely known. Despite having one of the strongest arms football has ever seen during his 20 seasons, Brett Favre has one of the highest interception percentages of any passer on this list—3.3 percent. Iron Man of football also made a career out of being tough. He set a record for the NFL with 297 consecutive starts over 19 seasons and famously played on Monday Night Football a day after his father died.
6. Dan Marino
Dan Marino had one of the fastest arrivals of any passer in association history. When you combine that with his capacity to identify defenses, you can quickly comprehend how he accumulated such impressive stats. Additionally, on his Miami Dolphins teams, he was almost entirely responsible for elevating the players around him and leading them to greatness.
7. John Elway
In terms of his ability to run the ball, John Elway was ahead of his time; he is the main quarterback in NFL history to score a surging score in four different Super Dishes. Taking all things together, he scrambled for 3,407 yards and 33 scores over his 16-year profession — a huge sum. He was also crucial in the postseason, making six game-winning drives and four comebacks from the fourth quarter.
8. Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers may be the most talented player on this list when it comes to intangibles. Do you require a calm pocket passer? That could be him. Do you require someone who can spot pressure and evade it, extending plays for seven, eight, or ten seconds? He can also do that.
Rodgers has a football IQ that is among the highest in the league, and his ability to diagnose and read defenses is comparable to that of Peyton Manning.
9. Roger Staubach
Like John Elway after him, Roger Staubach — Roger the Dodger — was known for his scrambling skill and propensity for taking out late wins. In the fourth quarter, Captain Comeback made 23 game-winning drives.
After connecting with Drew Pearson for a 50-yard touchdown with: Staubach also became the unofficial father of the Hail Mary pass. With 24 seconds remaining, he led the Dallas Cowboys to a 17-14 playoff victory. He said a “Leap of faith” as he did as such, as the 1975 story in the Victoria Supporter goes.
10. Otto Graham
Even though Otto Graham didn’t start playing football until his sophomore year at Northwestern, it was clear that he was an excellent passer. In the book “The Best Show in Football,” he writes: Andy Piascik, a player for the Cleveland Browns from 1946 to 1955, said that Graham’s teammates said he had “great touch in his hands,” whether he was launching long bombs or finessing short ones.
As John Keim noted in his 1999 book Legends by the Lake: He was able to easily evade pressure in the pocket with a great spin move due to his years playing basketball. the Browns of Cleveland at Municipal Stadium.