The 5 Greatest Quarterbacks Of All Time
92
Will There Ever Be A More Worthy Group?
Let the flame wars begin!
Any discussion of the top NFL quarterbacks of all time is going to disappoint way more people than it satisfies. There are going to be some of your personal favorites that have been left out in favour of QBs that according to you had limp spaghetti arms tossing wounded ducks and won SuperBowls on the backs of their running game. That's fair enough. That's the way things should be in sports. You have to be enthusiastic, and even rabid, in the support of your personal favourites. Otherwise, where's the fun?
So here we go!
#5 Johnny Unitas of the Baltimore Colts and San Diego Chargers (1956-1973)
Johnny would have been likely sparring for the top one or two spot were it not for the missteps in his later career, where he carried on with the Chargers a bit longer than his body allowed him to do. Regardless, you have to look at any 17 year span of taking sacks from 300 lb. meanies as an astonishing feat, and when Johnny was in his prime, he was thoroughly awe inspiring. And when you consider that his 47-game streak of at least one touchdown pass per game was done in an era where the aerial attack was still in its infancy, it's even more astounding. For all the young whippersnappers who were too busy being spermatozoa when Johnny was winning NFL championships (that's what they were before the SuperBowl) and want to place their current flashes in the pans ahead of this vintage signal caller, all I can say is you'd better be able to back it up with real and weighted stats.
#4 Terry Bradshaw of the Pittsburgh Steelers (1970-83)
Again, Terry would have placed a scosh higher were it not for his later career and the extremely unfortunate fact that he was truly only an instinct QB. That's a really PC way of saying that Terry was, in the immortal lyrics of Jim Croce "as big and dumb as a man can come, but he was stronger than a country hoss." Some people may argue that when you have The Steel Curtain Defense to rely on, you could get your grandmother to toss the pigskin and still win championships, but that would be ignoring the stats that definitively prove that anyone who can rack up 212 TD passes and tack on 32 on the ground has to be considered in the absolute highest echelon of all time stars. We love you Terry. We just could have done without the horrific sight of your old bare butt in that stupid movie...
#3 Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts (1998-Forever)
I'm not just a blind Colts fan (I'm actually a Bucs/Raiders hybrid... what can I say, I like Pirates...) but you simply have to list Peyton in this group, and yes, ahead of Bradshaw. Manning has Terry's great physical skills, but trumps him in height and most importantly cranial capacity. Peyton is a thinking man's QB. He can tell by the twitch of a linebacker's arm how the play is going to unfold. His sheer wisdom is not borne of extensive experience like some of the other great all timers, but from study, research and application. If I had a penny for every frame of game film Peyton has reviewed while his peers were out betting on dog fights, I'd have Bill Gates outside right now waxing my car. The pressure is on Dungy who has to really step up and continue to give him a supporting cast worthy of his brain and arm. Even if the inconceivable were to happen and Manning were not to take another snap, he would still deserve to be on this list.
#2 Dan Marino of the Miami Dolphins (1983-1999)
Watching Dan hobble around the field on leg braces designed by the Borg Queen was a hard way to see him end a 17 year career, like Unitas before him. Never the most mobile QB of all time, Dan had the benefit of a couple of guys named Duper and Clayton, but no one can ever take away the glory years when he was simply infallible. He succeeded the (in my humble opinion) vastly overrated Bob Griese and not only shattered his records, but dynamited the entire book. The only rookie QB to start the ProBowl, Dan exploded onto the league with his sizzling clotheslines and impeccable reads that set a level of excellence that not only has yet to be surpassed, but perhaps never will be. If he could have gotten even one ring, he might have dethroned the ultimate champion who is next...
... and, drum roll please, the Number One NFL Quarterback of All Time is... (no surprise here):
Joe Montana of the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs (1979-1994)
The scouts and managers who let Notre Dame Joe sit on the sidelines through the first two rounds of the draft should be paraded around town in dunce caps. If you have any questions as to who should be the Number One Greatest, just repeat this as your new mantra "11 playoff appearances, 9 divisional championships and victories in Super Bowls XVI, XIX, XXIII, and XXIV." The proof of the pudding is always in the eating, and all the ringless QBs sitting at home can just keep stoking their fan club's fires on their blogs, because nothing is ever going to take away from Joe Montana his rightful place at the head of the class of All Time Great Quarterbacks. There may never be another record quite like that, and thus his place in history is guaranteed in perpetuity. God bless you, Joe, and thanks for showing us what perfection really is!
