Greatest NFL Quarterbacks of All Time

  1. Joe Montana
  2. Tom Brady
  3. Drew Brees
  4. Dan Marino
  5. Bart Starr
  6. Bob Griese
  7. Brett Favre
  8. John Elway
  9. Johnny Unitas
  10. Peyton Manning
  11. Roger Staubach
  12. Steve Young
  13. Joe Namath
  14. Fran Tarkenton
  15. Terry Bradshaw
  16. Phil Simms
  17. Dan Fouts
  18. Otto Graham
  19. Troy Aikmen
  20. Aaron Rodgers
  21. Kurt Warner
  22. Ben Roethlisberger
  23. Donovan McNabb
  24. Daunte Culpepper
  25. Jim Kelly
  26. Warren Moon
  27. Sammy Baugh
  28. George Blanda
  29. Len Dawson
  30. Sonny Jurgensen
  31. Bobby Layne
  32. Y.A. Tittle
  33. Jeff Hostetler
  34. Norm Van Brocklin
  35. Bob Waterfield
  36. Michael Vick
  37. Vinny Testeverde
Author Comments: 

Which ones am I missing? I'm basing my rankings on general greatness: their natural talent, their ability to win, and their leader/champion aura.

bart starr... sammy baugh... fran tarkenton... otto graham

i still think dan marino is the best qb of all time.

Here's a list of all the Hall of Fame quarterbacks of the modern era. You've covered many of them, but I think Bart Starr, Bob Griese and Fran Tarkenton deserve a place somewhere on your list.

Terry Bradshaw 1970-1983
Len Dawson 1957-1975
John Elway 1983-1998
Dan Fouts 1973-1987
Otto Graham 1946-1955
Bob Griese 1967-1980
Sonny Jurgensen 1957-1974
Jim Kelly 1986-1996
Bobby Layne 1948-1962
Dan Marino 1983-1999
Joe Montana 1979-1994
Joe Namath 1965-1977
Bart Starr 1956-1971
Roger Staubach 1969-1979
Fran Tarkenton 1961-1978
Y.A. Tittle 1948-1964
Johnny Unitas 1956-1973
Norm Van Brocklin 1949-1960
Bob Waterfield 1945-1952
Steve Young 1985-1999

i like ur list....but i have a few discrepencies. Michale Vick? whats his career passer rating? isnt it like 70? hes on of the most dangerous players in the league...but not even on of the best QBS. Kurt Warner? 2-3 good years before he hit the crapper. Jeff Hostetler? ok pal he had one good moment and was a decent NFL QB.Daunte Culpepper? only one good season...cud be gone from minnesota soon.Mcnabb....never won the big one and is the center of turmoil.Blanda was mostly a kicker pal...not a legendaary QB. a career backup with a few good moments here and there. Vinny testaverde? doesnt he own the record for most INT in a season.....where is drew bledsoe on this list. hes top ten every passing category, a known great locker room guy, consistent, doesnt lose games, just has a hard time winning big ones. kinda like mcnabb or manning. former top pick has no respect from u obviously but mike "70 rating" vick does. strange. vick is a bust as a QB. hes lived up to his esplosive better than a steve mcnair or kordell stewart was in the 90s as far as production. not even a good playoff QB.same with culpepper and mcnabb and manning. manning is great no doubt and deserves to be on this list and one day will be 1 on it. but think bout bledsoe on this list or even a mark brunell or a jim plunkett

Thanks for the great comments. I'm not an expert at stats and I'm too lazy to research them so I appreciate the insight. The criteria I use for this list is: natural talent, ability to win, and leader/champion aura. Statistics are definitely solid evidence of natural talent, but the ability to pull out a win is what separates the good from the great. The leader/champion aura is more subjective and gives the list more flexibility.

Of the specific names you mention, I like Bledsoe. I think he has been impressive with Dallas, but he needs to show he's a Super Bowl contender. Vick certainly may have been a premature addition to this list. Mark Brunell doesn't impress me as I never felt he had that presence to pull out a win in tight situations. Hostetler certainly should come down a bit. Testaverde has been possibly the most inconsistent quarterback in NFL history, but I think how long he has hung in there is pretty impressive. Kurt Warner peaked, was considered awesome, then just feel apart absolutely. McNabb has some incredible talent, but he is weak in being able to pull out a win in tight ones.

Perhaps not quite worthy of inclusion on your list, but a special mention to Archie Manning for respectable career numbers of his own and the fact he raised two damn fine quarterback sons, Peyton and Eli. Nice to see Bobby Layne on the list. Too often he's forgotten.

How you've got Griese in the top 5 I'll never know. Anybody interested in my top 25 can look at

I'd say you got the top 3 right and in the right order.

However based solely on victories, the top ten would be;
Favre (181 wins)
Elway (148 wins)
Marino (147)
Manning (131)
Tarkenton (124)
Unitas (118)
Montana (117)
Bradshaw (107)
Moon (102)
Kelly (101)

When you start looking at the number of titles they each one. Montana, of course, won all 4 Super Bowls he played in and NEVER threw an interception in any of those Super Bowls. Bradshaw also went 4-for-4 in Super Bowls. Bart Starr is the only NFL QB to win 3 titles in a row (1965-1967) and won five in 7 years. Aikman and Brady won 3 each and Brady is obviously not done yet.

But then you get to Otto Graham. Counting his four years in the AAFC, he led the Browns to a 105-17-4 record. The Browns won all four of the AAFC championships and went a perfect 15-0 in 1948. The Browns joined the NFL in 1950 and won the title. In Graham's 6 NFL seasons, Cleveland went to the tilte game 6 times, winning three. Overall, Graham played a total of ten years in the AAFC and NFL, took his team to the title game EVERY year he played and won seven.

camdensdaddy - I did look at your list and it's good one for sure. You obviously researched it and put the time in. However, Marino at Number 9 is totally unacceptable.

Number 9 is a joke and an assault on my sensibilities. Whereas, I understand it's all a matter of conjecture and this is your opinion, which you are undoubtedly entitled to. Plain and simple, you missed the point entirely.

Bradshaw - better than Marino? Not even on a good day! Bradshaw threw 212 TD's and 210 interceptions. I think you give him to much credit for those 4 Super Bowl victories. Then again, you probably see the logic in Lynn Swann being in the Hall of Fame and not Cris Carter - because Carter never won a championship. Swann caught 336 passes for 5462 and 51 TD's. Carter had 1,101 catches for 13,899 and 110 TD's and yet no Hall of Fame. Don't be one of those people who equate shining in the Super Bowl as a free pass to the Hall of Fame.

Bottom line - If you don't have Montana, Marino, and Favre as three of your top five then you, my friend, just don't get it.

most appearances by a qb in a super bowl plus top ten in all stats reg season and post season.2 super bowl victories. with no running game and un nameble recievers still 5 superbowl appearences and many play off victories!the best ever. his name is john elway!!!!!