Throughout the history of the NFL, there have been many great quarterbacks that have led their teams to dominant winning records and championships. Some have their names etched in the Hall-of-Fame. Others transcend the game and become legends. But who are the greatest quarterbacks of all time? The NFL has seen many legends at quarterback. From Sammy Baugh, Terry Bradshaw and Troy Aikman to Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees, the NFL has been dominated by some of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play.
Everyone will have their own opinion as to who the greatest quarterbacks of all time are and there are many that deserve to be on the following list. However, the following list of the greatest quarterbacks of all time is based not only on statistical greatness but a composite score from a survey of sports writers, editors, and bloggers. Honorable mentions go out to Steve Young, Roger Staubach, Warren Moon, Fran Tarkenton, Jim Kelly, Sammy Baugh, Terry Bradshaw, and Troy Aikman.
Tom Brady
Tom Brady is considered by many to be the greatest quarterback of all time. He has won seven Super Bowls, been named Super Bowl MVP five times and league MVP three times as well as holding many NFL records. Brady’s career has spanned 20 years and he has played at a consistently high level until his retirement at 44 after the 2021 season, including 3,500 yards in every full season he’s played since 2001.
Brady holds just about every major quarterback record in the NFL, including passing yards, completions, touchdown passes, games started, and wins, both playoff and regular season. He’s never had a losing season. Has the most Pro Bowl selections. No one has performed at the level Brady has over the time he has played the game. He is deservedly called the GOAT.
Joe Montana
Joe Montana is considered one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history. He played for the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs and was a four-time Super Bowl champion. He was also named MVP of three Super Bowls. In his 15-year career, Super Joe had a 117-47 record and 16-7 record in the postseason – second best winning percentage behind Tom Brady.
Montana was known for his composure and bravery in difficult situations, which helped him lead his team to victory time and again. He was 4-0 in Super Bowl appearances and has the second-best winning percentage of all time. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000. He left behind a legacy of feats which is still being targeted by other NFL players today.
Peyton Manning – 10 Greatest Quarterbacks of All Time
With two Super Bowl wins and five league MVPs, Peyton Manning’s place among the greatest quarterbacks of all time is well earned. He spent 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and four with the Denver Broncos, bringing home a Super Bowl win for each franchise. Nicknamed “the Sheriff” for his propensity to audible prior to the snap, Manning was known for his ability to lead a team with poise and precision. He transformed the Colts from a team struggling to make the playoffs to one that appeared in 11.
Statistically, Manning holds many NFL records, including the most 4,000-yard passing seasons, most first-team All-Pro selections, single season passing yards and single season passing touchdowns. Manning retired in 2016 and was inducted into the NFL Hall-of-Fame in 2021.
Dan Marino
Dan Marino was a quarterback ahead of his time. One of the most prolific passers the game has ever seen, Marino holds the NFL record for most career passing yards (61,361) and pass completions (4,967). While Marino never won a Super Bowl, that is the only blemish on his resume. Marino’s 1984 MVP season is one of the best by a quarterback, when he set single-season records of 5,084 passing yards, 48 touchdown passes, nine 300-yard passing games, and four 400-yard passing games.
Marino was known for his strong arm and his ability to make big plays in clutch situations. He was a nine-time Pro Bowler and three-time NFL passing yards leader. He also led the Miami Dolphins to the playoffs nine times in his seventeen seasons with the team. Marino was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005.
Brett Favre
Brett Favre had one of the most fascinating careers of any quarterback in NFL history. He started off at a young age and was named the starter for the Atlanta Falcons when he was just 21 years old. However, his career with them would be short-lived as they traded him to the Green Bay Packers during his rookie season. That was a match made in football heaven. Favre rejuvenated the Packers, leading the team to 11 playoff runs, seven division titles, four NFC Championship Games, two consecutive Super Bowl appearances, and one championship title in Super Bowl XXXI over the New England Patriots, their first in nearly three decades.
In 2008, Favre was traded to the New York Jets where he spent a year before signing with the Minnesota Vikings where he guided them to the 2009 NFC Championship game, losing to the New Orleans Saints and Drew Brees. He would spend two seasons with Minnesota before retiring in 2010. Favre was inducted into the NFL Hall-of-Fame in 2016.
Johnny Unitas – 10 Greatest Quarterbacks of All Time
Johnny Unitas was a trailblazer for the modern passing game. He was the first quarterback to throw for more than 40,000 yards in a career and he did it in fewer games than any other player. Unitas’ accuracy led his receivers to record more catches and yards than any other group, even though they played in an era of run-heavy offenses. Unitas won the MVP award three seasons in a row. He won the award in 1959 when he led the Colts to a 13-1 record and threw for 2,213 yards and 25 touchdowns. The following year, Johnny U was named MVP again and he led the Colts to a second straight NFL title. In his final MVP season in 1964, Unitas threw for 24 touchdowns and 2,550 yards.
Unitas, like Brady and Montana, was also synonymous with winning. He was a three-time NFL champion prior to the Super Bowl era and then added a Super Bowl to his resume leading the Colts over the Cowboys in Super Bowl V. Unitas retired in 1973 after 17 seasons in the NFL and threw for over 40,000 yards. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1979.
Drew Brees
Drew Brees retired following the 2020 season to complete one of the most impressive careers in NFL history. After a slow start, Brees led the New Orleans Saints to Super Bowl XLIV over the Indianapolis Colts and was named the Super Bowl MVP. In his final season of 2020, Brees broke multiple NFL records. He finished with 572 career touchdowns in NFL history.
While Brees never won a regular season MVP, he did lead the league in passing yards seven different times, including four seasons of 5,000 or more yards, and led the league in touchdown passes four times. In addition, Brees was such a prolific passer that he was able to reach the 60,000 and 70,000 passing yard marks the soonest.
John Elway
John Elway personifies a high level of consistency over the span of his career. He was a nine-time Pro Bowler, earned league MVP for the 1987 season, won two Super Bowls and was a first ballot Hall of Famer. He is one of the few quarterbacks who are considered “clutch,” with an uncanny ability to lead their team to victory in crucial situations with 31 fourth-quarter comebacks and 40 game winning drives. In the 1987 AFC Championship game, Elway led his team to a last second win over Cleveland with an 80-yard drive. His stats speak for themselves. He is one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game.
Elway retired in 1999 with a career record of 148-82-1 and threw for 51,475 yards and 300 touchdowns. Elway was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004, his first year of eligibility.
Aaron Rodgers – 10 Greatest Quarterbacks of All Time
No quarterback in NFL history has ever taken better care of the ball than Aaron Rodgers. He holds the league’s all-time best career passer rating and interception percentage. But just because he almost never throws picks and has never led the league in passing yardage doesn’t mean he is conservative with the ball. Since 2008, Rodgers has thrown for at least 3,800 yards in 10 seasons, which is every season in which he’s started at least 15 games. In 2011, he led the Packers to a 15-1 record and was named NFL MVP and the Super Bowl XLV MVP for his performance in the Green Bay victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in one of the most memorable games in history.
Still in his prime, he currently sits at 10th all-time in completion percentage and 13th in passing yards and does have one Super Bowl under his belt and looking for more.
Otto Graham
Otto Graham is one of the most decorated quarterbacks in NFL history, with five Pro Bowl selections and six All-Pro honors. He led the Cleveland Browns to 10 straight championship games, winning seven of them. He was named NFL MVP in 1951, 1953, 1954 and 1955, and he still holds the record for most consecutive games with a touchdown pass (55).
Graham also held many passing records during his career, including most career pass attempts, completions, yards and the highest passer rating and yards per attempt. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965, his first year of eligibility.