Best Quartbacks in NFL History Tier List

[DallasEast]

Probably in 4 or 5, it starts to get muddled after those 3. But my point is he’s likely a tier 3 QB if Dallas had him, or Pittsburgh or Denver

Fouts' talent automatically slots him above any subjective 'tier 4'. Any assessment placing him below 'tier 3' should suggest 'Dan Fouts and the [fill in the season] San Diego Chargers' if its evaluation process includes the player's team to bolster or diminish the quarterback's individual talent.

 

[Diehardblues]

Otto Graham's career QB rating was 86.6... and he played in the 1950s!!!! when defenses could mug the living heck out WRs. Troy Aikman's career QB rating playing 30 years later was 5 points less at 81.6.

Otto Graham had 5 seasons where his QB rating was above 90 and two seasons where his QB rating was above 100. Troy Aikman had exactly 1 season where his QB rating was above 90.

Otto Graham was a 7 time 1st Team All Pro QB, I don't think Aikman was ever a 1st team Pro.

I think Aikman was great however to say in no universe was Otto Graham better than Aikman just doesn't jive with reality.

I’m not sure any QB of any era besides possibly Brady dominated their era like Otto did. Truly one of the greatest to ever play.

QB in this pass happy era with all of the protection they receive with new rules truly have benefited and in many cases over rated .

 

[perrykemp]

I wish they would actually rank these in terms of skill and not just in terms of how you did in your era of competition.

Otto Graham?
Joe Namath?
Sid Luckman?
N.V. Brocklin?
Sammy Baugh?

They should be their own lists. There's back ups in the NFL today that would dominate in their time periods.
.

Who is to say that the guys you listed above wouldn't be great today with modern training, modern coaching, and modern sports medicine extending their careers?

 

[Aerolithe_Lion]

Fouts' talent automatically slots him above any subjective 'tier 4'. Any assessment placing him below 'tier 3' should suggest 'Dan Fouts and the [fill in the season] San Diego Chargers' if its evaluation process includes the player's team to bolster or diminish the quarterback's individual talent.

Well it also depends on how you define a tier, as that’s just as subjective as defining the players themselves.

Someone could say Tom is Tier 1, Montana the only tier 2, Manning the only tier 3, etc, and his tiers aren’t arbitrarily wrong. So there are many ways where Fouts even with rings wouldn’t get any higher than a subjective tier 4

I have Fouts tier 4 because he played many of the tier 1, 2, and 3 QBs in their primes, and they all routinely looked superior to him. I never felt He was on Marino’s level, or Elway, or Montana, or even Elway. Part of that is how the team around him played, but in football all players are hampered or elevated by their teammates.

 

[Diehardblues]

Fouts' talent automatically slots him above any subjective 'tier 4'. Any assessment placing him below 'tier 3' should suggest 'Dan Fouts and the [fill in the season] San Diego Chargers' if its evaluation process includes the player's team to bolster or diminish the quarterback's individual talent.

Yea, throw in a couple Rings and Fouts is possible tier 1 or 2 easily. That’s where these rankings and measurements by fans often fail.

Fortunately the HOF doesn’t rank them.

 

[conner01]

That is one of the poorest attempts at ranking QB's I've ever seen. Whomever did this should have their football card taken away.

It appears way too much emphasis on SB for a team sport
Eli is not an all time great QB to me but he will get into the HOF because he got a ring.

 

[Diehardblues]

Who is to say that the guys you listed above wouldn't be great today with modern training, modern coaching, and modern sports medicine extending their careers?

All you can be is the greatest of your era. Any comparisons outside of that is going to be flawed .

 

[DallasEast]

Well it also depends on how you define a tier, as that’s just as subjective as defining the players themselves.

Someone could say Tom is Tier 1, Montana tier 2, Manning tier 3, etc, and his tiers aren’t arbitrarily wrong. So there are many ways where Fouts even with rings wouldn’t get any higher than a subjective tier 4

Dang. Fouts went downhill fast since I watched him play.

Okay. I'm done.

@Hawkeye0202, please post the link to the image in a reply to this message. I will modify the OP with it so the thread remains unlocked. Thanks.

 

[Ring Leader]

Hate to say it but Brady should be alone in tier 1 and Otto alone in tier 2.

 

[Diehardblues]

My grandfather often said Sammy Baugh was greatest athlete and QB he ever saw play . Grandpa lived until 1988.

My father said Unitas was greatest QB he ever saw . He had the pleasure of seeing him perform in person as well .

Discounting these greats from former eras is a disservice to the eras they played in without all of the technology and rule changes not to mention the type of field they played on and conditions .

All the while just being a part time gig.

I wrote my first paper in school on Jim Thorpe . And I still believe he’s the greatest athlete in American History.

 

[conner01]

Where do y’all find this stuff. Can just anybody do their own ranking? At least this joker found bubble gum pics of the QB’s.

Ya got ya choice of Aikman, Staubach or E. Manning. Who ya gonna call?

