The staple of any good offense in football begins and ends at the quarterback position. And while Super Bowl wins seems to be the place to begin when ranking the best Quarterbacks to ever play the game, there are loads of other noteworthy statistics to take into consideration.
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40. Kerry Collins
Kerry had a 17-season career and threw for over 200 passing TDs and 40,000 passings yards. His 40,922 career passing yards ranks him 18th in NFL history, and his 206.7 career passing yards per game puts him in the top 50.
39. Norm Van Brocklin
Norm led the LA Rams and the Philadelphia Eagles to championships in the 50s. He played 12 seasons and was a 9x pro bowler. He averaged 8.2 yards per pass attempts for his career, the 3rd best in history.
38. Vinny Testaverde
Vinny played 21 seasons in the NFL as a starting QB. He threw for more passing yards and TDs than Joe Montana, putting him 14th and 16th all-time in those categories. He threw 275 TDs, over 46,000 passing yards, but he’s also fourth all-time for interceptions with 267.
37. Dave Krieg
Krieg’s in the top 25 all-time for passing TDs with 261 and 38,147 passing yards. He’s a 3x pro bowler and was responsible for 23 fourth-quarter comebacks, ranking 20th among all NFL QBs.
36. Steve McNair
Steve was one of the great passers of the late 90s and early 2000s. He threw 194+ passing yards per game and ranks in the top 50 for total passing yards with 31,304. He has a career passer rating of 82.8, is a 3x pro bowler, and notched 174 passing TDs to just 119 interceptions.
35. Dan Fouts
Hall of Famer, Dan Fouts, ranks in top 20 for career passing yards with 43,040 and passing TDs with 254. He averaged 237.8 passing yards per game and was a 6x pro-bowler and 2x all-pro. He falls lower on the list because he only won 3 postseason games.
34. Drew Bledsoe
Bledsoe is ranked 15th all-time in career passing yards with 44,611 in his 14 seasons. He ranks 21st in touchdown passes as a 4x pro bowler. He threw 251 TDs to only 206 interceptions, but his performance was overshadowed when Tom Brady came in after him.
33. Phil Simms
SI once named him the most underrated QB of all time. Simms led the Giants to 2 SB wins as a 2x pro-bowler. He was also named all-pro once. His performance in 1987 SB XXI was legendary with an 88% pass completion (22/25) and 150.9 passer rating, it was the best QB performance in SB history.
32. Randall Cunningham
Cunningham’s numbers put him among the greats of the 80s and 90s, but his legs separated him from the pack. He broke almost every record for rushing at the QB position, averaging 30.6 rushing yards per game, second all-time among QBs.
31. Sid Luckman
Sid was one of the first great QBs. He led the Bears to 4 NFL championships from 1939-1950. Sid was named all-pro 5x. he threw 7 passing TDs in a game once, a record never broken yet. He was the first to ever throw for 400 yards in a game and still ranks 2nd all-time in yards per pass attempt.
30. Ken Anderson
Ken played 16 seasons and led the league 4x in passer rating. He had a 59.3 completion percentage. He retired with records for single-season completion % and single-game completion %. Ken never won a SB but was a guinea pig for Bill Walsh’s system that launched several star QBs like Joe Montana.
29. Tony Romo
Among retired QBs, Romo has the highest passer rating and has the highest career passer rating for any QB who never played in a SB. He ties Peyton Manning in completion percentage. Romo’s numbers are better than fellow Cowboys great, Troy Aikman, except Romo, just didn’t have the HoF support that Aikman had.
28. Len Dawson
Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, Dawnson, led AFL in TD passes four times and led the Chiefs/Texans to league titles ’62, ’66, and ’69. He was named the MVP of Super Bowl IV.
27. Eli Manning
Hate him or love him, Eli is a 2-time Super Bowl MVP defeating the Patriots 17-14 in SB XLII. He ranks 7th all-time with 55,981 career passing yards and 8th all-time with 360 career passing TDs.
26. Joe Namath
Joe was named AFL Offensive POY in ’67 and was the first QB in pro history to throw over 4,000 yards in a season. He upset the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. Namath is a Pro Football Hall of Famer and led the league in passing 3x.
25. Kenny Stabler
Stabler led the NFL in passing TDs and completion % during his Hall of Fame career. He led the ’76 Raiders to a 13-1 record and their first super bowl victory over the Vikings in Super Bowl XI. He led his team to five straight championship games from ’73-’77.
24. Dan Fouts
Fouts, a Hall of Famer, ranks 20th all-time with 254 TD passes. He led the NFL in passing from ’79-’82 and was named the ’82 offensive POY.
23. Warren Moon
Moon, a Hall of Famer, ranks 10th all-time with 49,325 passing yards. He would have had higher numbers had he not had to spend the beginning of his career in the CFL.