So, where's Bart Starr, Fran Tarkenton, Roger Staubach, Joe Namath, Troy Aikman, John Elway, Brett Favre, Tom Brady, blah blah blah? Sorry, folks. They just didn't make the cut. They are all greats but they just can't stack up to these five. Considering that there have been hundreds of QBs filling the spot, to make it to the top five is an incredible achievement, and the guys I've listed above would all comfortably fit into the top 20, perhaps alongside Dan Fouts, Phil Simms, Jim Kelly, Warren Moon, Otto Graham, Y.A. Tittle, Len Dawson and a few others. In case you haven't noticed, football is a team sport, so no matter how phenomenal the QB, he has to be backed up by fleet footed Mercury WRs, and stand behind a line that gives him more than six nanoseconds to dump the ball. All of those factors have to be taken into consideration, otherwise, the top QB of all time might end up being Peyton's dad Archie!!!
Post-Script:
My brother-in-law at the time, a young computer programmer and avid Toronto Blue Jays fan took some time out from trudging through slush and adding snow rings to the bottom of his trousers to visit his sister and me at our home in Central Florida. It was clear that the visit had three specific purposes. In order from least important to most important: To get out of the cold; to visit with us; and to get to nearby Dunedin. Ah yes, Dunedin, Florida, that shining nirvana to every shivering toque-clad Torontonian desperately cranking his dying Motomaster battery to get his rusty '89 Cavalier restarted in the left lane of the Don Valley Parking Lot in an early March white-out.
Dunedin is the balmy Florida location where the Toronto Blue Jays come to run their spring training schedule. While most of their fans are taking headers on the icy sidewalks of Bay Street, the team is enjoying the sun and the fun, inbetween innings at least.
No sooner did my brother-in-law unpack his bags that he asked me to go with him to Dunedin. We'll have a great time, he insisted.
I had never been to a baseball game. I've been a dyed in the wool football fan ever since I could spell NFL, but baseball to me was somewhat like cricket but with better hot dogs. Eternal, stultifying, incomprehensible and essentially pointless.
What followed were clearly the longest four hours of my life. We sat in the searing Florida sun waiting for someone to hit a ball with a stick, which they managed to do at least a couple of times every hour.
When a Hub writer I respect greatly, Mr. Paul Edmondson, used Hub Pages' new Request feature to ask me to write a piece on "Who are the top five home run hitters of all-time?" the blood chilled in my veins. I certainly didn't want to turn Paul down, but he might as well asked me who the top five quilters of all time are. Writing a Hub about baseball in my playbook would be somewhat equivalent to Ralph Nader writing an article on restoring Corvairs while wearing Armani suits.
Therefore, Paul's request was transmorgified into this Hub. Please forgive me, Paul. But I just didn't have it in me.
By the way:
Hank Aaron
Barry Bonds
Babe Ruth
Willie Mays
Sammy Sosa
And I hadn't even ever heard of one of them! BTW, Harmon Killebrew, Jimmie Foxx, Willie McCovey... are those real or made-up names?
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Comments
You almost know what you’re talking about.
Yeah, I know who Elway is. He's this really swiftly-aging, craggy, and surprisingly overweight sidekick to Coach Ditka in that electronics store tv ad. :)
this list is bullshit. Marino is top dog, second to none. Montana blows, and rice swallows. Anyone not of the opinion that marino is the greatest should die. GO DOLPHINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Montana ok... Terry ok...jhonny U well ok,,,Marino welllll mmm ok he didnt win rings but ok he was very good,,, Manning nooooooo way.
You want a complet QB, one that is cool like montana, accurate as young, record breaker as marino, durable as favre well the name is Brady and a team player like no other,,, Tom brady,,, 3 superbowl rings without Randy Moss,,,records??? well he is only 30 years old,,, the records will come any moment in future unless something happend to him,,, 2007 the year when a QB pass for 50 td,,, more that payton more than marino,,, one more ring and he is with bradshaw and joe cool montana. No QB has ever one 19 games in a season including the superbowl without a loss. Bardy can do it and if he does he will become the best of all time. Numbres dont lie. By the way, where is mister durability, the man of steel, the record man,,,, the grate Brett Favre????
