This article is also available in French.
The quarterback carries the highest burden in the National Football League. Despite this, every kid dreams of playing QB for their favorite NFL team. However, it takes a lifetime of dedication and hard work to become one of the best quarterbacks ever. Many have tried and failed, with the likes of Nathan Peterman and Akili Smith finding out the hard way. However, those who achieve this become NFL legends and often secure profitable contracts both on and off the field.
The 2024 Super Bowl was an amazing spectacle, with the Kansas City Chiefs and Taylor Swift becoming champions. Patrick Mahomes also got his third Super Bowl championship, which made us reflect on the best quarterbacks in history. With the NFL established in 1920, we had hundreds of quarterbacks to analyze. However, we’ve narrowed it down to the best quarterbacks in NFL history, factoring in their stats, achievements, and impact on the sport. If you believe we’ve missed somebody, let us know via social media!
10. Patrick Mahomes
Fittingly, we start our best quarterbacks of all time list with Patrick Mahomes. The Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback was born to throw. His father, Pat Mahomes, was a Major League Baseball pitcher, and his son certainly inherited his throwing abilities. During his school years, Patrick played multiple sports, including baseball and football. He didn’t have a preference, but his professional career blossomed when he took football seriously.
After an unsuccessful baseball pitching outing during college, Patrick Mahomes focused on football. The 2017 NFL Draft was Mahomes’ first experience with professional football. Many teams inquired about the quarterback, with Mahomes visiting the Arizona Cardinals, New Orleans Saints, Cincinnati Bengals, and four other NFL teams. However, the Kansas City Chiefs selected Mahomes in the first round of the draft. Mahomes signed a four-year $26.5 million deal with the Chiefs in 2017.
With the 10th pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs select Patrick Mahomes. pic.twitter.com/WihTurzogQ
— ESPN (@espn) April 28, 2017
Despite drafting Patrick Mahomes in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs offered the quarterback just one game during the season. In his NFL debut, Mahomes threw 22 complete passes, one intercepted pass, and 15 first downs against the Denver Broncos. However, the Chiefs made Mahomes their starting QB after trading Alex Smith to the Washington Redskins in 2018. In his first full season as a starting quarterback, Mahomes won the AP MVP vote and was a 2018 Pro Bowler.
Patrick Mahomes still plays for the Kansas City Chiefs and has won everything a professional footballer could dream of winning. Mahomes is a six-time Pro Bowler, three-time Super Bowl MVP, and two-time NFL MVP. He’s also won three Super Bowl championships and holds multiple passing records. While Mahomes is still young compared to most on this list, he undoubtedly deserves a place among the best quarterbacks ever.
9. Ben Roethlisberger
Ben Roethlisberger spent 18 seasons in the NFL before retiring in 2021. “Big Ben” is a Pittsburgh Steelers legend, devoting his entire professional career to the Steelers. Roethlisberger started his NFL journey as Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback, achieving one of the best rookie seasons in history. “Big Ben” holds the record for the most wins by a rookie quarterback in a debut season, with 13 wins in 2004. Roethlisberger was also voted the NFL AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.
His second season in the NFL was even better than his rookie year. Ben Roethlisberger started twelve games during the 2005 season, winning nine games, and registering only three losses. Although he only threw 17 touchdowns and gained 2385 yards, Roethlisberger showed he knew how to win. The 23-year-old didn’t win a single award that season but became the youngest quarterback ever to win the Super Bowl. “Big Ben” won his second and last Super Bowl in 2008, despite once again gaining no votes for any individual awards. This was a theme throughout Roethlisberger’s career, but the quarterback focused on the team, not individual achievements.
“Leadership is something you earn, something you’re chosen for. You can’t come in yelling, ‘I’m your leader!’ If it happens, it’s because the other guys respect you.” – Ben Roethlisberger
Despite his accomplishments, Ben Roethlisberger doesn’t get the recognition he deserves by modern football fans. Roethlisberger is a six-time Pro Bowler, holds the record for the most 500-yard passing games, and has the record for the most completions during a single game. But one of his best seasons didn’t even get noticed. In 2018, “Big Ben” led the league in multiple statistics. He completed 452 passes, gained 5129 yards, and on average gained 320.6 yards per game. Nobody in the league competed with these numbers, yet Roethlisberger earned no individual awards for his efforts. However, we believe “Big Ben” deserves his spot among the best quarterbacks ever. We believe he should have won more individual awards during his career.