22. Kurt Warner
Warner was a 2x league MVP and Hall of Famer. In his first season as a starter, he led the NFL with 41 TD passes. He was also the MVP of Super Bowl XXXIV.
21. Fran Tarkenton
Hall of Famer, Tarkenton, was the leading passer when he retired, with 47,003 yards, which now ranks 11th all-time. He had 3 Super Bowl appearance in the 70s.
20. Sammy Baugh
Baugh was a 6x Pro Bowler, named all-pro 4 times, was a 2x NFL champion QB with the Redskins. During his 16 year career, he led the league in completion percentage 8 times.
19. Jim Kelly
Jim is a 5x Pro-Bowler and Hall of Famer. He’s the only QB to lead a team to 4 consecutive SBs, and he won 101/160 of his regular-season starts with the Bills.
18. Philip Rivers
Rivers ranks 6th all-time with 374 TD passes and is an 8x Pro-Bowler. He’s ranked 8th all-time with 54,656 passing yards and led the league with 4,710 passing yards in 2010
17. Y. A. Tittle
Y.A. is a 7x Pro-Bowler, 3x all-pro, former league MVP, and arguably one of best players during 50s & 60s. He led the Giants to their first NFL championship in’ 56 and appeared in SB’s ’58, ’59, ’61, ’62, and ’63.
16. Troy Aikman
Aikman is a 6x Pro-Bowler and Hall of Famer. He was the first QB to win 3 SBs in a 4-year span and was named MVP of SB XXVII.
15. Bart Starr
Bart is a 4x Pro-Bowler, was named the league MVP once, and a Hall of Famer. He led the Packers to 5 championships in a 7-year span in the 60s. He won 2 of three straight championship appearances from ’65-’67 and was MVP in both contests.
14. Terry Bradshaw
Terry is the only QB to win consecutive SBs two different times and was named SB MVP for XIII and XIV. He was the league NFL MVP in ’78.
13. Roger Staubach
Roger was one of the most popular players in the 70s and was a 5x Pro-Bowler. He was named MVP of SB VI and made 4 SB appearances with the Cowboys with two SB victories. He retired with an 85-29 reg season record and 11-6 in the postseason.
12. Otto Graham
Otto led the Browns to 3 NFL championships and 4 AFC championships. He was 7x All-Pro and led the league in passing yards 5x. Otto ended with 66-16-1 record as a starter.
11. Steve Young
Steve was named NFL MVP in ’92 and ’94. He had the highest career passer rating when he retired in ’99 and led the league in completion percentage 5x and in TD passes 4x. He was named SB XXIX MVP and threw a record 6 TD passes.
10. John Elway
Elway is a 9X Pro-Bowler and Hall of Famer. He was named the league MVP and notched 2 SB wins and was named the MVP of SB XXXIII. In his 16-year career, he led the Broncos to 5 SBs.
9. Ben Roethlisberger
Big Ben is a 6x Pro-Bowler and a 2x SB champ. He ranks 6th all-time with 56,194 career passing yards, the 8th NFL QB to throw for over 5,000 yards in a season, and ranks 7th all-time with 363 TD passes.
8. Aaron Rodgers
Rodgers is a 7x Pro-Bowler, was named all-pro 3x, and league MVP 2x. He was the MVP of SB XLV after throwing 304 yards and 3 TDs.
7. Drew Brees
Drew Brees ranks #1 all-time with 74,437 career passing yards and 2nd all-time with 520 career TD passes. He is a 12x Pro-Bowler and SB XLIV MVP. He’s led the league 7x in passing and 4x in TD passes.
6. Dan Marino
Dan Marino is a 9x Pro-Bowler, was named All-Pro 3x, notched the league MVP ’84, and is a Hall of Famer. He ranks fifth all-time in career TD passes with 420, and fifth all-time in passing yards with 61,361. His ‘84 season of 5,084 passing yards and 48 touchdowns was one of the most impressive seasons by a QB in NFL history.
5. Brett Favre
Hall of Famer, Brett Favre was named league MVP 3x, set the record for most consecutive starts with 298, ranks 3rd all-time with 71,838 passing yards, and 4th all-time with 508 career TDs. He’s an 11x Pro-Bowler and was named All-Pro 3x. He led the league in TD passes 4x and celebrated a SB win in XXXI.
4. Johnny Unitas
Johnny is the best QB of pre-SB era. He was a Pro-Bowler 10x, 5x All-Pro, 3x league MVP, and led the NFL in passing yards 4x. He led the Baltimore colts to 3 NFL championships that included the 1st OT game in NFL history in the 1958 title game.
3. Joe Montana
Joe was an 8x Pro-Bowler, was named All-Pro 3x, and notched the league MVP award twice. He was the first QB to win 3 SB MVP awards and went 4-0 in the SB with the 49ers in the 80s.
