Ranked: The greatest quarterbacks of all time

There is no more important position in sports than an NFL quarterback. Good QBs can make their throws on time with accuracy and touch. Great ones can do that in the toughest moments, time and time again. So, let's take a look at who we think are the greatest QBs of all time.

Otto Graham played during an era when quarterbacks and the forward pass were far less pervasive than nowadays. Still, Graham was a key figure on a dominant Browns team that made 10 championship games in a row in the AAFC and the NFL, winning seven of them. He deserves respect.

A bit like Graham before him, Aikman was just part of a great team, rather than the central figure. Still, he played his best when the lights were brightest and led the Cowboys to three Super Bowl wins. Per GiveMeSport, Aikman threw for 2,198 yards, at 69.7% completion rate, with 17 touchdowns and just four picks during the Super Bowl runs.

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Nowadays, watching quarterbacks extend plays and create on the fly, is the norm. Back in the 60s and 70s, this was almost unheard of until Fran Tarkenton came along. The Georgia Bulldog played 18 seasons in the NFL and led the Vikings to three Super Bowls, losing all three. On pure natural ability, there's a good argument for Tarkenton to be even higher on this list.

Staubach was the face of the upstart Cowboys during the 1970s. Staubach led Dallas to two championships, losing another two Super Bowls along the way. Tom Landry's Cowboys teams were legendary, but they probably don't achieve the same success without Staubach.

Steve Young had to sit in the shadows of the mighty Joe Montana early in his career, but when he finally got his shot, he excelled. The lefty was known for his running ability, rushing for over 4,000 yards in his career, per Pro Football Reference. Young was a modern QB in every sense and would have thrived in today's NFL.

Brett Favre was the ultimate gunslinger, throwing a record 336 interceptions in his career, per Statmuse. That was part of the Favre experience, as for every pick he threw, he would make up for with a play no other QB would have considered throwing.

As Athlon Sports writes, “Johnny U was the quintessential quarterback of his era, leading as a shining example for every signal-caller that tried to follow in his footsteps.” It's so hard to compare eras in the NFL, as if you looked purely at the stats, he wouldn't be close to this conversation, but given the time in which he played, we need to understand the context.

At his peak, there were arguments that Rodgers was the best QB of all time. It's fair to say, however, his last couple of seasons of play have not been of the same quality. His four MVPs speak for themselves, and there's a very good argument he should be ahead of some others on this list, but it's tough to fit everyone in.

John Elway was the prototypical quarterback during his career, with a rocket arm, incredible athleticism and exceptional durability. Elway's career was so nearly unfulfilled until his final two seasons, when he was able to win a couple of Super Bowls and ride off into the sunset. 

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If you have a few minutes today, go and take a look at Marino's year-by-year stats, and then remember that he was playing nearly 40 years ago. When he entered the league, no one had thrown for over 5,000 yards, and the TD record was 36. In his second year in the league, Marino threw for 5,084 yards and 48 touchdowns, which would be enough to win MVP now, let alone in 1984.

The diminutive Brees was a nightmare for opposing defenses. He would avoid pressure with a calming ease before finding an open receiver with starting regularity. Per GiveMeSport, there have been 15 5,000-yard passing seasons in the NFL, and Brees has five of them. He was just one of the purest quarterbacks to ever play and is deserving of recognition as a true great.

This is where it gets incredibly tough, as there are, in our minds, four QBs all close enough together that ranking them is almost impossible. For us, that has led to Peyton Manning slipping to fourth in our all-time rankings. Watching Peyton play as an opposing fan was so frustrating, with his audibles and calls at the line proving correct time and time again as he picked you apart with his arm and his brain.

Montana went 4-0 in Super Bowls, which should be enough on its own to put him among the greats. And it would've been, but it was the rest of his career that truly lifts him into the upper echelons of all time quarterbacks. Not a big man by NFL standards, or indeed an especially athletic one, his accuracy and timing was near-perfect during his entire career.

Maybe there is some recency bias here, but we believe Mahomes has a chance to finish his career as the greatest to ever play the sport. Even this season, which is considered a down year by many, he is eighth in the NFL in EPA/Play, per NFELO. His 5,097 yard, 50 touchdown 2018 season may be the best a QB has ever played.

Who else but Brady? Touchdown Tom owns just about every passing record there is to own in NFL history, and his seven Super Bowl rings are more than any franchise. You only had to watch him play a quarter to know you were witnessing greatness. Until his final year and subsequent retirement, there is a solid argument Brady got better with age, too, which is a scary thought.

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