Who are your top ten NFL quarterbacks of all time?

Since I've started following football (~1980) I would put Joe Montana first followed by John Elway. However, I would hear the arguement for puting Elway first. Tom Brady is in the discussion somewhere. I mean the Dude does have 3 SB wins and narrowly missed #4.

Peyton has some nice stats, but he needs more hardware.
There's a lot to like about Brett Favre, but he too needs more hardware.
Jim Kelley is underrated and maybe he S/B, but getting to 4 straight SB means something.
Kurt Warner deserves mention. He's got playoff wins and 3 SB appearances for franchises that did little before he there.

I have watched a lot of Staubach, Bradshaw, and Fran Tarkenton. Fran is without a doubt the QB I watched enjoyed playing more than any other.
 
I won't say all time, just my time. And this is if I needed one guy to win one game

1. Elway in his prime could hurt you with his legs and arm
2. Manning seems like the smartest QB I have ever seen
3. Montana; didnt like the 49ers but he won 4 Superbowls, with great talent aroujnd him
4. Brady is like a surgeon
5. Favre is a gutty game, but risky
6. Marino; huge arm, smart guy, not great talent around him
7. Staubach; just loved Roger the Dodger...my all time fav NFL player
8. Kurt Warner; takes two moribund franchises to Super Bowl

I think Bradshaw was mostly a product of one of the greatest defenses to ever play the game.
 
JonDMiller said:
I won't say all time, just my time. And this is if I needed one guy to win one game

1. Elway in his prime could hurt you with his legs and arm
2. Manning seems like the smartest QB I have ever seen
3. Montana; didnt like the 49ers but he won 4 Superbowls, with great talent aroujnd him
4. Brady is like a surgeon
5. Favre is a gutty game, but risky
6. Marino; huge arm, smart guy, not great talent around him
7. Staubach; just loved Roger the Dodger...my all time fav NFL player
8. Kurt Warner; takes two moribund franchises to Super Bowl

I think Bradshaw was mostly a product of one of the greatest defenses to ever play the game.
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Manning number 2 if you have to win one game? Based on what, the regular season?

Marino and Smart are two words I never thought would be used in the same sentence except if the word 'not' was included.

Bradshaw the 'prduct of a great defense' baffles me. I know their D was great, but if that's all it took was a 'great defense' then why didn't the Bears of the mid 80's win more than one SB or the Raven's of 00's? Why, because they didn't have great QB play. If you recall some of Bradshaw's best games came in big games.
 
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JonDMiller said:
I won't say all time, just my time. And this is if I needed one guy to win one game

1. Elway in his prime could hurt you with his legs and arm
2. Manning seems like the smartest QB I have ever seen
3. Montana; didnt like the 49ers but he won 4 Superbowls, with great talent aroujnd him
4. Brady is like a surgeon
5. Favre is a gutty game, but risky
6. Marino; huge arm, smart guy, not great talent around him
7. Staubach; just loved Roger the Dodger...my all time fav NFL player
8. Kurt Warner; takes two moribund franchises to Super Bowl

I think Bradshaw was mostly a product of one of the greatest defenses to ever play the game.
Click to expand...

I generally agree with this list. I'd have to throw Bradshaw in the top 10...he made big plays in big games. Unitas belongs in there too. Fouts can't be ignored either and Brees is making a push for inclusion.

I don't put as much weight on the "hardware" argument. Teams win championships, not individuals. But some individuals are so indispensable to their team winning (Montana, Warner, Staubach) that you can safely say that their team won because of them. I'd include Elway in that except for the empirical evidence named Terrell Davis which argues otherwise.
 
Since 1980:

1 (tie). John Elway/Joe Montana--Montana was jettisoned late in his career in favor of youth, so that's a knock against him (though Steve Young was a HOFer), but Elway lost 3 Super Bowls before being helped significantly by an awesome running game.
3. Dan Marino--The best passer ever was hampered by a lack of a running game. If Ricky Williams had landed in Miami a decade sooner, Marino would have had a ring.
4. Tom Brady--I hate him with a passion, but he is steady as a rock. He has the prototype footwork for an NFL QB. He's been a winner since day 1, but the defense hasn't been as good lately. He could move up on this list.
5. Brett Favre--He struggled with interceptions throughout his career, but he was scintillating to watch. Favre was as talented as they come, but I will always feel like he should have won more.
6. Peyton Manning
7. Jim Kelly
8. Kurt Warner
9. Steve Young
10. Troy Aikman

Special Mention for pre-1980 guys: Otto Graham, Johnny Unitas, Roger Staubach, and Terry Bradshaw.
 
