Who is the Greatest QB of All Time?

Who is the Greatest QB of All Time?

  • Joe Montana

  • John Elway

  • Dan Marino

  • Johnny Unitas

  • Peyton Manning

  • Tom Brady

  • Bret Farve

  • Steve Young

  • Terry Bradshaw

  • Otto Graham

  • Fran Tarkenton

  • Bart Starr


Results are only viewable after voting.
I went with Brady, but I really only considered Super Bowl era QBs. Otherwise I might have gone with Otto Graham, who had the most incredible level of success of any QB.

I considered Montana the greatest for a long time, but a few years ago I decided Brady had overtaken him. To make it to the Super Bowl in half of your seasons, winning 5; to get to the AFC Championship game in 12 of 16 seasons; to win the division in 15 of 16 seasons; to have the records Brady already owns, and those he is close to getting; I had to change my mind and consider Brady the best ever of the Super Bowl era.

Now Otto Graham played 10 seasons of professional football and went to the title game in all 10, winning 7. He even won a pro basketball championship in his one year playing that sport. No other QB has had that sort of success. However, that was such a different time, it's hard to compare. When Graham played in the AAFC, it only had 8 teams. When Graham joined the NFL in 1950, I believe there were only 13 teams. The rules were different, the game was played differently.

Montana is the greatest Super Bowl quarterback ever. 4-0, never threw a pick in the big game, 3 time MVP, I put him ahead of Brady there, although it's very close. But for the overall career, Brady is the SB era GOAT.
Montana only went to the Super Bowl 4 Times. You are rewarding him for not making it to more super bowls. Or you are punishing Brady for making it to more super bowls. Don’t forget joe got knocked out of the playoffs before the Super Bowl every year he played except 4 seasons

So if Brady never made it to the Super Bowl the years he lost you’d be sitting here saying Brady is perfect 5 and 0 in his super bowl appearances. Well I’d rather be 5 and 1.

No, I'm not judging that based solely on how many Super Bowls a player played in, but how they performed in those Super Bowls. Montana had a great game-winning drive against the Bengals in a close game. He also had 4 TDs against Miami in a dominant win, and 5 TDs against Denver in a blowout win. Montana never threw a pick in 4 Super Bowls. Montana never lost in 4 Super Bowls. Montana never had fewer than 2 TDs in a Super Bowl. Montana's lowest QB rating for a Super Bowl is 100, his highest is 147.6.

Brady only had 1 TD in the first loss to the Giants. Brady threw picks in 4 of his 8 Super Bowls, and had that huge fumble in the Eagles game (Montana never lost a fumble or threw a pick). Brady never had a blow-out or dominant win. Brady's winning % in the Super Bowl is only .500. Brady's lowest QB rating for a Super Bowl is 82.5. His lowest rating in a Super Bowl he won is 86.2. Brady's highest rating is 115.4.

When you look at how they performed in Super Bowls, Montana was better than Brady. If Montana had played in 4 more Super Bowls, perhaps it would have evened out some, but going by the body of work available, Montana was consistently excellent in the big game.
/thread
 
One of my favorite quarterbacks is Eli Manning, not because of what he's done on the gridiron but because of what he's done off the field. He has been an advocate for children for years, donating millions of dollars to schools, raising over 3 million dollars for a children medical clinic in Mississippi, working and supporting the March of Dimes, Guiding Eyes for the Blind, American Red Cross, the Scholastic's Classroom Care program, and many other worthy charities. When a national disaster hits like Katrina, Eli and Peyton are there to help.

Many of the great players in NFL try to buy happiness off the field and fail miserable but some put there money to use helping others which is the true path to happiness.
 
I went with Brady, but I really only considered Super Bowl era QBs. Otherwise I might have gone with Otto Graham, who had the most incredible level of success of any QB.

I considered Montana the greatest for a long time, but a few years ago I decided Brady had overtaken him. To make it to the Super Bowl in half of your seasons, winning 5; to get to the AFC Championship game in 12 of 16 seasons; to win the division in 15 of 16 seasons; to have the records Brady already owns, and those he is close to getting; I had to change my mind and consider Brady the best ever of the Super Bowl era.

Now Otto Graham played 10 seasons of professional football and went to the title game in all 10, winning 7. He even won a pro basketball championship in his one year playing that sport. No other QB has had that sort of success. However, that was such a different time, it's hard to compare. When Graham played in the AAFC, it only had 8 teams. When Graham joined the NFL in 1950, I believe there were only 13 teams. The rules were different, the game was played differently.

