Top 10 Best Quarterbacks of All Time in NFL History

Who is the best quarterback of all time? This question is not new but comes up countless times after every NFL season. You may have heard people talk about the top 1, top 2, or top 3 positions. What about the rest? Who is the greatest QB of all time?

That’s when this question becomes more complex and requires more data to process. According to the latest NFL stats, Scott Fujita will give you an accurate ranking of the best quarterbacks of all time. Let’s dive into the article below!

Best QBs of all time

Top 10 Best Quarterbacks of All Time in NFL Record 

Who is the greatest quarterback of all time? The best NFL QB of all time is Tom Brady. Below are the top 10 quarterbacks of all time, according to NFL stats. 

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1. Tom Brady

• Team: New England Patriots, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• NFL championships: Seven Super Bowl rings
• Honors: 14-time Pro Bowl, 3-time MVP.

Brady 

At first, no one would have thought that Brady would have such a brilliant career as he only finished 199th place in the 2000 NFL Draft.

During his 18 years with the New England Patriots, he led the NFL team to 17 division titles, six world championships. He is a nine-time Pro Bowler.

While coming with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Brady led the NFL team to Super Bowl LV won. He achieved 5th Super Bowl MVP honors.

Brady has participated in many Super Bowls (10 times), and 7 Super Bowl wins.

He won three NFL MVP Awards in 2007, 2010, and 2017. In addition, he also won 14 Pro Bowl invitations and five All-Pro selections.

Brady becomes the greatest quarterback of all time in NFL history. In his career records, he has played in 264 games. He holds second place in terms of passing touchdown percentage at 79,204. At the same time, no one in history has surpassed the record 581 passing touchdowns.

This video recaps Brady’s exploits during his illustrious quarterback career.

2. Joe Montana (Joe Cool)

• Team: San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs. 

• NFL championships: Four Super Bowl victories.

• Honors: 8-time Pro Bowl, 2-time MVP, Hall of Fame.

Joe Montana 

Montana is no.2 in the top 10 qbs of all time in the NFL seasons. 

Before being “usurped” by Tom Brady, Joe Montana was the best QB of all time in NFL history.

During his football career, Joe Montana had Super Bowl titles. He also had the most passes thrown without an interception, with 122 in only four games.

View more about Josh Allen

In 3 Super Bowl MVP selections, he was only “beaten” by Tom Brady. However, he had a stellar career earning two NFL MVP honors in the 1989 and 1990 seasons.

He also received eight nominations for the Pro Bowl and five nominations for the All-Pro.

Montana is an example of composure and bravery. He always keeps his spirit of steel and overcomes the most difficult situations. The legacy of feats that Joe Montana left behind is still a monument that many NFL players are aiming for. 

The playoff quarterback decided to retire in 1994 after serving the Kansas City Chiefs for the last two seasons. He was “inducted” to the 2000 Pro Football Hall of Fame.

3. Peyton Manning

• Team: Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos.

• NFL championships: two NFL championships.

• Honors: 14-time Pro Bowl, 5-time MVP, Hall of Fame.

Peyton Manning 

Since the 1998 NFL Draft, Peyton Manning has received a lot of attention from the audience and the clubs. During his 17 years playing for the Colts and the Broncos, Peyton Manning won 5 NFL MVP titles. It is a record number for any NFL player.

He’s gone through 10 All-Pros and 14 Pro Bowls in league history.

Manning is one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time who holds the most records in NFL history for single seasons and careers.

He holds second place in the ranking for career wins (200). Manning won four Super Bowl rings. He also achieved MVP by leading the Colts to victory over the Bears in Super Bowl XLI.

Peyton Manning has the epitome of a football prodigy. He has a very high football IQ. Manning always works hard and leaves a positive image of a great personality, whether in or off the field. He can go into the 2022 Pro Football Hall of Fame.

4. Johnny Unitas

• Team: Baltimore Colts and San Diego Chargers.

• NFL championships: Three-time Super Bowl ring.

• Honors: 10-time Pro Bowl, 3-time MVP, Hall of Fame.

Johnny Unitas 

Johnny Unitas was the iconic quarterback of his era. To this day, young NFL players are still following his example. His career was mainly devoted to the Baltimore Colts. It included a three-time NFL championship and a 5th Super Bowl victory.

Johnny Unitas earned four-time NFL MVP and 10-time Pro Bowls in his 18-year-career.

5. Otto Graham

• Team: Cleveland Browns.

• NFL championships: Three super bowl victories.

• Honors: 5-time Pro Bowl, Hall of Fame.