8. Roger Staubach
Popularity is a big part of being a professional football player, but Roger Staubach is one of the most loved quarterbacks in history. One of the best quarterbacks ever wasn’t only an amazing player, but he also had an honorable military career. Staubach played football for the Navy and engaged in active service during the infamous Vietnam War. “Roger the Dodger” played for the Midshipmen during college and earned the Heisman Trophy in 1963 before joining the Dallas Cowboys in 1969.
Roger Staubach had a plate start to his professional football career, making his debut for the Dallas Cowboys at 27. However, given his long history of college football, he was already a regular starter during the early stages of his NFL journey. Staubach had some outstanding seasons for the Cowboys, but never won the MVP vote. His best season was in 1971. “Roger the Dodger” won every game he started for Dallas, ending the season with a flawless 10-0-0 record. In 211 attempted passes, Staubach threw just four interceptions. He also gained more yards on average than anyone in the league and was a Pro Bowler for the first time in his career. Despite Staubach’s amazing stats, the Associated Press voted Alan Page as the 1971 AP MVP, with “Captain America” getting 13.3% of the vote.
However, 1971 was still a significant year for Roger Staubach, as he won his first Super Bowl championship with the Dallas Cowboys. Staubach’s performance earned him the Super Bowl VI MVP. “Roger the Dodger” won his second and last Super Bowl in 1977, but didn’t get the MVP award that year. Staubach retired from professional football after the 1979 season, earning a spot in the Pro Football and College Football Hall of Fame.
7. Aaron Rodgers
If Aaron Rodgers hadn’t been so determined, he could become a lawyer or baseball player instead of one of the best quarterbacks in history. All the Division One colleges considered Rodgers too small to play football, meaning the quarterback had to play for a community college to keep his dream alive. Even when “A-Rod” made it to the NFL, he had to remain patient during the early stages of his career.
In the 2005 NFL Draft, all roads led to the San Francisco 49ers for Aaron Rodgers. He grew up in the area, supported the team, and the 49ers had the number one draft pick that year. San Francisco needed a quarterback, and Rodgers was the best QB in the draft. The 49ers used their first-round pick on Alex Smith, leaving Rodgers to tumble down the pecking order. After the shock decision by San Francisco, “A-Rod” slipped to the 24th overall pick and the Green Bay Packers selected him.
“When you really start figuring things out as a quarterback, you realize you don’t have to be perfect every time, but you do have to be quick and decisive.” – Aaron Rodgers
In Aaron Rodgers’ first four seasons for the Packers, he played just 23 games, starting 16 times. He had an unimpressive 6-10-0 record, but Green Bay was happy with Rodgers’ progress and knew they made the right decision. By 2008, “A-Rod” was the starting quarterback for Green Bay, and in 2010, he lifted his first Super Bowl trophy. After his amazing performance at Super Bowl XLV, Rodgers earned the Super Bowl MVP. Despite the 40-year-old being one of the best quarterbacks of all time, this is the only Super Bowl trophy he’s won.
6. Drew Brees
Many expected Drew Brees to become the next NFL superstar in the early 2000s. However, his stock dropped suddenly with back-to-back seasons of unimpressive throwing from the novice QB. The San Diego Chargers almost gave up on Brees, but their commitment to him created one of the best quarterbacks ever. During his first three seasons with the Chargers, Brees had a record of 10-17-0 and completed just 59.4% of his passes. But the 2004 campaign was a turning point for the Texas-born quarterback.
Drew Brees was a new man during the 2004 season, finishing the year with an 11-4-0 record and guiding the San Diego Chargers to the playoffs. Brees threw 27 passing touchdowns and gained 3159 yards. The Associated Press voted him the Comeback Player of the Year, with Brees getting 38.5% of the votes. But his success came crashing down after a major injury to his throwing arm during the 2005 season, leading many to believe he’d never reach these heights again.
Drew Brees says he can only throw left-handed in retirement due to his 2005 injury https://t.co/5K8Rx0DMOR
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) November 23, 2023
Ahead of the 2006 season, the San Diego Chargers offered Drew Brees an underwhelming contract, causing Brees to leave San Diego. It looked certain that he’d join the Miami Dolphins, but he failed a medical and was once again searching for an opportunity. The New Orleans Saints were the only remaining team interested in signing the quarterback. The Saints signed a six-year deal with Brees, and their gamble certainly paid off. New Orleans won the 2009 Super Bowl, with Brees achieving the Super Bowl XLIV MVP award.