It would be cool to have our own list from votes on this board. The problem would be most fans have never seen many of these players

 

[cowboyec]

top 3 qb's all-time:
1.roger staubach
2.troy aikman
3.don meredith
END

 

[conner01]

My grandfather often said Sammy Baugh was greatest athlete and QB he ever saw play . Grandpa lived until 1988.

My father said Unitas was greatest he ever saw . He had the pleasure of seeing him perform in person as well .

Discounting these greats from former eras is a disservice to the eras they played in without all of the technology and rule changes not to mention the type of field they played on and conditions .

All the while just being a part time gig.

I wrote my first paper in school on Jim Thorpe . And I still believe he’s the greatest athlete in American History.

It was a different game in those days and different rules. If todays athletes played by the rules they did when these guys played you’d have players die every year. These guys weren’t the athletes of today and as you said many had other jobs. They didn’t train year round, know what we know today about nutrition
The only way to really judge the players of those eras is against the other players of that era

 

[atlantacowboy]

Tier 1: Brady, Peyton, Montana

Brady has been successful longer due to advanced sports medicine, but he wasn’t a better player in his prime than either of those 2

Tier 2: Marino, Unitas, Elway, Young, Rodgers, Staubach

You can add in whichever pre-1960’s QBs you want, but that’s an impossible comparison

Tier 3: Brees, Baugh, Kelly, Favre, Starr, Mahomes, Warner, Bradshaw

Brees accomplished surprisingly little for how crazy his stats are. He’s Brett Favre with less turnovers.



Team results shouldn’t define an individual player, but thats the imperfect world we live in. Dan Fouts would be regarded very differently on these all time lists if he got drafted somewhere better than San Diego.

Fouts and Marino are definitely dinged for not having a ring but there is no question they are both among the all-time greats. I don't think Peyton was better than Marino, Steve Young or Elway. I've seen all of their careers.

Leading a team to the super bowl is a big part of a QBs legacy b/c playing QB is about making thousands of small decisions every game that add up. I discount Rodgers b/c he struggles in the playoffs. He should have more than one ring. I think he's Romo with a ring. He makes some bad decisions in crunch time. Brady on the other hand tends to make great decisions in crunch time. Thats why he's the GOAT. Its certainly not b/c he's the most talented QB that ever played the game.

 

[Diehardblues]

That is a "stone cold" fact about Namath! Dude's numbers were atrocious.

Yes, but in his prime no one could throw the ball like him. He truly towered over the league in passing for only 4 or 5 years.

Amazing back in the 60’s in those conditions and rules being the 1st QB in NFL history to throw for over 4,000 yards.

But once he lost his legs he was never an impact again. Fortunately the NFL recognized him more for his impact factor than overall achievements.

 

[quickccc]

My List:

1 Tom Brady
2 Peyton Manning
3 Joe Montana
4 Aaron Rodgers
5 Dan Marino
6 Drew Brees
7 Brett Favre
8 John Elway
9 Dan Fouts
10. Kurt Warner
11 Steve Young
12 Roger Staubach
13 Terry Bradshaw
14 Pat Mahomes
15 Ben Roethisber
16 Troy Aikman
17 Jim Kelly
18 Russell Wilson
19 Johnny Unitas *
20 Joe Namath *

 

[atlantacowboy]

Yes, but in his prime no one could throw the ball like him. He truly towered over the league in passing for only 4 or 5 years.

Amazing back in the 60’s in those conditions and rules being the 1st QB in NFL history to throw for over 4,000 yards.

But once he lost his legs he was never an impact again. Fortunately the NFL recognized him more for his impact factor than overall achievements.

Namath falls into that category of player that the league could really market to the public. He had that persona and charisma which were absolutely seminal in growing the game. QB's back in the 60's and 70's didn't put up numbers by todays standards. Football was mostly a game for running backs. Don Coryell and Bill Walsh changed all that.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

Dang. Fouts went downhill fast since I watched him play.

Okay. I'm done.

@Hawkeye0202, please post the link to the image in a reply to this message. I will modify the OP with it so the thread remains unlocked. Thanks.

Honestly, I copied the image off my Facebook page but here's a link to SOG.......let me know if it's not allowed for future reference. Already noticed your post any image should have a link so that won't happen again.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2d0E10gvDxph8gD_hXRbuA

 

[Diehardblues]

It would be cool to have our own list from votes on this board. The problem would be most fans have never seen many of these players

The only ones I didn’t see play was Baugh , Luckman and Graham. But my father and grandfather spoke of them .

Fans always want to discount greatness from prior eras mainly cause they didn’t see them play. Watching highlights or reading stats can never describe the impacts they made on the game.

Sammy Baugh was like a super freak athlete of that era. Closet thing we’ve probably had this era to his athletic ability being able to play different positions is Deion.

 

[john van brocklin]

That was my 1st thought as well, what the hell is this based on.
Another useless opinion chart / list.

This is how the board rolls this time of year.
No hard core football news.
Wahhhhhhh!