The quarterback position is the most important not only in the NFL, but in all of professional sports. No position impacts the outcome of any given game more than the quarterback position. Given its importance, we decided to figure out who the best quarterback to represent each franchise is.
Coming up with answers isn't an exact science. A lot can be considered, from team success to accolades to pure talent and so much more. Without further ado, let's dive in.
Arizona Cardinals: Kurt Warner
What's amazing about Kurt Warner being the greatest quarterback in Arizona Cardinals history is that he never really settled in as their starting quarterback until his fourth season with the team. Warner led the Cardinals to an unlikely Super Bowl berth that season (in a game they nearly won), and in the following year, he helped them win a playoff game by throwing for five touchdowns. He didn't light up the stat sheet in the regular season relative to most quarterbacks on this list (he's only sixth in passing yards in Cardinals history), which makes sense given that he only had two full seasons as a starter, but his accomplishments, particularly leading this franchise to its only Super Bowl, are better than anyone else's to go under center in the desert.
Atlanta Falcons: Matt Ryan
NFL fans associate Matt Ryan with the Atlanta Falcons' ugly 28-3 collapse in Super Bowl LI, and somewhat understandably so, but can we acknowledge how well he played to put the Falcons in position to win that Super Bowl? Can we also acknowledge how well he played throughout that entire season to get the team that far? He was the 2016 NFL MVP, after all. And while Ryan didn't have any other major awards to speak of, he was consistently reliable across 14 seasons for the Falcons, throwing for more than 4,000 yards 10 times, winning Rookie of the Year, and making four Pro Bowl appearances. He has double the passing yards and passing touchdowns as anyone else to go under center for Atlanta.
Baltimore Ravens: Lamar Jackson
Joe Flacco winning a Super Bowl for the Baltimore Ravens should not be overlooked, but that accomplishment, as impressive as it was, does not supersede what Lamar Jackson has done with the franchise. Not only has Jackson established himself as the greatest rushing quarterback in NFL history, but his passing is much better than most give it credit. Jackson has already won a pair of MVP awards, and many argue he was robbed of a third. The Super Bowl ring still eludes him, but Jackson has accomplished just about everything else, despite still being on the right side of 30.
Buffalo Bills: Josh Allen
Jim Kelly took the Buffalo Bills to four straight Super Bowls, and had he won one, he might've gotten more consideration, but Josh Allen is far and away the more talented and statistically accomplished quarterback of the two. I mean, despite playing in three fewer seasons in Buffalo than Kelly, Allen is the franchise's all-time touchdown leader. Allen has already made as many Pro Bowls as Kelly (5). Allen has four seasons of 4,000+ passing yards compared to Kelly's zero. Allen has won an MVP, another thing Kelly never did. Running into Patrick Mahomes when it matters most has proven to be problematic, but if that's the only real ding against Allen, he's doing a lot right.
Carolina Panthers: Cam Newton
Cam Newton leads the Carolina Panthers in virtually every single quarterback statistic. He has the most passing yards, rushing yards, passing touchdowns and rushing touchdowns among others at the position. That'd usually be enough on the surface, but he also won an MVP award and led the Panthers to a Super Bowl appearance. To put it simply, his peak greatly outweighs that of anybody else, whether it be Jake Delhomme, Kerry Collins, or anyone else.
Chicago Bears: Sid Luckman
Jim McMahon played on the best Chicago Bears team in history and Jay Cutler is arguably the best statistical quarterback in the history of the franchise (although that has a lot to do with the era he played in). Neither of them can be considered the greatest quarterback in Bears history when Sid Luckman exists, though. Luckman won four NFL Championships with the Bears, and despite playing in the 1940s, he still ranks second in passing yards, speaking to how good he was (and also a little bit to how bad the Bears quarterback situation has been for so long).
Cincinnati Bengals: Ken Anderson
Joe Burrow might be the eventual answer here, and he has a case to be the runner-up right now, but as of this writing, Ken Anderson is the greatest quarterback in Cincinnati Bengals history. Anderson is the franchise's leader in passing yards and passing touchdowns. He also had four Pro Bowl nominations, won an MVP award and led the Bengals to a Super Bowl. All he wound up missing was that elusive Super Bowl ring, but the same can be said about any quarterback to represent the Bengals.