Sorry, but Joe is not the greatest. He won four Superbowls, but so did Bradshaw, and Brady is on his way. Elway was in five, but had to face much more dominating teams in his three losses than Montana did in his four wins.
Elway had comparable leadership skills and smarts to Montana, but had a stronger arm, was more athletic, had more yards passing, rushing, and more TD passes. Plus, he played his whole career for one team, ala Favre and Marino. Montana was shipped to K.C., because the Niners had a better QB at the time in Steve Young.
Montana was great, no doubt, but he seemingly always had a top notch defense, RB, and the greatest WR ever to play. Before Terrell Davis, Elway had.....hmmm...Vance Johnson....Sammy Winder...please!
I rank Elway the greatest. Favre will be right up there when he retires, and Brady will likely pass them both. Montana is in the top 10, but I don't see that he is better than Bradshaw, Namath, Marino, and even Young.
This is the dumbest list I've ever seen. Manning #3. Bradshaw #4. No Elway. No Favre. Get real.
You say that Marino could have been No.1 if he just could have won 1 S.B., but you don't tell us why he didn't. Let me help you out: Dan had 3 great chances at 3 Rings---the '84 S.B., and the Conf. Champ. games in '85 and '92, and how did he play? Mediocre to bad. He had a Comp.% UNDER 50%, he had 4 TD's, BUT 6 INT's, a Passer Rating of around 60, and he led his "O" to an avg. of only 13 p.p.g. And he did that with a TEAM that was good enough to beat anybody IN THE REG. SEASON---REF: the '85 Bears for starters. Dan did not come through for his TEAM when they needed him the most, and that should disqualify him from your list, I.M.O.
I'd have to say that Brett Favre is high up on my list. Man that guy needs a super bowl ring! They got close this season, maybe he'll go another season and make another run at it.
I can see why someone would rate Joe #1.
Here's mine:
5. Tom Brady
4. Johnny Unitas
3. Brett Favre
2. Joe Montana
1. Dan Marino
Kenneth Holland
Editor
All this player are great.....they are the legend .....
Regards,
1.Brady
2.Montana
3.Marino
4.Bradshaw
5 Favre
The bottom line is in a 2min drill Brady is the best ever. He will end with the most passing yards per game, Superbowl rings, and all time wins. He was the greatest draft pick in the history of the game. I have never seen a player make a drive look more like simulated march down a field. His accuracy is second to none. Plus his no remorse, no pressure, no panic, phone booth awareness is God sent. He is a W producing machine. The definition of a winner in the NFL is TOM BRADY..... I'd imagine another 4 to 5000 yard season. He throughs lazers. I cant imagine what his stats would look like if Moss had been in New England for the last 8 years...UNimaginable...
Sorry. Disagree on Brady. When historians look back, they will see that the torn ACL will effectively end his career of greatness. He will play again, likely next year, but he will never be the Brady of old, and what he's accomplished to date IMHO does NOT make him #1 all time! However, Peyton is going down fast too, so I might have to revise this list at some point in the future.
oh my, almost identicfal to my list
5. Johnny unitas
4. Terry bradshaw
3. Dan Marino
2. John elway
1. Joe montana
Good list! Especially if we consider this year's Peyton... :(
I do not see how you can have Peyton in there. He needs to get a ring or two more before he can compare to some other QBs out there.
Strictly on skill. When Payton has the weapons, he is right at the top of the all time standards. Unfortunately, Dungy had been letting him down lately.
There are definitely some ommisions on this list. Dan Fouts, Elway, Bart Starr, and Roger Staubach are a few that come to mind that could make some strong cases. Bradshaw definitely falls after all of these. The defense won the Steelers rings in those days.
Can't see putting Fouts, Starr or Staubach ahead of Bradshaw, regardless of D. Elway could be #6, but this is the top 5. :)
Where's Otto Graham on your list..? ...And the Snake, Kenny Stabler....
You're right that they do belong on the list but I had to restrict it to the top 5. Maybe I should do a top 20 list! :)
My problem with Montana is that he was a pure product of the West Coast offense. He was great at the short yardage passes, but without Rice and Taylor he might not have been as good. Rice and Taylor were a deadly combination and could not be stopped no matter how many DB's were covering them.
I agree fully that if I had Rice, I'd have some SuperBowl rings as well. However, he was not a pushover when he went to the Chiefs (although he had aged considerably) and he didn't have those weapons then.
