Who Was the Best QB in NFL History?
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It’s a question that has been debated for years, and there is no clear cut answer. However, we take a look at the stats and try to make a case for who we think was the best quarterback in NFL history.
Tom Brady
Tom Brady is the best quarterback in NFL history. He has led the New England Patriots to nine Super Bowl appearances, winning six of them. Brady has also been named the Super Bowl MVP four times. He is the all-time leader in passing yards and passing touchdowns.
His stats
In his first season as a starter, 2001, Brady took over for an injured Drew Bledsoe and led the Patriots to their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. He was named Super Bowl MVP after leading New England to a 20–17 victory over the heavily favored St. Louis Rams.
Since then, Brady has led the Patriots to nine more Super Bowl appearances, winning five of them. He is the only player in NFL history to win five Super Bowls and the only one to appear in ten. He has also won two league MVP awards and two Super Bowl MVP awards, making him the only player in NFL history to win four MVP awards.
His Super Bowl wins
Tom Brady has played in 10 Super Bowls, winning seven of them. He has been named the Super Bowl MVP five times, more than any other player in NFL history. He is also the oldest player to ever win a Super Bowl, at 41 years old.
Peyton Manning
His stats
Peyton Manning is a retired American football quarterback who played 18 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Indianapolis Colts. Considered to be one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time due to his numerous career achievements, he spent 14 seasons with the Colts and was a member of the Denver Broncos in his last four seasons. Manning is one of the NFL’s most famous and recognizable players, due to both his accomplishments and the number of commercials he has starred in.
His Super Bowl wins
Peyton Manning is a retired American football quarterback who played 18 seasons in the National Football League, primarily with the Indianapolis Colts. He is a five-time NFL Most Valuable Player and was the most valuable player of Super Bowl XLI, which was awarded to him after leading the Colts to victory over the Chicago Bears. During his tenure as the starting quarterback for the Colts, Manning helped turn the franchise into one of the most successful in NFL history.
In 2006, Manning led the Colts to their first Super Bowl victory in more than three decades, defeating the Bears 29-17. He was named Super Bowl MVP after completing 25 of 38 passes for 247 yards and a touchdown. The following year, he was once again named NFL MVP and led the Colts to a fourth consecutive playoff appearance. In 2009, he set an NFL record by throwing for 4,500 yards and 33 touchdowns en route to being named Super Bowl MVP for a second time after leading the Colts to a win over the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XLIV.
Drew Brees
The NFL has seen many great quarterbacks throughout its history, but none have been as consistently great as Drew Brees. Brees has been a top QB in the league for over a decade, and shows no signs of slowing down. He holds many NFL records, and is widely considered to be the best QB of all time.
His stats
In his 18 NFL seasons, Brees has completed 70.62 percent of his passes for 80,358 yards and 547 touchdowns with 234 interceptions. He has also rushed for 1,218 yards and 21 touchdowns.
His Super Bowl wins
In 2010, Brees led the Saints to their first Super Bowl victory in franchise history. He was named the Super Bowl MVP after completing 32 of 39 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns.
In 2012, Brees led the Saints to their second Super Bowl victory in franchise history. He was named the Super Bowl MVP after completing 26 of 39 passes for 363 yards and three touchdowns.
Joe Montana
His stats
Joe Montana’s touchdown-to-interception ratio was the best in NFL history. In his career, he threw for 3,409 yards and a touchdown on 539 attempts, for a QB rating of92.3. His interception percentage of 1.5% is the second-best in NFL history, behind only Tom Brady’s 1.4%.
His Super Bowl wins
Joe Montana won a total of four Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers, which is tied for the most ever by a quarterback. He was named the Super Bowl MVP a record three times, and he is the only player in NFL history to have done so. In addition, Montana holds Super Bowl records for most passes without an interception ( 122) and most consecutive completions in a game ( 10).
Johnny Unitas
Johnny Unitas was the best quarterback in NFL history. He was a ten-time Pro Bowl selection and a four-time First-team All-Pro. Unitas was the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 1959 and 1967. He was also the Super Bowl MVP in 1970. Unitas led the Baltimore Colts to three NFL Championships, including their upset victory over the New York Giants in Super Bowl V.
His stats
In his 18 NFL seasons, Unitas completed 2,830 of 5,186 passes for 40,239 yards and 290 touchdowns with 253 interceptions. He also rushed 353 times for 1,777 yards and scored 15 touchdowns. His career record as a starter was 118 wins, 64 losses and four ties. He was a three-time NFL MVP (1957, 1959, 1964) and a 10-time Pro Bowler.
His Super Bowl wins
The Baltimore Colts entered the Super Bowl era with a bang. In Super Bowl V, they won their first world championship in a 16-7 squeaker over the Dallas Cowboys. Johnny Unitas, who had been named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player three times in his career, was named the game’s MVP. It was a sweet victory for Unitas, who had been benched in favor of Earl Morrall during the Colts’ 1968 season, only to see Morrall lead the team to an 11-2-1 record and a spot in the Super Bowl.