Cleveland Browns: Otto Graham
I get it, Otto Graham played for a dominant Cleveland Browns team ahead of the merger, but at a certain point, numbers and team success are too good to overlook. Graham made 10 championship appearances in his 10-year career, winning seven championships. He won over 80 percent of the regular-season games he started. He led the league in passing yards five times. He led the league in completion percentage four times. He led the league in touchdown passes three times. He's still the all-time leader in yards per attempt. Say what you want about eras and the team he had around him, but Graham feels like the answer here, especially when guys like Bernie Kosar and Brian Sipe were far from perfect.
Dallas Cowboys: Roger Staubach
From Troy Aikman to Tony Romo to Dak Prescott, the Dallas Cowboys have several quarterbacks worthy of being on a list like this, but Roger Staubach is the best of the bunch to ever wear a star on his helmet. Staubach won a pair of Super Bowls with the Cowboys and was even named Super Bowl MVP in Super Bowl VI. He finished his career with a very strong 85-29 record, made six Pro Bowls, and led the league in passer rating four times despite only being a full-time starter in eight of his 11 NFL seasons. Not to mention, Staubach was underratedly dominant on the ground as well. Had he started before turning 29 years of age, who knows what kinds of records Staubach would've held? Regardless, he did enough to be crowned the greatest quarterback in Cowboys history.
Denver Broncos: John Elway
John Elway is one of the easiest picks on here. Not only did he spend his entire 16-year career with the Denver Broncos, but he's widely considered one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the sport, and for good reason. He ended his career with more than 51,000 passing yards, 300 touchdown passes, nine Pro Bowl appearances, and an MVP award. On the team side, Elway starred too, leading the Broncos to five Super Bowl appearances and two wins, taking home a Super Bowl MVP award as well. Bo Nix has his work cut out for him if he ever wants to make this list as the Broncos' representative.
Detroit Lions: Matthew Stafford
Bobby Layne had the most team success with the Detroit Lions and Greg Landry had an underrated career, but Matthew Stafford is the answer here. No, his Lions tenure didn't end as fans had hoped, and watching him win elsewhere was tough to come to terms with, but the Lions' struggles as a team had little to do with Stafford, who consistently put the team on his back and attempted to will them to victory. Stafford made four Pro Bowl appearances and is the leader by a wide margin in passing yards (45,109) and passing touchdowns (282). Even without a playoff win, he was so good for so long in Detroit that it'd be hard to choose anyone but him as the best quarterback in franchise history.
Green Bay Packers: Aaron Rodgers
The Green Bay Packers, who have the good fortune of rostering Bart Starr, Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers for their prime years. It'd be hard to argue against any of the three, but Aaron Rodgers feels like the pick here. Not only is he arguably the most talented quarterback ever, but his NFL record 1.4 percent interception rate shows how accurate and smart he was under center. Rodgers made throws most quarterbacks could only dream of making, but took stellar care of the football. Additionally, he won four MVP awards, earned 10 Pro Bowl nominations and won a Super Bowl. Rodgers only winning one Super Bowl in Green Bay is something his critics point at, but it's important to remember that football is a team sport, and Rodgers did the best he could more often than not. Favre and Starr were great in their own right, but it feels like Rodgers had the best combination of pure skill, statistical dominance, and team success of the trio.
Houston Texans: Matt Schaub
Matt Schaub is definitely not the most talented quarterback in Houston Texans history, but given how Deshaun Watson's tenure ended and how mightily CJ Stroud has struggled since his rookie year, he feels like the pick. Despite only spending seven seasons with the team and barely putting up a winning record, Schaub is the franchise's leader in passing yards and touchdowns. He made two Pro Bowls, led the league in passing yards in 2009, and even helped lead Houston to its first two playoff appearances.