Montana is the greatest Super Bowl quarterback ever. 4-0, never threw a pick in the big game, 3 time MVP, I put him ahead of Brady there, although it's very close. But for the overall career, Brady is the SB era GOAT.
Montana only went to the Super Bowl 4 Times. You are rewarding him for not making it to more super bowls. Or you are punishing Brady for making it to more super bowls. Don’t forget joe got knocked out of the playoffs before the Super Bowl every year he played except 4 seasons

So if Brady never made it to the Super Bowl the years he lost you’d be sitting here saying Brady is perfect 5 and 0 in his super bowl appearances. Well I’d rather be 5 and 1.

No, I'm not judging that based solely on how many Super Bowls a player played in, but how they performed in those Super Bowls. Montana had a great game-winning drive against the Bengals in a close game. He also had 4 TDs against Miami in a dominant win, and 5 TDs against Denver in a blowout win. Montana never threw a pick in 4 Super Bowls. Montana never lost in 4 Super Bowls. Montana never had fewer than 2 TDs in a Super Bowl. Montana's lowest QB rating for a Super Bowl is 100, his highest is 147.6.

Brady only had 1 TD in the first loss to the Giants. Brady threw picks in 4 of his 8 Super Bowls, and had that huge fumble in the Eagles game (Montana never lost a fumble or threw a pick). Brady never had a blow-out or dominant win. Brady's winning % in the Super Bowl is only .500. Brady's lowest QB rating for a Super Bowl is 82.5. His lowest rating in a Super Bowl he won is 86.2. Brady's highest rating is 115.4.

When you look at how they performed in Super Bowls, Montana was better than Brady. If Montana had played in 4 more Super Bowls, perhaps it would have evened out some, but going by the body of work available, Montana was consistently excellent in the big game.


Since when is 5-3 .500?

I must have been thinking of games he'd thrown a pick in at the time, rather than wins. :eusa_doh:
 
I went with Brady, but I really only considered Super Bowl era QBs. Otherwise I might have gone with Otto Graham, who had the most incredible level of success of any QB.

I considered Montana the greatest for a long time, but a few years ago I decided Brady had overtaken him. To make it to the Super Bowl in half of your seasons, winning 5; to get to the AFC Championship game in 12 of 16 seasons; to win the division in 15 of 16 seasons; to have the records Brady already owns, and those he is close to getting; I had to change my mind and consider Brady the best ever of the Super Bowl era.

Now Otto Graham played 10 seasons of professional football and went to the title game in all 10, winning 7. He even won a pro basketball championship in his one year playing that sport. No other QB has had that sort of success. However, that was such a different time, it's hard to compare. When Graham played in the AAFC, it only had 8 teams. When Graham joined the NFL in 1950, I believe there were only 13 teams. The rules were different, the game was played differently.

Montana is the greatest Super Bowl quarterback ever. 4-0, never threw a pick in the big game, 3 time MVP, I put him ahead of Brady there, although it's very close. But for the overall career, Brady is the SB era GOAT.
Montana only went to the Super Bowl 4 Times. You are rewarding him for not making it to more super bowls. Or you are punishing Brady for making it to more super bowls. Don’t forget joe got knocked out of the playoffs before the Super Bowl every year he played except 4 seasons

So if Brady never made it to the Super Bowl the years he lost you’d be sitting here saying Brady is perfect 5 and 0 in his super bowl appearances. Well I’d rather be 5 and 1.

No, I'm not judging that based solely on how many Super Bowls a player played in, but how they performed in those Super Bowls. Montana had a great game-winning drive against the Bengals in a close game. He also had 4 TDs against Miami in a dominant win, and 5 TDs against Denver in a blowout win. Montana never threw a pick in 4 Super Bowls. Montana never lost in 4 Super Bowls. Montana never had fewer than 2 TDs in a Super Bowl. Montana's lowest QB rating for a Super Bowl is 100, his highest is 147.6.

Brady only had 1 TD in the first loss to the Giants. Brady threw picks in 4 of his 8 Super Bowls, and had that huge fumble in the Eagles game (Montana never lost a fumble or threw a pick). Brady never had a blow-out or dominant win. Brady's winning % in the Super Bowl is only .500. Brady's lowest QB rating for a Super Bowl is 82.5. His lowest rating in a Super Bowl he won is 86.2. Brady's highest rating is 115.4.

