The perfect example of a quarterback that teams wouldn't use as their franchise guy because he didn't look like an NFL quarterback. for NFL news and in-depth analysis concerning the 2020 season and beyond. Tittle has everything he could possibly want on his resume as far as numbers, but his legacy is hurt somewhat by the lack of an NFL championship, despite the fact that the Giants appeared in three straight NFL title games from 1961-3 with Tittle at quarterback. "The Immobile One" was the No. Morrall started for injured Dolphins QB Bob Griese during the 1972 season for the Miami Dolphins and was part of the league's only undefeated team in history, though he was benched in favor of Griese during the team's playoff run. He quarterbacked the Patriots during the 1978 season, during which that Patriots team set a record for total team rushing yardage that still stands today (3,156 yards). Manning became the first to start two Super Bowls with multiple franchises, with different head coaches each time (Dungy, Caldwell, Fox, and Kubiak). He has stayed in the limelight over the years with various television and movie appearances. Even while serving as a lightning rod, Stabler led the NFL in passing touchdowns in 1974, his MVP season, and again in 1976; however, following a contract dispute, Stabler was traded to the Houston Oilers, where he played for two years before playing out the final three years of his career with the New Orleans Saints. The guy who replaced him in New England still plays QB there and you all remember him. A two-sport standout at Stanford, Elway spent a season in the New York Yankees' farm system before ultimately deciding to take his chances in the NFL. Copyright 2019-2023. Don't feel bad for Delhomme, however, as he has been extremely successful since retiring from the NFL. Along with Sid Luckman, "Slingin Sammy" was one of the first players to make the forward pass an integral part of how football was played. While Kelly never managed to win the big game, he is the only quarterback in NFL history to lead his team to four consecutive Super Bowls. Bert Jones was selected second overall in the 1973 NFL draft by the Baltimore Colts to be the eventual successor to all-everything QB Johnny Unitas, and he played at Memorial Stadium for eight seasons. Tyler Maas. He has opened up a Retro Fitness gym that has seemingly done very well since its debut in 2014. Before Cam Newton was the main man in Carolina, that role belonged to journeyman Jake Delhomme. I don't think too many people are going to argue this oneMontana is the closest thing you can get to a consensus No. MORE:Brady to Dolphins? Still, the Cardinals didn't make very many deep playoff runs during Hart's career, which hurts his ranking on this list. Sorry, you lose points. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005. He also holds several distinguished NFL records, and was a six-time Pro Bowler. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. In a nutshell, Favre has been everything you'd expect a great quarterback to be but nothing more. The former Heisman Trophy winner joined the Dallas Cowboys in 1969 at the age of 27, following a four-year tour of duty in Vietnam as an officer in the U.S. Navy. After a stellar career at the University of Florida, Rex Grossman entered the NFL as the #22 pick of the 2003 NFL Draft, being selected by the Chicago Bears. 19. Not one? Tommy Garrett is a writer for Pro Football Network covering the NFL and fantasy football. What Buccaneers QB has said about return for 24th NFL season, Four times Tom Brady has flipped out on coaches, teammates and tablets in 2022, Brady to Dolphins? Kolb wound up to be a total bust. If there was ever a quarterback that took way too much heat, it would be Donovan McNabb. However, at a certain point you just have to look around and realize, "hey who else can we justify putting ahead of this guy?". I am too young to have seen him in his prime, but the '98 season with Minnesotathe best in his careerwas enough to make me a believer. While Elway threw for over only 2,806 yards, he didnt need to do much more. This is because Kevin Kolb absolutely robbed the Arizona Cardinals when they traded for him and gave him a massive contract in hopes that he would be their next franchise quarterback. You know, I think what I really realized last year was you've got to be really sure to do that," he told Jim Gray, adding that the next time he decides to retire will be his last. The Kurt Warner story is one of those "feel good" moments when a guy who isn't supposed to be that good turns out to be even better than the starter. To be fair, he was injured in the 2000 AFC championship against the eventual champion Baltimore Ravens, but in 2002, Gannon had a Jake Delhomme-like performance, throwing five interceptions against the Bucs. Keep in mind that the only active players who rank highly on the countdown have enjoyed long and accomplished careers. 15 Forgotten NFL QBs Of The Last Decade: Where Are They Now. 86. When you compare the two players, Tarkenton retired as the leading passer AND rusher among quarterbacks. Aaron Brooks played his college ball at the University of Virginia, and when he entered the league as a fourth-round draft pick, he was initially backing up Brett Favre and Matt Hasselbeck. No one will ever confuse Joe Ferguson for Peyton Manning, but he was good enough to stick around from 1973 all the way until 1990. Taking statistical success as well as team accomplishments into consideration while acknowledging when they played, here are the 25 best quarterbacks in NFL history. Van Brocklin was surrounded by the likes of Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch as well as Tom Fears; to a certain extent it is surprising that the Rams only won one NFL title, losing to the Cleveland Browns in 1950 and then again in 1955. 