JonDMiller said:
I won't say all time, just my time. And this is if I needed one guy to win one game

1. Elway in his prime could hurt you with his legs and arm
2. Manning seems like the smartest QB I have ever seen
3. Montana; didnt like the 49ers but he won 4 Superbowls, with great talent aroujnd him
4. Brady is like a surgeon
5. Favre is a gutty game, but risky
6. Marino; huge arm, smart guy, not great talent around him
7. Staubach; just loved Roger the Dodger...my all time fav NFL player
8. Kurt Warner; takes two moribund franchises to Super Bowl

I think Bradshaw was mostly a product of one of the greatest defenses to ever play the game.
Click to expand...

I dont see any way you can have Manning above Montana. Montana has 4 rings - talent around him or not, that is the trump card in my book. Other than that i agree with this list for the most part
 
busabus114 said:
I dont see any way you can have Manning above Montana. Montana has 4 rings - talent around him or not, that is the trump card in my book. Other than that i agree with this list for the most part
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I agree on Montana. His first Super Bowl, he had no Rice, no Taylor, no Craig, etc. on offense. Dwight Clark and Freddie Solomon were the WRs and the RBs were non-descript. (Note - I am a Cowboys fan, so this hurts to type). I think Montana is the type of QB that made everyone around him better and didn't make mistakes. Manning has the physical tools, but not everything that makes the best QB.
 
HawkFantastic said:
Manning number 2 if you have to win one game? Based on what, the regular season?

Marino and Smart are two words I never thought would be used in the same sentence except if the word 'not' was included.

Bradshaw the 'prduct of a great defense' baffles me. I know their D was great, but if that's all it took was a 'great defense' then why didn't the Bears of the mid 80's win more than one SB or the Raven's of 00's? Why, because they didn't have great QB play. If you recall some of Bradshaw's best games came in big games.
Click to expand...
I agree on Bradshaw as well. Sure, he had a great defense around him, but not all of the SBs were won with defense. Check the stats in SBs XIII and XIV (he was the MVP of both):

XIII = 17 of 30 for 318 yards (then the record) with 4 TDs
XIV = 309 yds and 2 TDs (with the 2 long passes to take the lead)

Also, one of the reasons that the Steelers didn't 3-peat was an injury to Bradshaw. The defense was still there, but they couldn't get it done without Bradshaw at the top of his game.
 
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Well I don't go by hardware simply because it is a team game and the QB does not control defense or special teams.

1. Payton Manning
2. Brett Favre
3 Dan Marino
4. Joe Montana
5. Tom Brady
6. John Elway
7. Johnny Unitas
8. Troy Aikman
9. Ken Stabler
10.Dan Fouts.

Can't remember anyone else and I have no stats to back up any.. these are just guys I would not mind qb of my team.. I am Bears Fan.. wish they had one I could put on my list.. lol
 
I'll compile my own list later on tonight, but I didn't see Warren Moon listed anywhere on anyone's list. He and Marino are the two greatest modern QBs without a Super Bowl title. I'd have Moon higher than Jim Kelly on my list.
 
1.Joe Montana- 4 Super Bowl rings- nuff said
2.Bart Starr- 5 NFL titles pre Super Bowls + 2 Super Bowl Rings
3.John Elway-2 Super Bowl Rings + 3 Super Bowl losses
4.Tom Brady- 3-1 in Super Bowls
5.Brett Favre- 3 League MVPs 1-1 in Super Bowls
6.Johnny Unitas 4 League MVPs 1-1 in Super Bowls
7.Roger Staubach-2-2 in Super Bowls
8.Peyton Manning
9.Dan Marino
10.Otto Graham
 
In my book Johnny Unitas is hands down the all-time best pro QB. The circumstances he played under is a factor in making him my first pick. Plays did not come from the sideline, but were called by the QB. There wasn't a fraction of the technology available for him to use to counter the defense.

Peyton Manning is the closest of anyone to Unitas in talent and ability.

One guy that gets overlooked is Jim Kelly of Buffalo. He took the Bills to the Super Bowl four times. I'm not sure he is my top five, but he should be considered.
 
1) Joe Montana
2) John Unitas
3) John Elway
4) Dan Marino
5) Brett Favre
6) Tom Brady
7) Roger Staubach
8) Peyton Manning
9) Kurt Warner
10) Fran Tarkenton
 
1. Montana
2. Elway
3. Manning
4. Brady
5. Favre
6. Marino
7. Aikman
8. Unitas
9. Staubach
10. Warner
 
I'm glad to see that Johnny Unitas finally got mentioned on this thread. It is unconscionable to me that any list of all-time greats at the QB position would not include Unitas. Now that my Unitas "no respect" rant is done, here's my list, with the caveat ala Jon, in my time of watching/following football, which would cover the past 45 years or so.

Johnny Unitas

Bart Starr

Kenny Stabler

Len Dawson

Darryl Lamonica

Brett Favre

Kurt Warner

John Brodie

Peyton Manning

Roger Staubach
 
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