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91.7k voters

The Best Quarterbacks Of All Time

Originally by Ranker Community

Updated April 6, 2021 831.7k votes 91.7k voters 975.1k views120 items

List RulesVote up the top QBs in NFL history

This list of the greatest quarterbacks of all time only includes the best NFL quarterbacks to ever play professional football. Who are the best quarterbacks of all time? That is a question that experts have been tackling since the NFL first started in the 1920s. Defining who the best quarterback of all time isn't easy since every fan has a different criteria that defines who is the best NFL quarterback. If you like championships, then famous quarterbacks like Joe Montana, Johnny Unitas, Tom Brady, Terry Bradshaw, Peyton Manning, and Bart Starr are clearly top 10 QBs. If you like gaudy numbers then you're more likely to be a fan of Dan Marino and Brett Favre as top ten choices.

The top quarterbacks of all time are known for their excellent skills and leadership on the field. The quarterback position is the most important in football. The position entails being a coach on the field who can call and adjust plays on a whim and being able to dissect the defensive coverage by taking a peek at what they're showing, all while having the ability to avoid the oncoming pass rush and make accurate throws. Sounds easy right? These gentlemen, who are considered the best NFL quarterbacks of all time, have the rare ability to do all of these things in a matter of seconds.

Vote for whoever you think should get the title of best quarterbacks in NFL history. If you see someone who is missing, feel free to add them to this ultimate list of the best NFL quarterbacks of all time.

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26
5,339
6,337
Joe Namath
New York Jets, Los Angeles Rams
Super Bowl champion (III)
Super Bowl MVP (III)
NFL Comeback Player of the Year (1974)
Second-team All-Pro (1972)
Pro Bowl (1972)
NFL passing yards leader (1972)
NFL passing touchdowns leader (1972)
AFL champion (1968)
4× AFL All-Star (1965, 1967–1969)
First-team All-AFL (1968)
3× Second-team All-AFL (1966, 1967, 1969)
2× AFL Most Valuable Player (1968, 1969)
AFL Rookie of the Year (1965)
2× AFL passing yards leader (1966, 1967)
AFL All-Time Team
NFL Hall of Fame

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#478 of 904 Celebrity Death Pool 2021#11 of 80 The Best NFL Player Nicknames
27
4,321
5,361
Dan Fouts
San Diego Chargers
NFL Most Valuable Player (1982)
NFL Offensive Player of the Year (1982)
3× First-team All-Pro (1979, 1982, 1985)
6× Pro Bowl (1979–1983, 1985)
4× NFL passing yards leader (1979–1982)
2× NFL passing touchdowns leader (1981, 1982)
NFL 1980s All-Decade Team
NFL Hall of Fame

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#3 of 98 The Best Oregon Ducks of All Time#5 of 39 The Best NFL Quarterbacks of the 1970s
28
3,044
3,459
Matt Ryan
Atlanta Falcons
4× Pro Bowl (2010, 2012, 2014, 2016)
First-team All-Pro (2016)
NFL Most Valuable Player (2016)
NFL Offensive Player of the Year (2016)
NFL passer rating leader (2016)
NFL completion percentage leader (2012)
NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (2008)
PFWA All-Rookie Team (2008)

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#30 of 53 The Most Likable Active NFL Players#19 of 86 The Best NFL Players From Pennsylvania
29
3,349
3,851
Archie Manning
New Orleans Saints, Houston Oilers
2× Pro Bowl (1978, 1979)

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#2 of 24 The Best College Football Quarterbacks of the 1970s#15 of 135 The Best New Orleans Saints of All Time
30
3,399
4,239
Y. A. Tittle
Baltimore Colts, San Francisco 49ers
7× Pro Bowl (1953, 1954, 1957, 1959, 1961–1963)
4× First-team All-Pro (1957, 1961–1963)
NFL Most Valuable Player (1963)
3× NFL passing touchdowns leader (1955, 1962, 1963)
NFL passer rating leader (1963)
NFL record 7 touchdown passes in a game (tied)
NFL Hall of Fame