26.1 career yards/game rushing average, 4th all time for QB. All I know is that I haven't heard one word about Orton since he left the NFL in 2014. Moon is also the only African-American quarterback enshrined in the Hall. According to Pro Football Reference, he spent most of his career with the Buffalo Bills, where he had five winning seasons in 12 years. His seven Super Bowl rings are not only the most by any player but also more than any franchise. Plunkett is also one of only four players (with Roger Staubach, Marcus Allen, and Desmond Howard) to win both the Heisman Trophy and the Super Bowl MVP award. Brooks played most of his career with the New Orleans Saintshe held most franchise passing records at the time of his retirement, though he also played for the Oakland Raiders. 13m ago. Separated by 18 years, Peyton Manning followed Elways path in retiring after winning a Super Bowl. Esiason played nine seasons of his career with the Bengals, from 1984-92 and then a final season in 1997. Despite the "phantom sack," Jim Everett does indeed appear on the countdown at No. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. His three Super Bowl MVP selections are surpassed only by Tom Brady. Whether that's true or not, his comments don't give the impression that a decision will be announced right after the end of the season. Of course, Warner got the last laugh when he returned to the SuperBowl in 2008 as a member of the Arizona Cardinals. After finishing his career at Auburn University, Campbell was drafted in the first round by the Washington Redskins in 2005. He's only 19th on the countdown because the leader of that team was probably "Mean Joe" Greene and the famous Steel Curtain defense, but the former No. ), but others are quickly forgotten about after leaving the spotlight of the NFL. It isn't necessarily something that the NFL likes to talk about, but it bears repeating. Bobby Layne was drafted by the Chicago Bears in 1948, but was behind both Sid Luckman and Johnny Lujack on the depth chart, so he refused to return to the team in 1949. 1 overall draft pick out of Ole Miss entered the NFL in the shadow of older brother Peyton Manning, but it wasn't long before Eli began paving his own way into the annals of. He retired in 1994 after spending his final two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. That task fell to Marc Bulger. Favre headlined the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2016. Go figure the only time a quarterback has won a Super Bowl and retired happened for the same franchise. 78.4% NFL career winning percentage, 2nd all time for QBs, 90% AFL career winning percentage, 1st all time for QBs. He played all the way through 1976 and promptly landed a gig at the University of Miami when he stopped playing. Having retired in the summer of 2021, according to the NFL, Drew Brees played in the National Football League as a quarterback for over 20 years, primarily with the New Orleans Saints. Clausen now spends his time with his family and raising his newborn son, Cooper Clausen. After seven years with the LA Rams, "Chris" finished up his career with the New Orleans Saints and San Diego Chargers. The Indianapolis Colts have the longest streak in NFL history for consecutive 12-win seasons, and the biggest reason for that has been the play of Manning. Collins' best asset is his tremendous longevity, and he's been a serviceable starter for his entire careermost recently when the Titans were 13-3 but lost to the Wild Card Baltimore Ravens as the No. When you watch highlight films from the 1970s, you see a lot of Terry Bradshaw. This list consists of 15 quarterbacks from the past decades that you wouldn't necessarily think of off the top of your head and check in to see what they are up to today. 1 overall pick in the draft out of UC Berkeley. That's fine, but if you look at the lack of playmakers he's had around him in his career, the reality is that he's produced at a high level for a long, long time. Starr was the face of the Packers franchise, and even if his stats aren't exactly eye-popping, the fact of the matter is- even if you call him a game manager. Since he served in World War Two, Conerlys career didnt start until he was 27 years old in 1948. He was replaced by Marc Bulger, who had enjoyed success in Warner's absence. He was the first minority quarterback to win a Super Bowl (he is Hispanic). Favre's iron man streak of 292 consecutive starts (and counting) is maybe his most recognizable number, and while he owns a number of great records (i.e. This was a matchup of strength vs. strength, also. The Bills are in the argument for unluckiest franchise in league history, and it starts with two words: "Wide Right." Not too many 13th round picks end up as NFL MVPs at some point, but that's just what Brian Sipe did. But it's just too early- try me again in five years. McNair's Titans did appear in one Super Bowl, which they lost to the "Greatest Show on Turf" when WR Kevin Dyson was famously stopped one yard short of what would have been a game tying touchdown to send the Super Bowl into overtime. Especially in light of the fact that he's basically proven that on a personal level, he's pretty much a douche bag. Exactly how high Rivers can climb is yet to be seen, but I'd guess he'll land in the top 25 so long as he adds an NFL title somewhere along the way. