#5 - Matt Ryan (Atlanta Falcons) Matt Ryan is 36 years old. The oldest quarterback ever, George Blanda, was just shy of his 49 th birthday when he retired! In a storybook career that spanned 17 seasons between the Colts and Broncos, the future Hall of Famer won five NFL MVP trophies, the most of any player. But if you don't like my list, there are always spaces to comment and "write" buttons. There have been numerous quarterback bust to come out of Notre Dame in the past 10 years and another victim of that was Jimmy Clausen. 135 TD passes 111 INT 17,199 passing yards 74.8 passer rating 3 Pro Bowls 1 NFL Player of the Year (1966) 97. It's more difficult than it should be for any title-winning QB. 2) Joe Montana. The 13-time Pro Bowl signal-caller is second in NFL history in passing yards (80,358), completions (7,142), and touchdown passes (571). He's done for the year, but Tony Romo has put up pretty decent numbers during his time in the NFL. A three-time NFL MVP (2007, '10, '17), Brady also has earned five All-Pro selections and 15 Pro Bowl invitations. Baugh played three ways, offense, defense, and punter, leading the Washington Redskins to two NFL titles (1937 and 1942). Guys like him don't come around very often. When you compare the two players, Tarkenton retired as the leading passer AND rusher among quarterbacks. He also is involved with the Jaguars media and can often be seen giving his perspective on ongoing Jaguar issues. Plunkett was not supposed to be the starter in either season when the Raiders won it all, but played well enough. He played all the way through 1976 and promptly landed a gig at the University of Miami when he stopped playing. Stroud has made the decision to enter his name into the 2023 NFL draft. Stabler's Raiders, following a defeat of the Steelers, went on to win Super Bowl XI over the Minnesota Vikings. But for the most part, Bulger can be found on his farm in Missouri and tending to some of his crops, while also doing good work through his charity foundation. Bears owner George Halas traded Layne to the New York Bulldogs, where Layne developed quickly even though he only played there for one season before joining the team with which he spent most of his career- the Detroit Lions. Kosar was involved in some controversy with respect to how he entered the league, but was in the rare position to choose his team- in this case, the Cleveland Browns. Tommy Garrett is a writer for Pro Football Network covering the NFL and fantasy football. I have ranked the top 100 quarterbacks in NFL history, and because I'm writing the article, I get the privilege of unilaterally deciding who was better than who. He quarterbacked the Patriots during the 1978 season, during which that Patriots team set a record for total team rushing yardage that still stands today (3,156 yards). The fact that his career has gone continually downhill since the early 2000s has made some people forget the few seasons where Culpepper was among the best passers in the NFL. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005. In the process . If you put up Anderson's numbers against many QBs who are in the Hall, Anderson compares favorably. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977. Since he served in World War Two, Conerlys career didnt start until he was 27 years old in 1948. Warner is quite possibly the greatest success story in NFL history. I'd bet that some guys on this list would trade their higher standing just to have one. While he's a guy who some might rank higher, the fact that Steve DeBerg was frequently a backup quarterback hurts him on my list. That pass to Santonio Holmes closed out one of the better Super Bowls in recent memory in Pittsburgh's favor. Rankings by Rob McVey, who is part of the Athlon Contributor Network. 86. Despite the fact that he got a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter, the fact remains that it was Eli's moment to datereally his only moment, but still most definitely Eli's moment. When it comes to the greatest quarterback in NFL history, Tom Brady is No. On top of that, the guy was forced to demonstrate remarkable mental fortitude- remember, he was the guy who had to replace BRETT FAVRE in Green Bay. Regardless of his play, he was talking trash the entire time. He will forever be acknowledged for his high football IQ, relentless preparation, and immense character, both on and off the field. Broadway Joe may not have the statistical accomplishments of others on this list, but his legendary status, on and off the field, are more than enough to garner a place on the list. Many believe Leftwich has what it takes to eventually become a head coach in the NFL. To be fair, Testaverde does hold the record for most losses as a starting quarterback (123), but frankly, anyone who can suit up and play decent football after 21 seasons in the NFL as Testaverde did with the Panthers impresses me. The oldest NFL quarterbacks of all time put most athletes to shame by playing into their 40s. His inconsistent career that was marked by flashes of absolute brilliance attest to this view. It wasn't going to be easy for the next quarterback in line to continue the "Greatest Show on Turf" once the stars left the Rams. Two, Favre holds many records simply because he played a long time. The eight-time Pro Bowler ranks among the top five quarterbacks in NFL history in passing yards and touchdown passes. Throughout his career, Griese called his own plays. Davis rushed for 2,008 yards, caught 25 passes for 217 yards, and scored 23 touchdowns. Stroud waited until the last day to let everyone know his plans and released a statement saying the decision was very difficult . It's probably because Orton retired without saying a word to anybody. The Bungles couldn't do much beyond throw the ball, however, so much of Blake's efforts were wasted. Not surprisingly, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2021 in his first year of eligibility. He played most of his career with the San Diego Chargers, but was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in 1973 before finishing his career with Green Bay and finally with Houston. Despite showing glimpses of his talent, Campbell was never able to find a system that he could shine in. Careers for NFL players are notoriously short, so playing past age 30 is an accomplishment. "Hoss" quarterbacked the Giants team that was the beneficiary of the famous moment in Bills lore known simply as "Wide Right.". Still, if he'd been that good, teams wouldn't have drafted players to replace himso he's here at No. He played for the Jets, Cowboys, Patriots, and Panthers after his time in Baltimore. Leinart finally decided to call it quits in 2012. A virtually-unknown and even-more overlooked coming out of Eastern Illinois University, Tony Romo went totally undrafted in 2003, and went from becoming a backup quarterback who caught the attention of several NFL teams, to being handed the starting job of America's most famous (or infamous) team in place of a struggling Drew Bledsoe. Thanks to his background as a collegiate running back, Graham rushed for 44 touchdowns during his 10-year professional career. 