When you look at how they performed in Super Bowls, Montana was better than Brady. If Montana had played in 4 more Super Bowls, perhaps it would have evened out some, but going by the body of work available, Montana was consistently excellent in the big game.
/thread

Well, the thread is about greatest QB, not greatest Super Bowl QB. This was just a side conversation. :)
 
I went with Brady, but I really only considered Super Bowl era QBs. Otherwise I might have gone with Otto Graham, who had the most incredible level of success of any QB.

I considered Montana the greatest for a long time, but a few years ago I decided Brady had overtaken him. To make it to the Super Bowl in half of your seasons, winning 5; to get to the AFC Championship game in 12 of 16 seasons; to win the division in 15 of 16 seasons; to have the records Brady already owns, and those he is close to getting; I had to change my mind and consider Brady the best ever of the Super Bowl era.

Now Otto Graham played 10 seasons of professional football and went to the title game in all 10, winning 7. He even won a pro basketball championship in his one year playing that sport. No other QB has had that sort of success. However, that was such a different time, it's hard to compare. When Graham played in the AAFC, it only had 8 teams. When Graham joined the NFL in 1950, I believe there were only 13 teams. The rules were different, the game was played differently.

Montana is the greatest Super Bowl quarterback ever. 4-0, never threw a pick in the big game, 3 time MVP, I put him ahead of Brady there, although it's very close. But for the overall career, Brady is the SB era GOAT.
Montana only went to the Super Bowl 4 Times. You are rewarding him for not making it to more super bowls. Or you are punishing Brady for making it to more super bowls. Don’t forget joe got knocked out of the playoffs before the Super Bowl every year he played except 4 seasons

So if Brady never made it to the Super Bowl the years he lost you’d be sitting here saying Brady is perfect 5 and 0 in his super bowl appearances. Well I’d rather be 5 and 1.

No, I'm not judging that based solely on how many Super Bowls a player played in, but how they performed in those Super Bowls. Montana had a great game-winning drive against the Bengals in a close game. He also had 4 TDs against Miami in a dominant win, and 5 TDs against Denver in a blowout win. Montana never threw a pick in 4 Super Bowls. Montana never lost in 4 Super Bowls. Montana never had fewer than 2 TDs in a Super Bowl. Montana's lowest QB rating for a Super Bowl is 100, his highest is 147.6.

Brady only had 1 TD in the first loss to the Giants. Brady threw picks in 4 of his 8 Super Bowls, and had that huge fumble in the Eagles game (Montana never lost a fumble or threw a pick). Brady never had a blow-out or dominant win. Brady's winning % in the Super Bowl is only .500. Brady's lowest QB rating for a Super Bowl is 82.5. His lowest rating in a Super Bowl he won is 86.2. Brady's highest rating is 115.4.

When you look at how they performed in Super Bowls, Montana was better than Brady. If Montana had played in 4 more Super Bowls, perhaps it would have evened out some, but going by the body of work available, Montana was consistently excellent in the big game.
/thread

Well, the thread is about greatest QB, not greatest Super Bowl QB. This was just a side conversation. :)
I know right? Who had it easiest in the Super Bowl isn’t fair because they played different teams.

I’ll give Montana this though. He played back when defensive backs could hit receivers. Today it’s touch football
 
I'm giving it to Brady simply because he's been able to do it consistently through the salary cap era, into his 40's, with entirely different personnel almost every season and only a brief time actually having a legitimate franchise WR. I get the argument for Montana and Bradshaw but I just think Brady edges them out for those reasons. There's always the question of what it aikman didn't have smith and Irvin, or what if Montana didn't have rice, etc. But Brady actually hasn't had anything to work with talent wise that even comes close to those except for a little time with Moss. He's the one QB on this list that has done it with the least to work with
 
One of my favorite quarterbacks is Eli Manning, not because of what he's done on the gridiron but because of what he's done off the field. He has been an advocate for children for years, donating millions of dollars to schools, raising over 3 million dollars for a children medical clinic in Mississippi, working and supporting the March of Dimes, Guiding Eyes for the Blind, American Red Cross, the Scholastic's Classroom Care program, and many other worthy charities. When a national disaster hits like Katrina, Eli and Peyton are there to help.