Here's my list.
5. Dan Marino
4. Jim Kelly
3. Terry Bradshaw
2. Joe Montana
1. John Elway
Elway at the top? Do you bleed Orange? :)
Good banter on your QB's. Gotta remember the time though. Johnny U couldnt last a season against todays game. In his day he was the best but nowadays he's a Jon Kitna. Im 33 and a lifeer in the NFL..its raised me, so my heart and nods to our legends of old will never cease. I respect our forefathers who stabilized this sport but have to come to a screeching hault when a Johnny U is put abouve a Favre or Elway as best pure QB in the game. the 60's game doesnt even come close to todays game. Johnny never had to deal with the athletes or aggresive defensive assaults of 2009. The NFL Qb's of today really have to be 3 times the QB's of the 60's just to stay alive. Your comment alone about unitas bringing a passing game to the NFL staples my cretique. Favre is hands down the best QB Ive ever watched, he's a student of the game and a true leader. He can deal with todays athlete and defensive schemes at the age of 38. And he got himself a ring to boot. Brady is the only one who may out stat him but I feel that noone will ever replace him as the NFL's true #1 QB of all time. Dude and Im a die hard Bears fan too, I just have to be honest.
Since I was rabidly following the NFL well before you were conceived let me inform you on a few facts. Favre is way overrated by John Madden all the way down to you. Not only is he a vindictive, ignorant, stubborn nutbar, but even in pure performance he had, at best, three or four good seasons. The latter half of his career sucked, and his famous last minute bravado in some games is more indicative of the personnel around him than his "greatness." A truly great QB doesn't let himself GET into a position where he needs two hail marys at the end of a game to win! As for Johnny, I don't subscribe to the ROBO-QB theory as you don't have to be 6'9 and 330 lbs to play QB now or then. All you need is a brain and an arm and a good offensive line! :)
I believe that this list is ok. The comment from Papa is ridiculous. Peyton Manning is the best QB in the league right now and as for not breaking records like Marino, he has broke all of Marino's records except for one which is held by favre now, and as for being accurate he had the highest completion % in 2007 and as for Tom Brady winning 3 super bowls, what would he have done without Vinateri...lost...thats what!!
Thanks Chris! Glad to see that there are some level heads out there when it comes to Manning and Brady! :)
I'm sorry but anyone who puts Manning and/or Brady on this list does not know the implications. First of all, THEY HAVEN'T EVEN FINISHED THEIR CAREERS. This list is "5 Greatest quarterbacks" not including quarterbacks who are still "great". Who knows what they can accomplish, but who knows Manning will ever be as good as his record-setting year, or if Brady can completely come to form after surgery. As they stand right now, Brady and Manning don't come close to touching the greats. They may in the future, but not right now. So you can't put them on this list.
5. Terry Bradshaw - He was one of the best quarterbacks of his time, and probably the most clutch ever. He also won some Superbowls along the way.
4. Joe Montana - Superbowl machine. You don't get that many rings in an 8-year span by not being one of the greatest quarterbacks.
3. Brett Favre - Although he might not be the most talented quarterback in this discussion, his longevity and consistent level of play across 17 years defies logic and physics. He has broken records not only by his talent, but by his consistency. This coming from a Bears fan.
2. Dan Marino - If he had won a single Superbowl, he'd be number 1. He is clearly the best quarterback in terms of stats, talent, poise, and leadership.
1. John Elway - The two Superbowls barely gives Elway the upper-hand against Marino. Despite Marino not winning a Superbowl and the numerous excuses as to why the Dolphins never gave him the talent Denver gave Elway, the fact remains.
Clearly I don't care if people switch 1 and 2, just my thinking here.
You're certainly entitled to your opinion, but I stand my ground. Elway and Favre are not Top 5 material.
where is Stabauch? Or me? Oh I guess you weren't including Pop Warner....But I was pretty good!
How do I know you were good if you don't tell me who you are? :)
Elway and Favre not top 5 material... have you lost your mind? Elway went to 3 superbowls without any weapons anyone but die hard Bronco's fans can remember, then when he finally had a running game behind him he won 2 in a row - and they could have won 3... And Brett Favre - if you look in the dictionary under quarterback it says : see Brett Favre... come on...
