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March Madness bracket: Who’s the greatest all-time NFL quarterback?

By John Buhler

Sep 10, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) greet each other on the field following the game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 10, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) greet each other on the field following the game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports /
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January 7, 2017; Seattle, WA, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) throws against the Seattle Seahawks during the first half in the NFC Wild Card playoff football game at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
January 7, 2017; Seattle, WA, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) throws against the Seattle Seahawks during the first half in the NFC Wild Card playoff football game at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

Akili Smith Region

Sammy Baugh is the godfather of the modern position of quarterback. The NFL looks totally different without him laying the foundation with the Washington Redskins. Though he never lived up to his potential coming out of Penn State, Kerry Collins definitely had his moments with the Panthers, Giants, and Titans.

This is a matchup between two former California signal callers that eventually became franchise favorites in their respective cities. John Elway dominated the AFC with the Denver Broncos. Steve Bartkowski was never afraid to sling it for the Atlanta Falcons.

Right-handedness need not apply in this matchup. 1990s, eat your heart out. We’ve got Steve Young of the San Francisco 49ers versus Mark Brunell of the Jacksonville Jaguars. How did the 49ers and Jaguars never meet in a Super Bowl in the late 1990s?

In this matchup, we’ve got one of the earliest legends of the Super Bowl era in Bart Starr and a strong-armed signal caller that was ultimately replaced by a legend in Drew Bledsoe. Just two blue-chip football talents in this game.

Get your popcorn ready. This is a must-see matchup. Arguably the most talented quarterback in NFL history in Aaron Rodgers going against the most physically gifted quarterback ever in Michael Vick. This is why No. 5 vs. No. 12 matchups are so compelling in the tournament to begin with.

The most prolific passer of his era in Dan Fouts of the San Diego Chargers will go up against the strongest arm in the NFL today in Matthew Stafford of the Detroit Lions. From a pure passing standpoint, could this match go any more vertical?

Len Dawson led the Kansas City Chiefs to their only Super Bowl title in franchise history. He’ll go up against Donovan McNabb, one of two Philadelphia signal callers to lead the Eagles to a Super Bowl. Expect a conservative, methodical approach to quarterbacking in this first-round game.

If this is the NFL Playoffs, look no further than two of the greatest postseason quarterbacks in NFL history. Both went No. 1 overall in their respective NFL drafts. Jim Plunkett won two Super Bowls with the Raiders. Eli Manning has captured two with the Giants.

Tony Romo
Jan 1, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) passes the ball against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

Kelly Stouffer Region

The No. 1 vs. No. 16 game in the Kelly Stouffer Region will feature the greatest quarterback of his time in Johnny Unitas of the Baltimore Colts versus the short, but promising career of Neil Lomax of the St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals.

This matchup definitely has an old-school flair to it. Otto Graham won so many NFL Championships quarterbacking the Cleveland Browns. Bert Jones carved out a nice niche in the NFL taking over the quarterbacking duties in Baltimore post-Unitas before injury struck him down.

Age was never as issue with these two. Warren Moon got a late start in the NFL, but certainly made up for it with his unbelievable quarterbacking abilities. Rich Gannon was an NFL MVP quarterbacking the Oakland Raiders in his mid-to-late 30s.

This matchup features two quarterbacks that had great poise in commanding the huddle. Troy Aikman was the Dallas Cowboys’ biggest star during the Triplets era. Trent Green was good for the Washington Redskins, but had his best years quarterbacking in Kansas City.

Kurt Warner took two long-forgotten NFC franchises to the Super Bowl. Joe Theismann won a Super Bowl with the Redskins before Lawrence Taylor destroyed his leg.

This first-round matchup features the greatest quarterback in franchise history for both the Bills and the Cardinals. Jim Kelly led the Bills to four straight Super Bowls in the 1990s. Jim Hart was a model of consistency in St. Louis for so many years.

These two are arguably the best quarterbacks in their respective franchise’s history. Bobby Layne was outstanding for the Detroit Lions in the pre-Super Bowl era. Ken Anderson led Cincinnati to its first Super Bowl in the early 1980s. That team could have beaten the San Francisco 49ers.

We’ve got two crown jewels from the NFC East. Both are borderline Hall of Famers in their own right. How would Tony Romo perform against Phil Simms in a win-or-go-home scenario on the field?

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