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#14 of 146 The Best LSU Football Players of All Time#5 of 13 13 Athletes Who Won MVP After Age 35
31
3,792
4,852
Randall Cunningham
Minnesota Vikings, Baltimore Ravens
4× Pro Bowl (1988–1990, 1998)
2× First-team All-Pro (1990, 1998)
NFL passer rating leader (1998)
NFL Most Valuable Player (1998)
PFWA NFL Most Valuable Player (1990)
NFL Comeback Player of the Year (1992)

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#44 of 54 The Greatest NFL Punters of All Time#24 of 121 The Best Philadelphia Eagles of All Time
32
3,156
3,813
Andrew Luck
Indianapolis Colts
4× Pro Bowl (2012–2014, 2018)
NFL Comeback Player of the Year (2018)
NFL passing touchdowns leader (2014)

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#8 of 26 NFL Players Whose Careers Ended Too Soon#3 of 49 The Best Stanford Football Players of All Time
33
2,773
3,491
Jim Plunkett
Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots
2× Super Bowl champion (XV, XVIII)
Super Bowl MVP (XV)
NFL Comeback Player of the Year (1980)
Longest touchdown pass: 99 yards (tied)

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#1185 of 1,427 The Best Athletes Of All Time#36 of 119 The Greatest College Football Quarterbacks of All Time
34
2,716
3,147
Doug Flutie
Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots
Pro Bowl (1998)
NFL Comeback Player of the Year (1998)

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#22 of 45 The Best NFL Quarterbacks of the '80s#25 of 73 The Best Quarterbacks to Never Win a Super Bowl
35
3,128
4,079
Phil Simms
New York Giants
2× Super Bowl champion (XXI, XXV)
Super Bowl MVP (XXI)
2× Pro Bowl (1985, 1993)
First-team All-Pro (1986)
NFL Most Valuable Player (1986)

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#11 of 84 The Most Overlooked Quarterbacks of All Time#19 of 41 The Best NFL Quarterbacks of the '90s
36
2,241
2,858
George Blanda
Baltimore Colts, Chicago Bears
NFL Man of the Year (1974)
3× AFL champion (1960, 1961, 1967)
4× AFL All-Star (1961–1963, 1967)
First-team All-AFL (1961)
AFL Most Valuable Player (1961)
2× AFL passing yards leader (1961, 1963)
AFL passing touchdowns leader (1961)
AFL All-Time Team
7 touchdown passes in a game (tied)
NFL Hall of Fame

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#69 of 144 The Greatest Chicago Bears of All Time#4 of 66 The Best Chicago Bears Quarterbacks of All Time
37
2,404
2,812
Matthew Stafford
Los Angeles Rams, Detroit Lions
NFL Comeback Player of the Year (2011)
Pro Bowl (2014)
Most passing attempts in a single season: 727 (2012)
First player in NFL history to complete 60% or more of all passes in each game in a season (2015)
Most 4th quarter comebacks in a single season: 8 (2016)

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#14 of 53 The Best No. 1 Overall NFL Draft Picks Of All Time, Ranked#9 of 119 The Best Detroit Lions of All Time
38
1,738
2,038
Craig Morton
Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants
Super Bowl champion (VI)
NFL Comeback Player of the Year (1977)

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#4 of 11 The Best Backup Quarterbacks to Reach a Super Bowl#18 of 106 The Best Denver Broncos of All Time

39
2,705
3,754
Len Dawson
Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns
Super Bowl champion (IV)
Super Bowl MVP (IV)
Pro Bowl (1971)
NFL Man of the Year (1973)
3× AFL champion (1962, 1966, 1969)
6× AFL All-Star (1962, 1964, 1966–1969)
2× First-team All-AFL (1962, 1966)
AFL Most Valuable Player (1962)
4× AFL passing touchdowns leader (1962, 1963, 1966, 1967)
6× AFL passer rating leader (1962, 1964–1968)
American Football League All-Time Team
NFL Hall of Fame