Terry Bradshaw? Are you kidding me, when you have players like Swann, Stallworth, Harris on offense and a defense that may have been the greatest of all time you better win some SB's... and come on the guy was an idiot - you realize they only had 4 plays in their playbook cause he couldn't remember anymore than that.
Then Peyton Manning? Manning is the worst QB I have ever seen when it comes to pressure, he may be the smartest QB ever to walk onto a football-field...definitely in my top 10 but he doesn't belong on a list above Elway or Favre.
The real list
5. Tom Brady (I can't put him ahead of Montana, Brady lost a superbowl with maybe the most talented wide reciever to grace a football field besides maybe Jerry Rice)
4. Joe Montana
3. Marino (it's hard to put him here since he never showed up outside of the regular season but his stats are hard to overlook)
2. Brett Favre
1. John Elway - Over his professional career, Elway led his teams to a record 47 fourth quarter comebacks. Elway's 148 wins place him second (to Brett Favre) for career wins among quarterbacks. Elway is one of only three quarterbacks to pass for at least 3,000 yards in 12 seasons; Favre and Marino are the others.
Elway and Favre are not top 5 material. Do you want me to repeat it? Elway and Favre are not top 5 material. And you can erase Brady too. You will see that the football historians will not be at all kind to him and may not even place him in the top 10. I also believe that Favre will drop out of top 10 as his shenanigans the past couple of years have disgusted even the most dyed in the wool Favre supporters. Although you do have to be intelligent to be a great QB in the NFL as Vince Young has proven, Bradshaw overcame his lack of mental acuity with gutsy performances that set the stage for all time. You don't have to throw stats at me, as I know them as well as you. We're talking about taking each QB in his prime and putting him up against the others in their prime. My top 5 stands and that's all there is to that! :)
Dearest clueless Hal, John Elway carried the Broncos and excelled when they had no line and undersized receivers. There wasn't a game where he played that he wasn't the center of attention. He took clean and dirty hits and never quit. His arm was a cannon! When he threw an interception he went after them often made the tackle. How do we spell football'Stud', Elway! Peace.
ELWAY:
NOT
TOP
FIVE.
Thank you, the management.
:)
Dear Hal, Bite me! Thank you! Peace.
Not with your dentures, dude! :)
Hal, you're scaring me! Its a good Hub and we can still be friends even when you're wrong. Peace.
When I'm wrong I admit it. I did admit that I stole that baby's candy, but I was four years old. That was the last time I was wrong!
BOO!
:)
Too Bad you broke your streak. But lets face it if Elway ain't your Daddy who could it be? Ya hoser!
My daddy is the one and only Joe Montana, the single greatest DEITY who ever set foot on turf. :)
(P.S. Thanks for joining my fan club!) :)
Hey Hal! Thanks for a good battle I'll see you around. Peace.
I agree with this Top 5 for the most part. Those that say that Belicheat's puppet deserves to be on this list and Montana doesn't, should be shot. Montana went from a great team like San Fran to Kansas City and still made them a playoff contender, and this is coming from a Chiefs fan.
With that said, no Len Dawson? Went to SUperbowls 1 and 3?
John Elway baby, John Elway!
sneakorocksolid: Thanks!
jay_dee_007, I'm completely with you on the best host of any HBO NFL show in history, but we are talking top five here and there are a lot of great QBs who belong in the top (including Len) but not necessarily in the top five.
BrenLorenz: So you're John Elway's baby? Wow. You do look like him a bit. :)
Hal, well.. not exactly.. he's just my all time fav qb.. :)
Understandable. What can I say though, I love my Chiefs!
BrenLorenz: I'm sure you could if you put on an orange crush jersey and cut your hair! :)
jay_dee_007: Hey, I was a Bucs fan and I was sitting just behind the visitor's bench when the Chiefs came to town at the old Big Sombrero and I LOVED YOUR CHIEFS... however, you guys did have a QB you might remember... JOE MONTANA! :)
montana is the best even if some idiots out there are too stupid to see it. he would have won five super bowls had he not gotten hurt and then traded.82 84 88 89 94 (94 is the year young won) possibly one in between 89 94 if without injury he also won two super bowls before rice was in the league in 82 and 84. rice was drafted 16th (i believe) overall in the 85 draft. montana also has three super bowl mvp awards(rice won the 88 sb mvp but then again he couldnt have won that with out a little help from montana) dan cant be the best he is a loser look i love dan but he never won a super bowl he only lost one. montana went to four sb and won all four. brady is the only qb to go into the super bowl with having the greatest season ever as a qb and the perfect record 18-0 and come out a loser, if he won that game then you would have a strong argument. elway only won two next. bradshaw two words steel curtain and is it just me or is he constantly drunk on tv? peyton you need to win three more. farve you need about 150 less interceptions and three more superbowl rings. troy aikman too many concusions and one sb ring short unitus sorry thats the nfl in its early stages not as competetive (quality of players not as good or as many to choose from)
but your still one of the greats as is all the quaterbacks mentioned and many that were not.
