The crew at Gridiron Grumblings Live! recently had a discussion on whether or not Brett Favre was one of the top five quarterbacks of all time. The consensus was that he wasn't... but that leads to the overall question: who are the Top 10 QBs of all time?
For purposes of this discussion, we'll consider statistical accomplishments, leadership, contemporary dominance and, of course, the ability to win.
Having set the ground rules, here's my top 10 QBs of all time:
1. Joe Montana (1979-1994) - Career Stats: 3409-5391-40551, 243 TD, 139 INT, 92.3 QB Rating. Montana boasts an impressive career passer rating, but that's not the reason he tops the list. Joe Cool tops the list thanks to his unflappable demeanor, his ability to inspire his teammates to perform beyong their ability, and of course... being a winner. Beginning with his unbelievable comeback victory for the Fighting Irish in his final college game (the Cotton Bowl)-- where he received IV fluids during halftime in order to just be able to play in the second half-- to his three Super Bowl wins (and MVP awards), Montana was a tremendous leader.
2. Johnny Unitas (1956-1973) - Career Stats: 2830-5186-40239, 290 TD, 243 INT, 78.2 QB Rating. When you look at the stats, they aren't all that impressive, especially when held up against contemporary QBs. But compared to his contemporaries, Johnny U was top shelf-- note that he has a better than 1:1 TD-INT ratio. But much like Montana, Unitas' greatest quality was his leadership-- a trait in evidence during the game that put the NFL on its road to sports dominance-- the 1958 Championship game against the Giants, where he deftly led a late-minute drive for the winning score. More importantly for today's fans to understand, Unitas was considered the best signal-caller of all time, without benefit of having a radio in his helmet or his coaches (Weeb Ewbank and Don Shula) shuttling plays in to the huddle.
3. John Elway (1983-1998) - Career Stats: 4123-7250-51475, 300 TD, 226 INT, 79.9 QB Rating. This one will surprise many folks, considering how high Elway is on this list and his apparent lack of efficiency. However, Elway had perhaps the strongest arm in the game-- stories of the famed "Elway Cross", the indentation of the nose of the football in receivers chests and shoulders during practice are legendary-- was willing to use his legs when necessary and was one of the best two-minute QBs ever to walk onto the field. What catapulted him from about #8 to this spot were his two career-ending Super Bowl victories.
4. Fran Tarkenton (1961-1978) - Career Stats: 3686-6467-47003, 342 TD, 266 INT, 80.4 QB Rating. Why does it seem that Fran Tarkenton always gets left off these types of lists? Tarkenton was pretty efficient QB for his day and at the time of his retirement, he pretty much held all the career passing records. Of course, if you've ever seen video of him scrambling-- as opposed to running-- to buy time for his receivers to get open, then you know how agile he was. Watching Fran the Man elude linemen and linebackers for an extra 7-10 seconds behind the line of scrimmage while his receivers worked to get free was always a treat. Don't let his three Super Bowl losses fool you; Tarkenton was one of the best ever. 5. Tom Brady (2000-present) - Career Stats: 1991-3184-22682, 160 TD, 80 INT, 90.2 QB Rating. Am I being too much of a front-runner here? No way! Brady's story is very Montana-like: started as a low-round pick (6th round) backup to Drew Bledsoe, then pulled a Wally Pipp after Bledsoe was nearly killed by Mo Lewis. Uncannily accurate, a tremendous leader, and someone who can adapt his style of play to whatever is required to get the job done. When the Pats had a strong running game, he was happy to dink-and-dunk; with no big-name receivers, he made stars out of mediocre guys like Deion Branch; this year, with a big-name receiver like Randy Moss, he has "found" the ability to throw the deep ball. Oh, and with three Super Bowl rings to his credit, he has a chance to surpass Montana (by a lot) before he hangs up his cleats. 6. Steve Young (1985-1999) - Career Stats: 2667-4149-33124, 232 TD, 107 INT, 96.8 QB Rating. Stop hating! Young deserves to be among the Top 10 for several reasons: look at that incredible career passer rating, throw in another 43 rushing TDs, his Super Bowl victory and the fact that he had the strength of character to be the guy who "drove" Joe Montana out of San Francisco. Think about it: how many other QBs can you name that replaced a legend and become one in their own right?
7. Peyton Manning (1998-present) - Career Stats: 3217-5018-38652, 283 TD, 140 INT, 94.8 QB Rating. Before he's done, he will own every career passing record. And unlike Dan Marino, Tarkenton, Jim Kelly and all the other "numbers" guys, he has already put to rest the question of whether or not he can ever win the big game. Also a bit of a throwback in that he famously audibles a fair percentage of plays; and perhaps less famously, he is quite tough for someone that rarely gets sacked. 8. Brett Favre (1991-present) - Career Stats: 5133-8393-58705, 422 TD, 275 INT, 85.3 QB Rating. Favre may cause some debate being on this list. Despite his numbers and his ring, Favre is viewed by many purists as being too much of a gunslinger, of throwing way too many interceptions. I'm not one of them. Favre has often had to carry his team's offense, and while he definitely takes one too many chances, his rifle arm and child-like attitude towards the game allow him to complete passes other QBs can only dream of completing. Oh, and coming into the 2007 season, he had started 237 consecutive games... take that Cal Ripken!
9. Dan Marino (1983-1999) - Career Stats: 4967-8358-61361, 420 TD, 252 INT, 86.4 QB Rating. Yes, he never won the big game; yes, he was coddled by Don Shula, who as a member of the Rules Committe pushed through rules designed to make Marino even more dangerous. Despite the short-comings, no one can deny that Marino was probably the greatest pure passer the NFL has ever seen (apologies to Sonny Jurgensen). He had the quickest release I've ever seen, allowing this immoblie statue of a QB to rarely be sacked. His arm-strength was among the best ever, and until recently, had put up the greatest passing season of any QB. Throw in that he rarely had a functional running game to make rushing defenders hesitate and you have the making of one of the all-time greats. 10. Joe Namath (1965-1977) - Career Stats: 1886-3762-27663, 173 TD, 220 INT, 65.5 QB Rating. This is the selection that will likely cause the most debate among readers. How can I put Joe WIllie on this list? Even for his day, he has a horrible passer rating, he tossed almost a third more interceptions than he did TDs and his completion percentage is slightly over 50%. But think about it: I've just described a QB whose statswarrant him being nothing more than a career backup, yet Broadway Joe played for 11 seasons as a starter, won a Super Bowl and is in the Hall of Fame. Why? Because of the attention he brought to the game and the fact that his stunning-- and for those who were alive at football-aware at the time, it was truly stunning-- guarantee of a Jets' victory over the Colts ensured the survival of the AFL and it's eventual absorption into the NFL. For that alone, he earns a spot on this list.
What are your thought? Leave your Top 10 QBs of all time below!
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