The NFL hasn’t inducted Drew Brees into the Hall of Fame yet, but the quarterback has plenty of records to make a strong case for his induction. During his career, Brees got the most passing touchdowns in a single game, most 5,000-yard seasons, and the most consecutive games with a touchdown pass. Brees only has one Super Bowl trophy to his name, but there’s no doubt he’s among the best quarterbacks of all time.
5. Brett Favre
The Atlanta Falcons drafted Brett Favre in the 1991 NFL Draft but gave him just two games during the 1991 season. Atlanta never gave Favre a chance, so they traded him to the Green Bay Packers ahead of the 1992 campaign. Eventually, they would grasp that they had exchanged one of the best quarterbacks of all time for a first-round pick.
During his early career in Green Bay, the coaches knew Brett Favre had the strongest arm in the league, but his technical understanding of their systems was lacking. Favre didn’t know many plays and used his running ability to gain yards. However, “Gunslinger” got results, and the Packers stuck with their man. Favre appreciated the faith and played through various injuries to ensure Green Bay had the best chance of winning.
Brett Favre's debut with Green Bay#PackersNation #ThrowbackThursday pic.twitter.com/dOMBRkwZMQ
— Packers Nation (@PackersNationCP) July 16, 2015
Brett Favre’s career took a dark turn when he developed an addiction to Vicodin. But the quarterback overcame these struggles, turning his personal life around and focusing on football again. During all of his health issues, Favre won three NFL MVP awards and won the Super Bowl in the same year he went into treatment for his addiction. “Gunslinger” left the Green Bay Packers in 2008. The Packers inducted Favre into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame and retired his number four jersey. He’s the best quarterback in Green Bay history, and in 2016, the Pro Football Hall of Fame inducted Favre.
4. Joe Montana
If you’re drafting one quarterback to play in the Super Bowl, you’ll pick Joe Montana. The San Francisco 49ers legend lived for the big moments and never failed to deliver. His ice-cold demeanor added to the mystic around Montana, who froze the opposition’s defense with his quick thinking and incredible arm strength. With Montana as quarterback, San Francisco won four Super Bowls in the 1980s, solidifying his place among the best quarterbacks ever.
One of Joe Montana’s iconic moments is “The Catch” against the Dallas Cowboys during the 1981 NFC Championship Game. The San Francisco 49ers had just 58 seconds left to make a play, and Montana thrived under the pressure. On 3rd down, “Joe Cool” found Dwight Clark in the end zone, completing a six-yard touchdown. Ray Wersching converted the kick for an extra point, giving the 49ers a 28-27 victory over the Cowboys. San Francisco won the 1981 Super Bowl and Montana got himself the Super Bowl XVI MVP award.
January 3, 1982
° 1981 NFC DIVISIONAL °Joe Montana's first postseason game is his first career 300-yard passing day.
Four takeaways by the Niners' defense — including a game-icing pick-six by rookie Ronnie Lott's — earn the #49ers a 38-24 win over the #Giants at Candlestick… pic.twitter.com/vFbsDd4fnW
— Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163) January 4, 2024
Super Bowl XVI was the first of four Super Bowl victories for Joe Montana. What sets “Joe Cool” apart from most quarterbacks is his “Big Game” success rate. Montana never lost during the Super Bowl and was MVP three times. The San Francisco legend also guided his team to victory at Super Bowl XIX, Super Bowl XXIII, and Super Bowl XXIV. During his outstanding career, Montana also tied the record for the most passing touchdowns in a single postseason. “Joe Cool” always performed in the postseason spotlight, and that’s why he’s one of the best quarterbacks in history.
3. Dan Marino
Dan Marino is a rarity among the best quarterbacks ever because he never won a Super Bowl during his 16 seasons with the Miami Dolphins. However, Marino had some of the greatest performances in football history and was consistently the strongest quarterback in the league throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s. The number of individual NFL records he broke is so large that we can’t list them all, but he has 30 former NFL records, six tied NFL records, and nine active NFL records.