The true top 5 is
#1 joe montana
everybody else is just second best so fight over it
brady can never be # 1 because he lost a superbowl the only current player who has a shot and it is slim is peyton but he has to win three more to be considered oh and one more thing roethlesbuger can win 5 super bowls and he still shouldnt even make the top ten he is good really good but not very good and not great and definitly not legendary.
Rice is the greatest wide reciever ever and quite possibly the greatest football player ever his work ethic was second to none Moss you stole rices td record of 22 when you got 23 it took you 16 games rice did it in 12 because the players went on strike at that pace rice would of had inbetween 29 and 30 td catches. suck on that moss you sucked in oak rice has over 20 nfl records and one should be not being a show off T.O. Randy, chad Johnson(i refused to call you ocho cinco) you are a moron.
Dude, when you say Joe is #1 and everyone else is vying for the best among the also-rans, I have to agree with you. Joe was a deity, not a QB.
TOM BRADY. Ever see him play? How many games did you watch Unitas play?
Do you have ANY idea how old I am? Yes, I watched Unitas play and Brady is a great QB but not in his league. Unitas makes Brady look like Ryan Leaf! :)
I do not know if bradshaw belongs, he had as much TDs as Ints, he was blessed with an amazing team, the steelers we given a avg QB who got the job done.
Great post
Thanks! But Terry still rules, supporting cast or not. :)
Very good list! Not sure about Bradshaw though.
Terry was the single smartest QB in history... oh ok... I'm joking... :)
I sat here an read this all. I do agree with most of the actual hub however in choosing the greatest I would have leaned toward those who are retired with the exception of favre. I am an avid colts fan. I beleive manning will be up there. DO NOT agree with Brady as spoken in the comments. My question is...why is there no mention of Troy Aikman? Joe should be number one...but Troy Aikman should fit in there somewhere.
Troy in the top five? Nope. Top 20 maybe! :)
You got Montana on Top. Your all right with me.
Joe Montana belongs on Mount Olympus! :)
You didn't put a #1 next to Joe Montans's name. All the other guys got numbers next to their names.
Yes, but that was because he was introduced by the previous paragraph. I've bolded it now to make it more clear. Thanks!
P.S. Joe Montana is not just #1. He is entire orders of magnitude over and above all other human football players in history! Anyone that great can't possibly be a homo sapiens! :)
I think Montana was the best clutch QB of all time...but if one is looking at purely stats, you gotta look at Favre or Marino...so, I guess its a matter of...what determines the "greatest"?? Personally, I don't think Terry Bradshaw deserves to be on the list...he must be a personal favorite because I believe I would choose 5 others to take his spot...easily. There's a lot of people that play with guts, but they are not top 5 material. Look at McNair who was basically hurt every game of his life...or even Favre for that matter, that guy bleeds guts. And if you're going to throw the 4 rings in our faces, you might as well throw in Aikman (and to hell with that!) Honestly, I would gladly take someone like a Warren Moon over Bradshaw or even a Fran Tarkenton. Otherwise, I agree with the list. Elway is not a top five candidate...I'll give him top 10, but not 5!
Good Post, good hub!
Yup, Terry is a personal favorite as he is a Mensan and a Nobel Prize winner. :)
Sure, Terry only won ... ummm ... FOUR Super Bowls?
Yeah, but to hear his detractors you'd figure that it was all supporting cast and they got 100% of their yards on the ground! :)
Where is Tom Brady, I think he has a few super bowl rings
Needs some more to get into the top 5! There's only 5 spots and a heck of a lot more QBs with rings! :)
"Yeah, but to hear his detractors you'd figure that it was all supporting cast and they got 100% of their yards on the ground! :)"
Franco's immaculate reception was on a running play?