Many of the great players in NFL try to buy happiness off the field and fail miserable but some put there money to use helping others which is the true path to happiness.

Thank you, there is so much more to being an athlete than winning games and setting records, it’s giving back and paying forward. Damien Lillard of the Portland Trailblazer donates a lot of time and money to charity. Several Houston Texans were there to help their community after last year’s hurricane.

Happiness comes from the inside, not externally.
 
Joe Montana....................He couldn't stand to lose..............He would be winning a game and make a mistake that would cost them a first down..........walk off the field and slam his helmet into the ground.................For making a mistake in a game they had already won..........

He played in a time of a lot of great quarterbacks.............and won championships...........

Yup......he's my pick.
 
There is no question as to who the best ever is. Y'all should start arguing over who is second best.
 
If I were starting a team and I could have one QB to build my team around, they were all the same age, my first choice would be P. Manning.
 
Otto Graham played 10 years and played in 10 league championship games (winning 4 in AAFC and 3 after merger with NFL). However the only time I saw Graham on the field was when he was the head coach of the Redskins. In the QB favored era we have today he still ranks up there with regard to QB rating (26th historically). So while I voted for Tom Brady, I really would like to split it between the Brady and Graham.
 
Otto Graham played 10 years and played in 10 league championship games (winning 4 in AAFC and 3 after merger with NFL). However the only time I saw Graham on the field was when he was the head coach of the Redskins. In the QB favored era we have today he still ranks up there with regard to QB rating (26th historically). So while I voted for Tom Brady, I really would like to split it between the Brady and Graham.

Graham is tough for me. He also won a basketball championship when he played pro basketball for a year after his retirement from the NFL.

But Graham clearly played better in the AAFC than then NFL. I don't know how tough the AAFC championship game vs. the Yankees or Bills (not the current Buffalo Bills, but the AAFC version) was.

If we do that, should we include Moon in the CFL? Steve Young in the USFL? And why don't we consider AFL championships for guys like Kemp?

He also won it all in a 12 team league. Brady this year won a 16 team AFC.

In the end Graham played in the NFL for 6 years, and won 3 championships, lost another 3. In that 6 years he was arguably the best QB. Some would say Bobby Layne was the better NFL QB of that era (more career numbers, 1 less championship but beat Graham head to head twice for championships.).

I just think that if Kraft moves the Pats to the XFL next year and Brady wins their next 5 championships, that doesn't make him a better NFL QB for me.
 
I went with Brady, but I really only considered Super Bowl era QBs. Otherwise I might have gone with Otto Graham, who had the most incredible level of success of any QB.

I considered Montana the greatest for a long time, but a few years ago I decided Brady had overtaken him. To make it to the Super Bowl in half of your seasons, winning 5; to get to the AFC Championship game in 12 of 16 seasons; to win the division in 15 of 16 seasons; to have the records Brady already owns, and those he is close to getting; I had to change my mind and consider Brady the best ever of the Super Bowl era.

Now Otto Graham played 10 seasons of professional football and went to the title game in all 10, winning 7. He even won a pro basketball championship in his one year playing that sport. No other QB has had that sort of success. However, that was such a different time, it's hard to compare. When Graham played in the AAFC, it only had 8 teams. When Graham joined the NFL in 1950, I believe there were only 13 teams. The rules were different, the game was played differently.

Montana is the greatest Super Bowl quarterback ever. 4-0, never threw a pick in the big game, 3 time MVP, I put him ahead of Brady there, although it's very close. But for the overall career, Brady is the SB era GOAT.
Montana only went to the Super Bowl 4 Times. You are rewarding him for not making it to more super bowls. Or you are punishing Brady for making it to more super bowls. Don’t forget joe got knocked out of the playoffs before the Super Bowl every year he played except 4 seasons

So if Brady never made it to the Super Bowl the years he lost you’d be sitting here saying Brady is perfect 5 and 0 in his super bowl appearances. Well I’d rather be 5 and 1.

No, I'm not judging that based solely on how many Super Bowls a player played in, but how they performed in those Super Bowls. Montana had a great game-winning drive against the Bengals in a close game. He also had 4 TDs against Miami in a dominant win, and 5 TDs against Denver in a blowout win. Montana never threw a pick in 4 Super Bowls. Montana never lost in 4 Super Bowls. Montana never had fewer than 2 TDs in a Super Bowl. Montana's lowest QB rating for a Super Bowl is 100, his highest is 147.6.

