NFL all-time quarterback rankings: Who is the best?

Before the Packers pulled the ultimate steal by going from Favre to Rodgers, the San Francisco 49ers beat them to the punch. After 14 seasons of Joe Montana making the franchise relevant, Steve Young jumped in and kept the momentum going.

The prototypical quarterback of today’s game, Young was patient zero. He excelled in the pocket,  was mobile under pressure, shined with the deep ball and was consistent in picking up first downs. There wasn’t anything Young couldn’t do with a ball in his hands. Because of it, the 49ers won often and plenty.

It took fives year out in the bay for him to become the starter, but once there, it was his position to own. Fans went from cheering on Montana to making Young the next great name under center. And thanks to smart coaching from George Seifert, Young led the 49ers to another championship to make it five total.

Young began his career with the Los Angeles Express in the debunked USFL. He ended it with two MVPs, three All-Pro nods and currently has the second-highest passer rating among retired players. Not a bad career for someone who began it backing up perhaps the greatest to ever do it.

The game that now relies heavily on passing in today’s league might never have been born without Johnny Unitas’ contributions. And the only reason he isn’t higher on this list is that the stats lean in favor of other talents.

Much of what you see in the aerial attack today can be attributed to Unitas’ skills. His quick-passing tempo is now known as the two-minute drill. His ability to command the awareness of a moving clock now is a key used by every great quarterback in the game today. Then there’s passing in general, something rarely used back in the mid 1950s’.

Unitas led the Baltimore Colts to back-to-back championships in his third and fourth seasons. He also would help them pick up a championship title and a win in Super Bowl V during the 1970 season.

Simply put, Unitas is the reason the NFL is where it’s at today.