Yes, if you watch the tape carefully you'll notice that Franco got a handoff then fumbled it way into the air as he blasted his way through the safety and caught it again as he was crossing the goal line! He caught his own ball and Bradshaw had nothing to do with it as he was sitting on the bench at the time trying to make sense of The Cat In The Hat. :)
If you read any of my hubs you will know im a Patriots fan. That being said, your list isnt bad, but has to include Tom Brady. 3 Superbowls in 4 years, lost in another superbowl, holds the record for most TDs in a season, and was Quarterback during the two longest winning streaks in NFL history. As prolific a passer as Marino was, to me the definition of a great QB is one that wins championships. I would have put Elway or Jim Kelly (he didnt win any superbowls but is the only QB to take his team to 4 straight title games) or even Roger Staubach.
I'm more than willing to revisit Brady after his career is over, as I suspect that he will not again reach those stellar highs so overall his career won't be quite as sizzling as it has been so far. We'll see! :)
hers my list:
5. brett favre
4.brett favre
3.brett favre
2.brett favre
1.brett favre
1. Brett Favre Is A Washed-Up Has-Been Grudge-Driven Lunatic.
2. Brett Favre Is A Washed-Up Has-Been Grudge-Driven Lunatic.
3. Brett Favre Is A Washed-Up Has-Been Grudge-Driven Lunatic.
4. Brett Favre Is A Washed-Up Has-Been Grudge-Driven Lunatic.
5. Brett Favre Is A Washed-Up Has-Been Grudge-Driven Lunatic.
Well I just have to put my list up here (and this is really in no other order than who I think belong in the top 5. . lets begin with:
1-Roger Staubach - He took a Dallas club that “couldn’t win the big game” (5 crushing playoff losses in 5 straight seasons, including 3 in NFL championship games (or the Super Bowl) and turned it into a championship team it was then in his first full year at the helm that Dallas became “America’s Team” .
2-Johnny Unitas- Even Sports Illustrated called him the best ever in its cover-story tribute following his death in 2002.
3-Bart Starr - The only quarterback in history who has a ring for every one of his fingers on his throwing hand. And if you go back in time to 1967 and remember the "Ice Bowl" it was Starr who led the Packers to their third straight NFL championship by changing the play of handing off (as the play was designed), and instead he brought the ball in and over himself, and yes that was the winning touchdown. And on a small note . . he was the QB under non other then the legendary Lombardi.
4-Joe Montana - Joe Cool, the master of the late game comebacks. . .it was the time of "Montana Magic" and you have to say that his most magical moment was when he orchestrated a 92-yard game-winning drive in the closing seconds of Super Bowl XXIII.
5-Eli Manning - maybe he doesnt belong on this list (yet) but he will . he will ;)
Staubach, not top 5.
Unitas, I have.
Starr, close but not top 5.
Montana IS A GOD.
Eli... ELI??? Top 5??? Why not Mark Sanchez? Aw fer cryin' out loud...
Sorry Hal but I beg to disagree. Fact is that Starr is a star and is most certainly deserving of a top 5 spot, one for each one of his rings:) Please explain how Dan Marino belongs in the top 5 and not Starr????????
And Eli . . as Three Dog Night once sang.....Eli's coming! Few more seasons under his belt and a few more rings for his fingers and you just might have to eat those words. Sanchez is cute and Jet fans are liking him alot, not a bad start of a season for a rookie but please just cause he plays in NY is no reason to go a crying out loud or try to compare him to a Super Bowl Champ.
If you read many of the comments to this blog you can readily understand why it is impossible to pick five of the greatest quarterbacks or five of the greatest "anythings". There are just too many ways to measure greatness.
Hey, disagreement is what the comments section is all about! :) Why Marino over Starr, simple: Dan head to head against Bart would shred him, even in the later days when he had Robocop legs and couldn't move three inches out of the pocket. Sure, if Eli has a Robocop type transplant where he gets Montana's brain, Vick's legs, Unitas' heart, and Bradshaw's arm, he'll get more rings of the SuperBowl variety. Without it, all he'll get is a footnote that he was the brother of one of the greatest QBs to ever take a snap. And, BTW, Sanchez was just a joke. It was to prove that people always gravitate to the current players as "the greatest" and disregard the truly great ones of the past. How else explain the rabid fanatics who have as an article of faith that the inconsistent, fragile, and overly distracted Brady is a top 5 QB?