Indianapolis Colts: Peyton Manning
Johnny Unitas' work with the Baltimore Colts deserves more recognition than it's inevitably going to get from me, but the greatest quarterback in franchise history has to be Peyton Manning, who is one of the three-to-five greatest quarterbacks in the history of the sport. Manning won four MVP awards, made 11 Pro Bowl appearances, threw for over 54,000 yards and was one passing touchdown shy of 400 with the Colts. To top it all off, he led the Colts to a win in Super Bowl XLI and took home that Super Bowl MVP award. Sharing a conference with Tom Brady and other all-time greats impacted his team's success, but he still had the Colts in contention perennially for the better part of his 13 years with Indianapolis.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Mark Brunell
It's rare for the first quarterback of a franchise to be the best, but that's where we are with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Mark Brunell. The left-hander helped the Jaguars go from a 4-12 team in its inaugural season to a team that made four straight playoff appearances, featuring a year that saw them go 14-2. Brunell wasn't the most efficient passer ever, and he even threw more interceptions (20) than touchdown passes (19) in 1996, but he still led the league in passing yards that season and made a Pro Bowl appearance. He wasn't perfect, but he helped lead the most sustained stretch of winning the franchise has seen to this point, and he's their leader in passing yards and touchdowns by a wide margin. Jags fans hope to see Trevor Lawrence overtake him at some point, but he hasn't done so yet.
Kansas City Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes
Patrick Mahomes is only 30 years old, yet he's a six-time Pro Bowler, a two-time MVP winner and a three-time Super Bowl champion. He's spent eight years as a starter and has led the Kansas City Chiefs to the AFC Championship Game or further in seven of those years. Having the likes of Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill and Andy Reid (among others) around him helps, but Mahomes is as talented as any quarterback we've ever seen. It's hard to envision anyone else having the same level of success as Mahomes has had, and he could very well have another decade of greatness in the tank. He's not the GOAT yet, but he's certainly the greatest quarterback in Chiefs history, and could be the greatest ever when all is said and done.
Las Vegas Raiders: Ken Stabler
Derek Carr has nearly double the passing yards as Ken Stabler with the Las Vegas Raiders, but there's more to it than that. Carr played in a more passer-friendly era, and perhaps more importantly, Carr had virtually no team success to speak of, while Stabler won a Super Bowl with the Raiders and had them consistently in contention. He wasn't the most efficient passer ever, but he ranks behind Carr in both passing yards and passing touchdowns. Ranking second while having the team success he had is good enough to make him the greatest Raiders quarterback ever, for now. Perhaps Fernando Mendoza will have something to say about that in the future. Raiders fans can only hope.
Los Angeles Chargers: Philip Rivers
Philip Rivers often gets overlooked because of all of the great quarterbacks who played at the same time as he did. I mean, Rivers played at the same time as guys like Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger, and that was only within the AFC. Consistently running into those guys (Brady in particular) is why he didn't have much postseason success to speak of, but that shouldn't be held against him too much. Rivers wasn't the GOAT, but he was pretty darn good, finishing just shy of 60,000 passing yards and recording 425 passing touchdowns in 16 seasons with the Chargers while making eight Pro Bowl appearances. Dan Fouts deserves a shout, but Rivers is the greatest quarterback in franchise history and one of the most underappreciated gunslingers ever.
Los Angeles Rams: Kurt Warner
Kurt Warner is fortunate enough to appear on this list for two teams within the same division, and what's crazy is much like his reasoning for being the greatest quarterback in Cardinals history, he's the greatest quarterback in Los Angeles Rams history because of how good his peak was. Warner only played three full seasons with the then-St. Louis Rams after going undrafted, but he led the league in completion percentage in each of those years, led the league in touchdowns twice and won a pair of MVP awards. He also led them to a Super Bowl in two of those years, winning once. In those three years, Warner completed 67.2 percent of his throws, averaged over 4,200 yards per year, and threw 98 touchdown passes. He led the "Greatest Show on Turf" during this stretch, which was one of the most dominant offenses the sport has ever seen. Matthew Stafford made this a close race by winning a Super Bowl and an MVP award with the Rams, but for now, Warner still has the edge.
Miami Dolphins: Dan Marino
Dan Marino is proof that it takes a team to win a Super Bowl. He ended his 17-year career (all of which was spent with the Miami Dolphins) with over 61,000 passing yards and 420 passing touchdowns. He made nine Pro Bowl appearances and took home an MVP award as well. He retired as the NFL's all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns, and still ranks within the top 10 in both of those categories. Not winning a Super Bowl holds him back in all-time conversations with some of the game's greatest, but the Dolphins have just two Super Bowl wins in their franchise history, and those were won in the early 1970s. This one is not debatable.