2. Peyton Manning
Peyton is the only QB in NFL history to lead two different franchises to SB titles. He ranks 1st all-time with 539 career TD passes and 2nd in passing yards with 71,940. He’s been named league MVP 5x and was selected for the Pro Bowl 14x. He’s been named All-Pro 7x and awarded SB MVP for XLI. His 5,477 passing yards in 2013 remains an NFL single-season record.
1. Tom Brady
Brady is the winningest QB in NFL history. He’s a 6x SB champion, a 4x SB MVP, and he ranks 4th all-time with 70,514 career passing yards. Brady is a 14x Pro-Bowler with a 207-60 regular-season record and 30-10 postseason record. He also led the NFL in passing in ’05 & ’07.
Didn’t see your favorite make the grade? Here are our honorable mentions…
John Brodie
Brodie played 17 seasons with the 49ers and was named league MVP in 1970. He was named All-Pro 1 time and ranks 43rd in the league for passing yards with 31,548 and 33rd for passings TDs with 214. He also ranks 18th all-time for interceptions, though, with 224.
Joe Theismann
Theismann went 77-47 as a starter for the Redskins with one SB win. He finished his career with 25,000 yards and 160 TDs with almost 2,000 rushing yards and 17 rushing TDs. He was named Offensive Player of the year in 1983 and was once an All-Pro.
Donovan McNabb
McNabb finished his career with 37,276 passing yards and 234 passing TDs. He ran for almost 3,500 yards and had 29 rushing TDs. Donovan was a 6x Pro-Bowler, but he often stumbled in the playoffs.
Boomer Esiason
Good thing a terrible haircut doesn’t correlate to football skills. Boomer finished with 37,920 yards and 247 passing TDs. He won an MVP award and was a 4x Pro-Bowler. He had a career-high 28 TDs and 3,500-yard seasons back to back in ’88 and ’89.
Jim Plunkett
Jim won two SB titles and a super bowl MVP but never made a pro bowl. He was also named Comeback POY in 1980. He played for some pretty bad teams, but still finished with over 25,000 yards and 164 TDs.
Archie Manning
Father of Eli and Peyton, Archie threw for over 23,911 yards and had 125 passing TDs. He rushed over 2,000 yards and notched 18 rushing TDs. The 2x Pro-Bowler had a few 3,000-yard seasons with the Saints.
Rich Gannon
Rich was a 4x Pro-Bowler and a 2x All-Pro. He had a career-high 4,689 yards in 2002. He notched 20+ TDs in 4 straight seasons with the Raiders.
Mark Brunell
Mark is a 3x Pro-Bowler with a SB ring. He racked up 32,072 passing yards, 184 TDs to 108 interceptions, and rushed for over 2000 yards in his career.
John Hadl
John was a solid QB in the 60s who produced 33,503 yards. He threw 244 passing TDs and averaged 7.1 yards per attempt. He was named to the Pro Bowl 6x and once to the All-Pro.
Bernie Kosar
Bernie won a SB, was a Pro-Bowler once, completed nearly 60 % of his passes, threw for 23,301 yards and 124 TDs.
Trent Green
Trent was a 2x Pro-Bowler and had 3 straight seasons with over 4,000 yards. He finished with 28,475 passing yards and 163 TDs.
Ron Jaworski
Jaws threw for 28,190 yards and 179 TDs in a rough era for the Eagles. He was a one-time Pro-Bowler and had a career-high season in 1980 with 27 TDs.
Daunte Culpepper
Daunte had a bright future ahead but injuries thwarted his career. He finished with 24,153 passing yards and 149 TDs. He was named to the Pro Bowl 3x and rushed for 34 TDs and over 2500 rushing yards. In ’02 alone he rushed for 10 TDs and 609 RY.
Matt Ryan
Matt Ryan is a beast and has more time to come in his career. He’s 12th in passing TDs and 12th all-time in passing yards. After his third season, he’s been over 4,000 yards each season and is 102-72 as a starter with a 65% completion rate. He was named MVP, POY, and ROY with more years of playing time ahead.
Michael Vick
Vick was a dynamic QB that rushed for over 6,000 yards with 38 rushing TDs. If he stayed out of legal trouble, he might have been considered one of the greats.
Jim Hart
Jim played 18 seasons with over 30,000 passing yards and 209 passing TDs and was a 4x Pro-Bowler.
Doug Williams
Williams only played 9 seasons and achieved 1 SB win. He threw 17,000 yards and 100 TDs.
Sonny Jurgensen
Sonny finished with 255 TDs in his career ranking 19th all time. He threw over 30,000 yards with a 4.4% interception percentage. He was a 5x Pro-Bowler and 2x All-Pro.
Bob Griese
Bob was part of THAT undefeated Miami team and played 161 games with 192 passing TDs. He was a 2x SB champ, 8x Pro-Bowler, and named 2x All-Pro. In 1977 he had 22 TDs and threw over 2000 yards.
The Greats
Did your favorites make the list? Did they land where you thought they would? Let us know!