Otto Graham 

Automatic Otto is one of the top 5 QBs of all time in Super Bowl history. He won three NFL championships and four AAFC championships when playing for the Cleveland Browns during his career. He earned NFL MVP three times and MVP award two purple.

Otto Graham was “nominated” for All-Pro 7 times and Pro Bowler 5 times. Otto Graham was the most prolific passer in the Super Bowl era.

He is the holder of the highest QB passer rating of 86.6 until Montana’s retirement in 1994.

Graham led the NFL in passing yards per attempt of 9.0 in NFL history.

He rushed for 44 touchdown passes in his 10-year career. Otto was “inducted” into the 1965 Pro Football Hall of Fame.

6. Drew Brees

• Team: San Diego Chargers and New Orleans Saints.

• NFL championships: One Super Bowl title.

• Honors: 13-time Pro Bowl.

Drew Brees

Drew Brees enjoyed a successful five-year career with the San Diego Chargers. After that, he officially joined the New Orleans Saints and began his era.

Brees led the New Orleans Saints to their one and only XLIV Super Bowl victory in 2009. He earned MVP honors in that season.

He is the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards of 80,358 and completions of 7,142. He ranked second all-time in touchdown passes of 571.

He recorded an all-time completion percentage of 67.7; 280 passing yards per game and 54 passing touchdowns.

Besides, Drew Brees is the fastest quarterback. He reached the 60,000 and 70,000 passing yard marks soonest. He also ranks fourth in career regular-season wins of 172.

7. Dan Marino

• Team: Miami Dolphins.

• NFL championships: 0.

• Honors: 9-time Pro Bowl, once MVP, Hall of Fame.

Dan Marino 

Dan Marino is the best quarterback of all time with no championship ring.

Dan Marino played for the Miami Dolphins and retired in 1999. He is one of NFL history’s leading time touchdown passes (420). 

He posted 61,361 passing yards and 4,967 completions. Throughout Marino’s career, he led the NFL in completion percentage six times. 

8. Roger Staubach

• Team: Dallas Cowboys.

• NFL championships: Two Super Bowls wins.

• Honors: 6-time Pro Bowl, Hall of Fame.

Roger Staubach 

Roger Staubach played in the quarterback position for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969 to 1979. 

Roger Staubach started the NFL Draft in 1964. He only really started his NFL career in 1969 after completing his military service.

He played four Super Bowls and had two Super Bowl victories. Roger Staubach led the NFL in passer rating four times in 1971,1973, 1978, and 1979. 

He was the first quarterback of four to win the Heisman Trophy and Super Bowl MVP. The rest is Marcus Allen, Desmond Howard, and Jim Plunkett.

9. John Elway

• Team: Denver Broncos.

• NFL championships: two Super Bowl titles.

• Honors: 9-time Pro Bowl, 1-time MVP, Hall of Fame.

People often consider John Elway as the quarterback with the most muscular arms. He ranks 10th in the top 10 NFL quarterbacks of all time at 51,475.

Elway is one of 13 quarterbacks to win both a Super Bowl and an MVP.

10. Aaron Rodgers

• Team: Green Bay Packers.

• NFL championships: Once won Super Bowls.

• Honors: 9-time Pro Bowl, 3-time MVP.

Other Best Qbs of All Time in NFL History

1. Sammy Baugh (Two Super Bowl wins).
2. Brett Favre.
3. Bart Starr.
4. Troy Aikman.
5. Steve Young.
6. Sid Luckman.
7. Terry Bradshaw.
8. Russell Wilson.
9. Ben Roethlisberger.
10. Kurt Warner.
11. Jim Kelly (only quarterback to lead his team to four consecutive Super Bowls in NFL history).
12. Warren Moon (Edmonton Eskimos team of Canadian Football League and Four NFL teams).
13. Fran Tarkenton.
14. Len Dawson.
15. Norm Van Brocklin.

Frequently Asked Questions

This section collects questions related to the topic of best QBs of all time in NFL records.

1. Who won the first championship in the NFL?

The first team to win the NFL championship is the Chicago Bears. 

2. Who won the most NFL titles?

The Green Bay Packers team has won the most NFL titles. They include 9 NFL championships and 4 Super Bowls. 

The Green Bay Packers team is the only NFL team to win the AFL-NFL World Championship game.

Final Thoughts

This list is valid for the time being. Figures and rankings are subject to change after each NFL season. Don’t forget to visit Scott Fujita often to catch the latest sports news.

Thank you for reading!