Who is the greatest NFL QB ever?

[majesty95]

Sports analysts and fans alike have debated this questions for decades and there never is a decisive answer. Do you judge the best QB by statistics, Super Bowl trophies or overall talent? How do you decide who is better when comparing eras? Its a timeless discussion and one that always creates good banter. Let's see what you guys think and can we come to a consensus? Can we maybe even come up with a Top 5 of all-time? Use the comments below to make your case and I'll update this post as arguments are made and some kind of order comes to fruition.

 

[majesty95]

I'm a stats and analytics guy. I like to use that as the "eye test" isn't always easy across eras. There may be guys that "look" better but stats, wins and championships don't lie in my eyes. Here's Part One of my list of the best quarterbacks ever.

Joe Montana

Montana not only won four Super Bowls, but he also posted 100+ QB ratings in an era when guys struggled to get to 90. This includes 1989 when Montana's 112.4 QB rating was 20 points higher than second place Boomer Esiason's 92.1. Montana also led the league in completion percentage five times. For players that retire prior to 2004, Montana has the second-highest career completion percentage (63.2%) to former backup and fellow Hall of Famer Steve Young (64.3%). Montana also is one of the few QB's to actually play better in the playoffs than the regular season as his career completion percentage (62.7%) is almost equal to his regular season number and his QB rating is actually 3.3 points higher.

Steve Young

Young typically doesn't get the recognition of guys like Montana, probably because he only won one Super Bowl. However, Young is possibly the greatest regular season QB ever. At the time he retired, Young was the all-time leader in completion percentage (64.3%), passer rating (96.8 to #2 Montana's 92.3) and tied with Dan Marino for the highest net yards per pass attempt (6.89) in a career. The knock on Young comes in the post-season where his completion percentage dipped 2.3 points (62.0%) and QB ratings dropped 11 points (85.8).

Dan Marino

Marino was the league's most prolific passer ever when he retired in 1999. When he hung up his cleats, Marino led the all-time lists in passes completed (4,967), pass attempts (8,358), passing yards (61,361) and passing touchdowns (420). Many regard Marino as the game's best all-time passer from a pure talent standpoint and from the talent he worked with on his team. However, Marino never won a Super Bowl, never led the league in completion percentage and led it only once in passer rating (108.4 in 1984). Outside of his first two years in the league, Marino only posted two QB ratings over 90.0 in his final 14 full seasons. Marino also dropped off considerably in the playoffs posting a passer rating that was 9.3 points lower than his career rating. Marino's completion percentage also dropped 3.4 points in the post-season (56.0%).

 

[wyrmreaver]

Looking at the same era you mentioned those three are all at or near the top for sure. The other guys I'd put forward from that timeframe are:

John Elway who made plays with his arm and during/after scrambling that no other player in the era could match, though Steve Young was close.

Jim Kelly who led his team to 4 consecutive Super Bowls. All losses of course, but it's an amazing feet nonetheless.

Warren Moon would have had a shot at Marino's records if he hadn't gone and played in Canada for years.

Brett Favre played after '04 but came in the league in '91 and obviously broke all of the records that Marino had set.

 

[wyrmreaver]

Rather than a straight ranking and specific stats I'll just go over my impressions of players from that era.

Joe Montana - lacked a strong arm but had good mobility for the various spring outs and rollouts of the west coast offense. Had accuracy and timing in spades. Was possibly the most efficient QB ever. He lacked the physicality of Young, Marino, and Elway but he was smart, calm in the clutch and rarely made mistakes. Definitely one of the best ever.

Steve Young - a bit of a late bloomer after the USFL, Tampa Bay and some years as a backup. Had a strong arm and would make defenses pay when he scrambled and made ridiculous runs. Developed into being efficient on a level with Montana though not for as many years.

Dan Marino - the quick release and arm strength were uncanny. He was a gunslinger who would make big plays and occasional mistakes. He couldn't outrun his offensive line, let alone scramble, but he was intense and made throws that were breathtaking. He had mind boggling numbers in terms of yards, TDs, and sheer passing volume compared to other guys. He is like Cy Young in baseball who won more games than anyone ever but also lost more.

John Elway - A generational talent, Elway had it all, size, mobility, smarts, and a ridiculously strong arm. He threw the ball too hard for his receivers at first, they had to get machines to throw it faster to practice with. His ability to escape pressure and make something from nothing was mind boggling and I think he was the most physically talented QB of his era, maybe ever.