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

The 1970s Raiders were some of the best teams of that era. Usually, when a great team has a great quarterback leading them to championships, he gets all the recognition. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case for Ken Stabler. For years, Stabler was considered one of the best names left outside the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Then, he passed away in 2015. The very next year, he was voted into the Hall of Fame. It’s terrible that this is how it played out, and he couldn’t experience his own induction, but it’s great he finally got to the place he deserves to be.

Stabler had an interesting career, changing his playing style throughout. At times, he was the most accurate quarterback in the league (leading the league in passing efficiency twice), and at other times, he was a big-play maker (leading the league in average yards per attempt in 1976). He was an MVP in 1974, throwing for 26 touchdowns and winning 11 of the 13 games he started.

This was a great playoff performer, similar to how we see Brady now. He made five straight AFC Championship Game appearances starting in 1973. Only Brady has been to more in a row.

After leaving Oakland, things took a turn for Stabler. With the Houston Oilers, he was asked to do more than his aging body could handle. He threw way too many interceptions and tried to hold onto the end of his career with the New Orleans Saints. Those terrible final four years are the reason Stabler was never able to live through his Hall of Fame induction. It shouldn’t change how we look at his impact on the game and position as a whole.