Minnesota Vikings: Â Fran Tarkenton
This is another no-brainer, as not only was Fran Tarkenton the first quarterback in Minnesota Vikings history, but he's also the greatest to go under center. Tarkenton didn't have much team success in his first stint with the Vikings, but he made two Pro Bowl appearances and really cemented his Minnesota legacy in his second go-round with the franchise after a successful run in New York with the Giants. Tarkenton wound up ending his Vikings career with five Pro Bowl appearances, an MVP award and three Super Bowl appearances (albeit with no victories). Tarkenton is seen as one of the first true dual-threat quarterbacks, and despite retiring nearly 50 years ago, he still leads the Vikings in passing yards and touchdowns.
New England Patriots: Tom Brady
Tarkenton was a layup, but there is no easier pick than Tom Brady, who established himself as the greatest player and quarterback in NFL history with the New England Patriots. Not only is Brady the NFL's all-time leader in completions, passing yards and passing touchdowns (among other statistics), but he also took home six Super Bowl trophies with the Patriots, leading them to nine Super Bowl appearances. Never has there been a quarterback more consistent than Brady, who has more wins with the Patriots (219) than any quarterback has in history. He lost only 64 times in the regular season as a Patriot, and he even went an absurd 30-11 in the postseason. The Patriots made the playoffs in 18 of Brady's 20 seasons, with one of those missed years coming in the 2008 campaign, which saw Brady tear his ACL and MCL. The Super Bowl often ran through Foxboro with Brady in town. Brady made the Patriots hated by the sports world. There just isn't much else to say. He was one-of-one in New England.
New Orleans Saints: Drew Brees
Brady is a big reason why Drew Brees doesn't get as much love as he deserves. Brees spent 15 years with the New Orleans Saints and made 12 Pro Bowl appearances, speaking to his consistency under center. He's one of just two quarterbacks in NFL history with 80,000 or more passing yards and he ranks behind only Brady in that statistic, as well as completions and passing touchdowns. He led the league in passing yards five times and completed over 70 percent of his throws seven times, showing that he was both extremely dynamic and accurate. Only winning one Super Bowl ring holds him back in all-time conversations, but Brees is one of the all-time greats and the only answer for the Saints.
New York Giants: Eli Manning
Eli Manning had a much better career than his critics seem to think. Sure, he wasn't the most gifted quarterback ever and he might've finished with a .500 record, but Manning's abilities as a clutch quarterback cannot be overlooked. He beat Tom Brady twice on the Super Bowl stage as a heavy underdog (including once against the undefeated Patriots), winning the game's MVP both times. He made clutch throws to win both games. As if that isn't already great, Manning ended his career with over 57,000 passing yards, placing him 11th in NFL history. He wasn't consistently elite, but he was outstanding when it mattered most and has a ton of longevity to appreciate. He's undoubtedly the greatest quarterback in the history of the Giants franchise.
New York Jets: Joe Namath
Despite the New York Jets being heavy underdogs, Joe Namath guaranteed a Super Bowl win against a dominant Baltimore Colts team and delivered. He threw for over 200 yards and led the Jets to an iconic win, taking home the game's MVP award as well. That's the kind of quarterback he was. Namath was flashy and built for the New York spotlight. He battled through his share of injuries, and that impacted his overall numbers, but he still remains the Jets' all-time leader in passing yards and passing touchdowns, and the team, of course, hasn't even been to, let alone won a Super Bowl since Namath did it nearly 60 years ago, making him the easy choice.