Okay did someone say Brady is the best 2 min drill QB ever? That person evidently is too young to have watched Montana and Elway. Montana is easily the best, and Elway is a very close second in that category. The reason I don't put Brady in their league, if you really look at it, his most famous late drives ended in game winning field goals - Montana and Elway scored game winning touchdowns!
I do believe I'd put Elway over Unitas on this list. I like the rest of it though. Favre is certainly in the conversation, but he has thrown a lot of careless interceptions which is why I would keep him on the outside looking in as you did. Marino had a great career, but one of the comments I read hit the nail on the head, he had some choke performances in the big ones. That's why he's the only ringless member of this list.
Lastly, one person said Elway faced tougher Superbowl opponents than Montana. I beg to differ. Giants - yes, very tough. Skins - with Doug Wms? FLUKE! 49ers um..wait, how can you argue your point when one of the 3 QBs to beat him was Montana? Packers - very solid team. Falcons - give me a break! That was one of the worst Superbowl teams ever. 49ers faced 2 very good Bengal teams, the Dolphins featuring the heralded Marino (with the "Marx Brothers at receivers), and your beloved Broncos. To say the Bronco opponents were better is arguable at best...but you're reaching.
I think the success of Matt Cassell takes away from the legacy of Tom Brady. It showed that a mediocre QB could strive in that offense. I think Brady, like Favre, is in the conversation, but will need to have a good "I'm back" moment to regain the respect he once had.
Final thought, a name I find noticeably missing from the conversation is Joe Namath.
I agree with a lot of what you've said, but with Broadway Joe, he's not top 5 category. Top 20 at best when you look at his overall stats.
The best QB in NFL History is TOM BRADY. He has 3 rings, he has the highest winning percentage in NFL History for the regular season, 2nd highest winning percentage in playoff history, 50 TD season, a 92.5 career QB rating, and one of the most clutch QBs in the history of the NFL.
1. Tom Brady
2. Joe Montana
3. John Elway
4. Terry Bradshaw
5. Dan Marino
Brady, Brady, Brady... it's starting to sound like Marsha, Marsha, Marsha around here! He was never a top 5 and the proof is definitely since he got hammered in the first game of last season onwards. What has he done that's so spectacular? At this rate the Pats won't even make the playoffs!!!
still cant buy into Marino but to each his own! And Eli may have had a bad day yesterday but I still believe one day you just might have to eat them words of yours.. maybe take a look at my new one on WR . would LOVE to hear your comments on it. .
Polisci: As a Wolverine fan I would like to buy that Tom Brady is the best of all time, but I can't. As I said in my post, name his signature "clutch drive" that actually ended up in a winning TD, instead of a field goal. Joe Montana has 4 Superbowl rings and 3 Superbowl MVPs. If you can name one other QB that can make that claim, I will wear a Lions jersey in public - in fact, I'll make it a Scott Mitchell throwback!
wavegirl22: Great Hub. Rice, no question. Swann, also no question, but make sure to add the second N to his name. Berry, also unquestionable. I have a bit of a problem with your other two. Are either of them more worthy than Michael Irvin or the incredible Paul Warfield?
T_Augustus: You're a braver man than I am. I wouldn't have the stones to wear a Lions jersey in public. In fact, I have my Bucs jersey buried so deep in my closet, I don't even think I could find it in less than an hour!
Ok...Ruling out my favorite quarterback Roger Staubach, who was known as "Roger the Dodger", and "Captain Comeback", for his mobility in the pocket and his ability to lead his team in 4th quarter comebacks. He was drafted in 1964 but didn't play a down in the NFL until 1969 because of his military obligations....wheew got that out of my system...Oh yeah, he played in 4 superbowls winning two and losing two, to those strong team in the 70's the Steelers or something like that...( lol ) I agree with your picks for the most part...by the it is John Elway and not Tom Brady who is the master of the 2 minute drill. Terry Bradshaw...ahhhmmm...that's a tough one...I never saw him throw an accurate pass in his career, he just threw it as high as he could and then Lynn Swann would always make some acrobatic catch. But I will give him the 4 superbowls.
Once again, Staubach was a great QB. One of the best ever. But not in the top 5. :)
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sd1 says:
2 years ago
I agree with this top 5 list Joe Montana is my favorite quarterback.