Brady only had 1 TD in the first loss to the Giants. Brady threw picks in 4 of his 8 Super Bowls, and had that huge fumble in the Eagles game (Montana never lost a fumble or threw a pick). Brady never had a blow-out or dominant win. Brady's winning % in the Super Bowl is only .500. Brady's lowest QB rating for a Super Bowl is 82.5. His lowest rating in a Super Bowl he won is 86.2. Brady's highest rating is 115.4.

When you look at how they performed in Super Bowls, Montana was better than Brady. If Montana had played in 4 more Super Bowls, perhaps it would have evened out some, but going by the body of work available, Montana was consistently excellent in the big game.


Since when is 5-3 .500?

I must have been thinking of games he'd thrown a pick in at the time, rather than wins. :eusa_doh:
No quarterback has ever lead their team to 8 super bowls, winning 5 of them ...It'll never be done again...Enough said hater:slap:
 
Now that I've voted for Joe Money, well, Brady may have outdone him, he just doesn't have flare?'

Joe knew the game well. I really don't think Brady, well he studies, nevermind.
 
Bart Starr won 5 NFL championships in 7 years. He also has the all time high quarterback rating of playoff quarterbacks with 104.8 And he accomplished this in an era where the games rules didn't favor passing.

Pretty clear to me.

Mark
 
Who is the Greatest Quarterback of All Time?

What is your criteria? Over the decades the game has changed and evolved, every era has had their greats. Who is the greatest? I listed 12 QB's not sure if I left anyone who could be considered as a top QB.


Make your case of who is the greatest.

Montana: Leadership, Control of Emotions, clock management, accuracy of passes, field of vision and the ability to run if and when necessary.

One example: In the final minutes of the 1989 Super Bowl Montana led an 11-play, 92-yard drive to score the winning touchdown. In order to calm his teammates in the huddle just before the final game-winning drive, Montana pointed into the stadium crowd and said "Hey, isn't that John Candy?"

Then and there he earned the nickname, Joe Cool.

^ This. Credit where due

Might want to put Eli Manning up for consideration as well. Without hitting David Tyrell on the helmet Brady would be 6-1

Lucky catch is all that was! Dumb luck is what you would call it!

The Patriots won because they have heart and they are determined, stubborn, well coached, talented, and I could go on.

Not this year! :funnyface:
 
Y U no Archie Manning? Archie knows the game. Hoo-wee! I'll never forget that night the Pats were undefeated and Eli started these crazy college jackboot plays in the Superbowl. :banana:


I was actually rooting for Brady that year, it did not go my way!

Who has Brady trained?

Joe Montana trained Steve Young, and I believe Vinny Testeverde learned some, too.

Archie, of course, trained his sons: Peyton and Eli.
 
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Who is the Greatest Quarterback of All Time?

What is your criteria? Over the decades the game has changed and evolved, every era has had their greats. Who is the greatest? I listed 12 QB's not sure if I left anyone who could be considered as a top QB.


Make your case of who is the greatest.

Having seen them all except for Otto Graham

No question Brady is the GOAT. Used to be you built a dynasty and rode it to championships as long as you could. With salary caps, free agency and a weighted draft....that is almost impossible to do
The Pats are continually revamping and Brady and Belichick are the only constants
 
Who is the Greatest Quarterback of All Time?

What is your criteria? Over the decades the game has changed and evolved, every era has had their greats. Who is the greatest? I listed 12 QB's not sure if I left anyone who could be considered as a top QB.


Make your case of who is the greatest.

Montana: Leadership, Control of Emotions, clock management, accuracy of passes, field of vision and the ability to run if and when necessary.

One example: In the final minutes of the 1989 Super Bowl Montana led an 11-play, 92-yard drive to score the winning touchdown. In order to calm his teammates in the huddle just before the final game-winning drive, Montana pointed into the stadium crowd and said "Hey, isn't that John Candy?"

Then and there he earned the nickname, Joe Cool.

^ This. Credit where due

Might want to put Eli Manning up for consideration as well. Without hitting David Tyrell on the helmet Brady would be 6-1

Lucky catch is all that was! Dumb luck is what you would call it!

No luck

Harrison did all he could to pry the ball lose.....he couldn't
 

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