Who Are the 10 Best NFL Quarterbacks of All Time?

Quarterbacks hold influential positions in NFL games. After decades of rule changes, playing style and talent, the pigskin tossers have left a permanent mark on football.

Defining greatness for the guys under center means measuring physical skills, mental acumen, and leadership qualities. Few NFL players achieve this and are attractive to bettors on 1win.

Key Metrics for Evaluating All-Time Performance 

Ranking the greatest quarterbacks involves the following criteria: 

• Statistics like passing yards, touchdowns, win-loss records, passer ratings and total QBR. 

• Post-season success, including Super Bowl wins, MVP awards and gaming performance.

• Longevity and durability

• Leadership and influence, like comeback ability and leadership in pressure moments. 

Influence of Era, Team and Rule Changes 

Evaluating quarterback eras is challenging. Early era quarterbacks played against restrictive defenses. Modern passing offenses and rule changes like pass interference affect how quarterbacks compare.

With no further ado, we present the top ten quarterbacks of all time.

1. Tom Brady: Longevity and Unmatched Success 

Tom Brady is the greatest of all time. After two decades, he won seven Super Bowls with durability and consistency. 

He performed during the playoffs and orchestrated late-game comebacks. Achievements include:

• Super Bowl wins: 7

• Super Bowl MVP awards: 5

• Career passing yards: 89,214

• Career passing touchdowns: 649

• Games won: 278

He is (or should be) the unquestioned G.O.A.T.

2. Joe Montana: Precision and Clutch Dominance 

Joe Montana gained fame with poise and precision. He won four Super Bowls, achieved three Super Bowl MVPs, and was one of the clutchest quarterbacks. Montana’s timing and rhythm passing in San Francisco defined an era. 

Called ‘Joe Cool’ for calmness and The Comeback Kid for his late-game heroics, he was the first three-time Super Bowl winner. He connected with Dwight Clark on one of the most famous plays in NFL history— The Catch.

3. Johnny Unitas: The Original Modern Passer 

Johnny Unitas invented modern quarterback play with 34 touchdowns in 1959. The three-time MVP is often credited as the author of the two-minute drill.

Known as Johnny U and the Golden Arm, he had on-field leadership, toughness and comebacks under pressure. His greatest game was the 1958 NFL Championship, leading the Baltimore Colts to a 23-17 overtime victory over the New York Giants.

One of college football’s highest quarterback honors is named after Unitas.

4. Peyton Manning: Intelligence and Consistency 

Peyton Manning was a cerebral quarterback, calling audibles and dissecting defenses at the line. He has the second-most playoff starts among quarterbacks in NFL history with 27 (Tom Brady, 48). Manning achieved impressive numbers, earning five MVP awards and two Super Bowl rings with the Colts and Broncos.

Manning featured football intelligence and charisma. In 2013, he set single-season records with 55 passing touchdowns and 5,477 passing yards.

5. Brett Favre: Toughness and Record-Breaking Career 

Brett Favre, with his gunslinger mentality, had a strong arm and the highest durability in league history. He threw more career interceptions than anyone else— but that just means he was a career risk-taker. Favre is second to Tom Brady in regular-season victories with 186.

Called the NFL’s Iron Man, he holds an NFL record 297 consecutive games started. He won three consecutive MVP awards from 1995-97 and was a Pro Bowler at age 40, even if one of his final interceptions was career-defining.

6. Aaron Rodgers: Efficiency and Game Management Mastery 

Right behind Favre at No. 6 is his successor, Aaron Rodgers.

Rodgers is known for making downright absurd throws into the tighest of windows. He had an incredibly high passer rating and an incredibly low interception rate. He used mobility, accuracy, and sharp decision-making to control games.

“The Bad Man”, as coined by Stephen A. Smith, is one of the NFL’s best leaders and clutch players, winning the NFL MVP award four times.

His lone Super Bowl victory is the subject of much “What if?” talk, as he was dealt the wrong defensive stack of cards in Green Bay year after year.

7. Drew Brees: Accuracy and Passing Milestones 

Drew Brees was an accurate passer with excellent ratings. He achieved 571 career touchdown passes and 80,358 career passing yards (both were second to, guess who— Tom Brady).

Brees excelled in high-volume passing offenses, winning countless shootouts in games where both teams scored north of 40 points.

He too, won a Super Bowl, was a 13-time Pro Bowler, and will more than likely be inducted into the Hall of Fame in his first try on the ballot.

8. John Elway: Leadership and Comeback Legacy 

A Denver Bronco for life, John Elway’s strong arm, mobility and attitude place him firmly in our top ten.

He orchestrated 31 comebacks (second most among quarterbacks playing 16 seasons or less) and culminated his career with a pair of Super Bowls after losing three early on.

9. Dan Marino: Pure Arm Talent and Offensive Revolution 

Dan Marino never won a Super Bowl.

Yet he changed the passing game with his great arm and velocity as a prolific passer despite tough defenses.

Marino’s style influenced modern, pass-first NFL offenses. In his second professional season at the ripe age of 22, he set then-single-season NFL records of 5,084 passing yards and 48 touchdowns.

10. Patrick Mahomes: Redefining the Modern Quarterback 

Patrick Mahomes quickly gained fame as a dynamic quarterback with an elite arm, creativity and athleticism.

He’s the youngest player in our top ten, but he’s earned his spot.

• 3 Super Bowl wins in 5 tries (across the last 6 seasons!)

• 2 MVPs

• 6 straight Pro Bowl selections from 2018-23

• Fastest player in NFL history to reach 35,000 career passing yards

Honorable Mentions Beyond the Top 10 

Steve Young, Roger Staubach and Terry Bradshaw 

• Steve Young is an efficient passer with dual-threat ability and played in a Super Bowl-winning 49ers team. 

• Roger Staubach is Captain Comeback, leading teams with late-game heroics. 

• Terry Bradshaw was a four-time Super Bowl champion with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1970s. 

Emerging Talents Shaping the Next Generation

Active quarterbacks like Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson may enter the top ten at some point in their careers— getting past Mahomes in the AFC playoffs would be a start. 

The Evolving Role of the Quarterback in the NFL 

Quarterbacks have improved from the 1950s to today’s NFL players.

The play-callers used to rely on pocket passing. Unitas, Montana and Manning are icons in that regard. Many new-generation QBs like Mahomes and Jackson are more mobile, throwing on the run and extending plays. 

Modern games have pass-heavy schemes inflating passing statistics, giving quarterbacks tons of opportunities. Rules concerning offenses were changed, including pass interference, protecting quarterbacks, and defensive contact. 

This list may very well change by the end of the decade. Who is in your top ten?

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