THIS DAY IN DOLPHINS HISTORY: April 26, 1983 – The Miami Dolphins Select quarterback Dan Marino with the 27th pick in Round 1 of the NFL Draft pic.twitter.com/7NLBqY1MYa
— DolphinsTalk.com (@DolphinsTalk) April 26, 2024
In 1984, the Miami Dolphins were one of the best NFL teams in the league, with Dan Marino leading the way at quarterback. Marino threw 362 complete passes, gained 5084 yards, and threw 48 passing touchdowns. It’s arguably the greatest season from a quarterback, but it sadly ended in misery. Marino made just one Super Bowl appearance during his career, facing the San Francisco 49ers at Super Bowl XIX in 1984. San Francisco had the hometown advantage and cruised to a 38-16 victory over Miami. 84,059 fans saw the 49ers and fellow Hall of Famer Joe Montana lift the Super Bowl trophy.
“I’ve never experienced what it feels like to walk of the field a be a Super Bowl champion. Would I like to know what that felt like, hell yeah, I’d love to know what that felt like. But it just didn’t happen” – Dan Marino
Besides the Super Bowl defeat, 1984 was an exceptional year for Dan Marino. He finished the season winning the MVP vote, and the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year award. This was surprisingly the only season Marino won the MVP vote. But “Dan the Man” continued his career until 1999, setting and breaking records every season. After his retirement, Marino was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame. The Miami Dolphins and Pittsburgh Panthers also retired his legendary number 13 jersey.
2. Peyton Manning
Sometimes it pays to be patient, but with Peyton Manning, it paid off big time. His rookie season in the NFL for the Indianapolis Colts was among a quarterback’s worst debut season records. In 16 starts, Manning won just three games, threw 28 interceptions, and only gained 3739 yards. It took many fans at least a season to buy into Manning, but the Colts’ patience with the young quarterback eventually paid off.
In his second season with the Indianapolis Colts, Peyton Manning reversed his fortunes, finishing the season with 13 wins and three losses across 16 starts. He threw just 15 interceptions and gained 4135 yards. This upward trend continued throughout Manning’s career with the Colts, winning four Associated Press MVP votes and his first Super Bowl championship at Super Bowl XLI in 2006. After joining Indianapolis at 22, Manning joined the Denver Broncos at 36 years old after missing the 2011 season because of an injury.
When you go through a significant injury and have a major career change, you truly do go one year at a time, and you don’t look past what’s going on now, because you are not sure what’s going to happen. Tomorrow is not promised. – Peyton Manning
Despite playing into his late 30s, Peyton Manning was just as good as his prime years with the Indianapolis Colts. In the 2013 season, Manning broke the record for the most yards gained in the NFL, getting 5477 with the Denver Broncos. One of the best quarterbacks of all time ended his career in the best possible way. Manning won the 2015 Super Bowl championship in his final professional football season. Manning retired after the 2015 season, earning a spot in the Pro Football and College Hall of Fame.
1. Tom Brady
During the 2000 NFL Draft, every team in the league had 199 opportunities to sign the best quarterback of all time. In the sixth round, the New England Patriots drafted an unwanted and underappreciated QB called Tom Brady. This was a pretty good draft pick, as Brady ended up an all-time great and seven-time Super Bowl champion. However, even the Patriots didn’t instantly believe in Brady, with the rookie quarterback playing just one game in his debut season.
In 2001, Tom Brady finally got to prove himself in the NFL, and the rest is history. Brady didn’t break any records during the season, getting eleven wins from 15 starts and gaining 2,843 yards. But he got his first taste of individual success with a Pro Bowl appearance after his first full season as an NFL quarterback, laying the foundation for his future achievements.
Records are made to be broken but nobody is touching Tom Brady’s 7 Super Bowls 🤷♂️🏈 pic.twitter.com/Bl3Y8KI30Q
— TB EGO ✖️ (@TomBradyEgo) February 25, 2024
The New England Patriots won six Super Bowls with Tom Brady at quarterback, winning in 2001, 2004, 2005, 2014, 2017, and 2018. However, Brady finally left the Patriots in 2020, and most fans didn’t expect him to win another championship. But the world should have learned not to doubt Brady. In his first season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, “TB12” won his seventh and final Super Bowl championship. Tom Brady didn’t stop trying after his seventh championship, posting a career-high yards gained in 2021, gaining 5316 yards at 44 years old. But after getting an 8-9-0 record in the 2022 campaign, Brady retired from professional football. The best quarterback of our generation is yet to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, but it’s only a matter of time until the NFL officially lists Tom Brady among the greats.