1 overall draft pick out of Ole Miss entered the NFL in the shadow of older brother Peyton Manning, but it wasn't long before Eli began paving his own way into the annals of. 1 overall pick Manning after he refused to sign with the Chargers. My opinions are not scientific, and while I have done a fair amount of research in putting this list together, I am 100 percent sure that no one else on this planet would have exactly the same list as mechiefly because not everyone will use my criteria. 3 on the countdown. Hasselbeck has been to a Super Bowl, where his Seahawks lost to the Steelers (and interestingly the referee in that game recently admitted that he blew a few calls in that game in favor of Pittsburgh, not that it matters). He was the first minority quarterback to win a Super Bowl (he is Hispanic). His statistics were almost always mind-blowing; Moon is the only player to be enshrined in both the NFL Hall of Fame and the CFL Hall of Fame. He's also a former No. The 6-foot-6, 265-pound LSU . His seven Super Bowl rings are not only the most by any player but also more than any franchise. During his tenure in St. Louis, Warner won two league MVPs and went to three Pro Bowls. Matt Hasselbeck, as many NFL fans know, is the Seattle Seahawks starting quarterback, and the guy is in the twilight of his career. His 96.8 passer rating ranks among the best all-time, and Youngs 4,239 rushing yards ranks fifth all-time among QBs. But no matter how good the quarterback is, the run always comes to an end at some point. On one level, it's hard to believe that the quarterback in charge of the great Miami Dolphins dynasty of the 1970s isn't the greatest in franchise history. He currently serves as the President of Football Operations for the Broncos. He also is currently second for all-time completion percentage (67.7), behind Deshaun Watson by 0.01. The former Los Angeles Chargers quarterback would light up the scoreboard one week, and completely fall apart the next. Jim Kelly, the best QB in Buffalo Bills franchise history, couldn't escape the curse that the city seems to live under. In any case, Williams turned in a strong performance in that game, though he was aided by the ultimate one shot wonder, Redskins RB Timmy Smith, who had a monster game in the Redskins' 42-10 rout of the Denver Broncos, another blowout loss for John Elway, who at this point had yet to win a Super Bowl title. After retiring, Leftwich wanted to remain close to the sport and decided to give coaching a shot. The life of an NFL quarterback has to be one of the best experiences anybody could ever have. Although the business is very successful, Grossman has hinted at the idea that he may return to football in some coaching capacity. Vick has gained limitless notoriety through the dog fighting ring and his subsequent two years in jail. It's tough for me to rank a guy like this ahead of guys that I've constantly discussed when talking about the all-time great quarterbacks in NFL history. To me, Young and Favre are about the same. After more than 20 years in the National Football League, he said on his . MORE:Four times Tom Brady has flipped out on coaches, teammates and tablets in 2022. 1 overall draft choice by the New England Patriots in 1993, and he remained with the team until 2001 when he was hit by Jets LB Mo Lewis and was injured. Stabler, of course, was right in the middle of it. Ferguson's best year was probably in 1975, when he threw 25 touchdown passes to tie for the league high that year (Fran Tarkenton was the other). Note: Statistics in tables are for regular-season games. Brunell next moved to the Washington Redskins, where he played solid but unspectacular football as the starter, before being benched in favor of first round draft choice Jason Campbell. McNabb's legacy is in desperate need of a Super Bowl victory, yet somehow I doubt that one is forthcoming. Professional careers align with athletic peaks, and the aging process will eventually force everyone, even Hall of Fame locks such as Peyton Manning, to retire. When you think of the Dallas Cowboys through the years, you think of good quarterback play- indeed, even the less famous quarterbacks managed to make this list. Luckman played 12 seasons for the Chicago Bears from 1939-1950, and in that span led the Bears to four NFL championships. He would spend all 16 seasons of his Hall of Fame career in Denver, where he would go on to play in five Super Bowls. Lamonica was a winner, and it's hard to penalize him for not winning a Super Bowl against a stacked team like Vince Lombardi's Packers in Super Bowl II. The Green Bay Packers drafted the Boston College product in 1999. Many people believed that the Cardinals and Matt Leinart were a perfect combination after he fell to them at the #11 pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. He was known for running the no-huddle "K-Gun" offense- often calling two or three formations in the huddle and then immediately getting back into an offensive formation to keep the defense from making substitutions. Over the past seven years, he has finished with one of the top-two overall grades on three occasions, and has been a top-10 quarterback in eight of the 10 seasons. He's only 19th on the countdown because the leader of that team was probably "Mean Joe" Greene and the famous Steel Curtain defense, but the former No. Having played most famously for the New England Patriots, Brady also played with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for his final two seasons, according to ESPN. Still, his career has been a long one, and Hasselbeck has provided stability at the QB positionsomething that isn't very easy to find (just ask the Cardinals). His play, he was talking trash the entire time decided to give coaching shot! 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