Philadelphia Eagles: Donovan McNabb
We could very well be watching the greatest quarterback in Philadelphia Eagles history, Jalen Hurts, who has already appeared in two Super Bowls (winning one) and has three Pro Bowl selections in five full seasons as a starter. I'm still going to say Donovan McNabb has the leg up, though, because he played in Philadelphia for much longer (11 years) and remains the franchise's leader in passing yards and touchdowns. He didn't win a Super Bowl, but he did lead them to one, and it isn't his fault they lost that game (he threw for 357 yards and three touchdowns that day). He consistently had the Eagles in contention while putting up strong numbers. Hurts will likely overtake him sooner than later, but as of now, the longevity argument is enough to propel McNabb.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Ben Roethlisberger
This one could be seen as controversial, and I understand those who'd pick Terry Bradshaw. Not only did Bradshaw win four Super Bowls compared to Roethlisberger's two, but his ability to bounce back after looking so overmatched as a rookie deserves so much praise. With that being said, it's impossible to overlook the longevity argument. I mean, Roethlisberger had more regular-season wins (165) than Bradshaw had regular-season starts (158). He played in a different era, but Roethlisberger finished with over 64,000 passing yards and 418 touchdown passes (both top 10 in NFL history) compared to Bradshaw's 27,989 passing yards and 212 passing touchdowns. Bradshaw did more winning, but the Steel Curtain and Franco Harris had a lot to do with that. If it weren't for Brady, Roethlisberger might've won more, too.
San Francisco 49ers: Joe Montana
Before Tom Brady, Joe Montana was seen by most NFL fans as the undisputed GOAT, and most of that had to do with his work quarterbacking the San Francisco 49ers. Montana ended his 13-year Niners tenure with over 35,000 passing yards, 244 passing touchdowns, two MVP awards, and four Super Bowl rings (with three Super Bowl MVP awards as well). Not only was Montana undefeated on the Super Bowl stage, but he threw 11 touchdown passes compared to zero interceptions in those contests. He was an unbelievable regular-season quarterback and dialed it up when it mattered most, which explains why he was known as "Joe Cool."
Seattle Seahawks: Russell Wilson
Russell Wilson's excellence while wearing a Seattle Seahawks uniform is often overlooked, given how bad his interception was in Super Bowl XLIX and how poorly things went for him after his run with Seattle ended, but he was dynamite for a long time in the Pacific Northwest. Wilson made nine Pro Bowls in only 10 years as a member of the Seahawks, was said bad interception away from winning two Super Bowls in those 10 years, and is the franchise's leader in passing yards and touchdowns. Not to mention, Wilson was a particularly gifted rushing quarterback as well, as he ranks within the top five in franchise history in rushing yards. He has the accolades and has won one of the franchise's two Super Bowls. That's pretty good.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Tom Brady
Tom Brady played only three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, yet he ranks third in passing yards and second in passing touchdowns. He's only roughly 5,000 yards and 13 passing touchdowns behind Jameis Winston for the top spot in both categories. Yes, this says a lot about the rough quarterback history this franchise has had since its inaugural season in 1976, but it also speaks to how dominant Brady truly was. Believe it or not, three of Brady's six most prolific passing-yard seasons came with the Bucs. Two of his three 40+ touchdown seasons came with the Bucs. Brady led the Bucs to a Super Bowl win in his first season with the team and won two other division titles. The Bucs had never won two consecutive division titles pre-Brady, and he led them to three straight. If Baker Mayfield sticks around for long enough, perhaps he'll have a case, but for now, Brady is the greatest quarterback in Buccaneers history.
Tennessee Titans: Steve McNair
You really can't go wrong by naming either Warren Moon or Steve McNair as the greatest quarterback in Tennessee Titans history, but I'm going with McNair for a couple of reasons. First, McNair led the Titans to their only Super Bowl appearance. He came up just short in that game, but getting there is a major accomplishment by itself, especially when considering how electric the "Music City Miracle" was in that same postseason. Second, McNair was named the co-MVP in 2003, while Moon never took home an MVP award. Moon was the flashier player, and he does hold the Titans passing records, but McNair was the more efficient player, who led the Titans on a run to their only Super Bowl and had more iconic moments.
Washington Commanders: Joe Theismann
Part of what makes Joe Theismann such a fun pick is that he had to work very hard to even earn a starting role with Washington. Not only did he go to the CFL after being unable to come to terms on a contract with the Dolphins, but he had to overcome adversity to earn a starting job with Washington after they acquired him. He didn't really take off until his age-29 season. However, Theismann led Washington to a Super Bowl win at age 33 and won an MVP award at 34 years of age. He only had seven years as a full-time starter, yet is the franchise's leader in passing yards. If it weren't for a devastating career-ending injury, Theismann's numbers would've been even better.
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