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#23 of 61 The Best NFL Players From Ohio#5 of 128 The Best Kansas City Chiefs Of All Time
40
1,981
2,628
Bobby Layne
Pittsburgh Steelers, Detroit Lions
3× NFL champion (1952, 1953, 1957)
6× Pro Bowl (1951–1953, 1956, 1958, 1959)
3× First-team All-Pro (1952, 1956, 1958)
2× NFL passing yards leader (1950, 1951)
NFL passing touchdowns leader (1951)
NFL completion percentage leader (1955)
NFL 1950s All-Decade Team
NFL Hall of Fame

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#164 of 170 If You Fought To The Death, Who Would You Want By Your Side?#7 of 61 The Best Texas Longhorns Football Players of All Time
41
2,666
3,478
Steve McNair
Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens
3× Pro Bowl (2000, 2003, 2005)
NFL Most Valuable Player (2003)
NFL passer rating leader (2003)

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#32 of 95 The Best Baltimore Ravens of All Time#6 of 30 The Best Black Quarterbacks Of All Time
42
3,382
4,533
Michael Vick
Atlanta Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles
4× Pro Bowl (2002, 2004, 2005, 2010)
NFL Comeback Player of the Year (2010)
Career yards per carry by a quarterback (7.0)
Career rushing yards by a quarterback (6,109)

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#6 of 66 The Most Controversial Athletes in Sports History#11 of 106 The Fastest NFL Players of All Time
43
2,831
3,982
Joe Theismann
Washington Redskins
Super Bowl champion (XVII)
NFL Most Valuable Player (1983)
2× Pro Bowl (1982, 1983)
First-team All-Pro (1983)
NFL Offensive Player of the Year (1983)
NFL Man of the Year (1982)

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#106 of 150 Athletes You Didn't Know Were Conservative#117 of 322 People Who Should Be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
44
2,287
3,224
Norm Van Brocklin
Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams
2× NFL champion (1951, 1960)
9× Pro Bowl (1950–1955, 1958–1960)
First-team All-Pro (1960)
NFL Most Valuable Player (1960)
NFL passing yards leader (1954)
Most passing yards in a game (554)
NFL Hall of Fame

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#16 of 110 The Best Los Angeles Rams of All Time#3 of 56 The Best Los Angeles Rams Quarterbacks of All Time
45
2,510
3,638
Sonny Jurgensen
Washington Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles
NFL champion (1960)
5× Pro Bowl (1961, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1969)
2× First-team All-Pro (1961, 1969)
5× NFL passing yards leader (1961, 1962, 1966, 1967, 1969)
2× NFL passing touchdowns leader (1961, 1967)
NFL passer rating leader (1967)
NFL 1960s All-Decade Team
Longest touchdown pass: 99 yards (tied)
NFL Hall of Fame

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#5 of 115 The Greatest Washington Redskins of All Time#94 of 98 The Greatest Out of Shape Athletes in Sports
46
177
145
Curly Lambeau
Green Bay Packers
6× NFL champion (1929–1931, 1936, 1939, 1944)
NFL 1920s All-Decade Team
NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team
47
5,011
7,397
Eli Manning
New York Giants
2× Super Bowl champion (XLII, XLVI)
2× Super Bowl MVP (XLII, XLVI)
4× Pro Bowl (2008, 2011, 2012, 2015)
Most passing yards in a single postseason: 1,219 yards (2011)
Longest touchdown pass: 99 yards (tied)

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#36 of 41 The 41 Hottest Men in the NFL#20 of 34 The Most Overpaid Professional Athletes Right Now
48
1,641
2,237
Don Meredith
Dallas Cowboys
3× Pro Bowl (1966–1968)

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#29 of 139 The Best Dallas Cowboys Of All Time#24 of 69 The Best NFL Players From Texas

49
191
197
DeShaun Watson
Houston Texans
3× Pro Bowl (2018–2020)
NFL passing yards leader (2020)
PFWA All-Rookie Team (2017)
50
3,039
4,336
Tony Romo
Dallas Cowboys
4× Pro Bowl (2006, 2007, 2009, 2014)
NFL passer rating leader (2014)

NFL completion percentage leader (2014)

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#193 of 329 The Most Obnoxious Athletes#43 of 71 Athletes Who Spark the Most Fan Arguments