30 greatest NFL QBs of all time: Where does Patrick Mahomes rank now?

Here’s another controversial take for his position, but it feels very similar to Big Ben. Troy Aikman was on one of the best teams in the NFL. This isn’t trying to disparage what he did. Troy Aikman was one of the greats of the 90s, but it was a weird era. It was right before the true boom of quarterback play. He also saw his career cut short by concussions, and that severely impacted his stats.

Still, those stats on paper are severely unimpressive. He ranks 78th all time in touchdown passes, oddly one behind current Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. His close to 33,000 yards passing ranks him 44th all time. This is behind names like Tony Romo and Ryan Tannehill. We know it is a different era, but it is not a great look to be where he is in the all-time ranks.

This is all to say that Aikman still was the right player in the right place at the right time. It takes a certain type of player to take a backseat when it’s necessary. Emmitt Smith is one of the best of all time at running back, and Aikman knew that handing him the ball was their best chance at winning. When necessary, he could turn it on.

Aikman played in three Super Bowls and only threw one interception. He actually threw for four touchdowns and no interceptions against the Buffalo Bills in his first Super Bowl appearance. He played it safe and won championships. We celebrate winning, and Aikman deserves his flowers for that.