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. As a result, they ranked second in the NFL with 501 points and third in total offense with 6,276 yards. However, I've got him as the last man out of the top ten for a couple of reasons. He began his career with the 49ers before being selected in the 1967 expansion draft by a new expansion team, the New Orleans Saints. The 24-year-old was told that he should retire after suffering multiple concussions this past season with fears of future injuries and the Miami Dolphins have sent a clear message to the quarterback. Fouts never made it to the Super Bowl, which obviously hurts his overall stock to some degree, but his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993 speaks volumes. He ranks in the top 10 in career passing yards, touchdown passes, attempts and completions, as well as total offense. Allegedly, Layne put a curse on the Lions, saying that they would not win for 50 years. Warner retired before the 2010 season, and in his absence the Cardinals have NOBODY at quarterback, hence their 3-4 record. But don't forget how good Bulger was in his first couple seasons he put up legendary numbers. 4 NFL MVPs (2003, 2004, 2008, 2009) * = league record for most MVPs in modern era. Hoyer ended up appearing in six games with five starts that season, throwing for 1,445 yards with six. Byron Leftwich was selected with the #7 overall pick in the the 2003 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars and nearly immediately became the starter, even jumping David Garrard on the depth chart to do so. Like Brady Quinn, Leinart is actually a very likeable and knowledgeable football commentator. In addition to playing for the Seahawks, he spent time with the Tennessee Titans before finishing his career with the Indianapolis Colts as one of the oldest NFL quarterbacks to ever put on the pads. The Bungles couldn't do much beyond throw the ball, however, so much of Blake's efforts were wasted. The arguments about what Namath did for the game are all completely valid, and make him a lock to stay on this list so long as the NFL exists, though he will fall as time goes on- his stats really don't support his mythical status. Playing from 1994 until 2007, Mark Brunell originally got his start with the Green Bay Packers, being takenin the fifth round of the 1993 draft, according to Pro Football Reference. The last time I checked, Aikman has three Super Bowl rings. The first quarterback to start in Super Bowls with two different teams was Craig Morton, who appeared in the 1970 big game with the Dallas Cowboys and did the same in 1977 with the Denver Broncos. Brady hasn't said whether he plans to retire this offseason, but reports have indicated that he's open to a return. My opinions are not scientific, and while I have done a fair amount of research in putting this list together, I am 100 percent sure that no one else on this planet would have exactly the same list as mechiefly because not everyone will use my criteria. By 21st-century standards, Len Dawsons stats from the Pro Football Hall of Fame dont jump out at you, but hes one of the all-time greats to step on the field. However, they ran into a buzz saw in the form of the Seattle Seahawks with a final score of 43-8. What is really interesting about Dawson's career is that he was drafted in the first round by the Pittsburgh Steelers but never got a chance to play when the Steelers acquired Bobby Layne in a trade with Detroit. Although the business is very successful, Grossman has hinted at the idea that he may return to football in some coaching capacity. He will probably also be hurt by the perception that he was the guy that held back several really good Philadelphia Eagles teams; there are also people who feel like Brian Westbrook was the guy that made Philly's offense go during McNabb's tenure in Philadelphia. Warner had been struggling with staying healthy and Bulger was putting up huge offensive numbers, but it still seemed risky. He would spend all 16 seasons of his Hall of Fame career in Denver, where he would go on to play in five Super Bowls. Despite having some sporadic success in the NFL, especially with the 49ers in 2010, Smith failed to remain in the league and was forced to play in the Canadian Football League until he retired in 2014. Matt Hasselbeck, as many NFL fans know, is the Seattle Seahawks starting quarterback, and the guy is in the twilight of his career. Luckman's bio is pretty hilarious; despite the fact that he was given the chance to play professional football, he originally planned to decline the opportunity and work at a relative's TRUCKING COMPANY. Stabler's first major appearance in the public spotlight was in relief of an injured Daryle Lamonica in the 1972 playoff game between the Raiders and the Steelers. Montana was no slouch during the regular season either, earning NFL MVP honors in both 1989 and '90. Leftwich, commonly remembered for his collegiate game in which he played with a broken leg, showed promise in the NFL but could never put it all together. I digress). Earl Morrall, during his 21-year career, earned the title of "best backup QB" in NFL history; Morrall was part of three Super Bowl teams and led the Baltimore Colts into Super Bowl III at 13-1 where they were promptly upset by Joe Namath's Jets. Manning won the AFC West all four years he was in Denver, helping the Broncos reach two Super Bowls. Stabler, of course, was right in the middle of it. The longtime Indianapolis Colts QB joined the Denver Broncos in 2012 following his release from the team after drafting Andrew Luck. Brady's status as a clutch player wasn't undermined, but his legacy was, and instead of No. His Hall of Fame NFL career spanned 11 seasons, tallying a stellar 101-59 record with a career completion percentage of better than 60 percent. Like Bert Jones, it is sometimes difficult to figure out exactly how good Manning was simply because there was so little talent around him. The Lions, saying that they would not win for 50 years n't how. N'T use as their franchise guy because he did n't make very many deep runs. Bills are in the top ten for a couple of reasons left the NFL and Football... Yards, he 's basically proven that on a personal level, 's... Covering the NFL likes to talk about, but others are quickly Forgotten about after leaving the spotlight the! 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