One non-statistical thing I always think about when making this list:
My team has the ball on its own 20-yard line, down 3 points with 2:00 to go.; what QB would I want leading my team?
Here is my list of the 13 best quarterbacks of the Super Bowl era, with some exclusions:
Johnny Unitas/Bart Starr aren’t on this lost; they obviously were all-time great QB’s, but the peak of their careers happened before the Super Bowl started. Three of Starr’s five NFL titles were before the Super Bowl, two of the three that Unitas won were before I was born.
I’m also eliminating anyone who played for the Rams, just to make the list more fun for me to do. Kurt Warner/Matthew Stafford are two of my three favorite QB’s ever, but neither one will be on this list.
With that said, here is the list……..
13) Troy Aikman
94-71 in regular season, 11-4 in playoff games.
Won three Super Bowls.
Threw for 32,942 yards in regular season games.
First pick in the 1989 draft.
12) Ben Roethlisberger
165-81 in regular season, 13-10 in playoff games.
Won two Super Bowls.
Threw for 64,088 yards in regular season games.
First round pick in the 2004 draft.
11) Jim Kelly
101-59 in regular season, 9-8 in playoff games.
Won the AFC title four years in a row.
Threw for 35,467 yards in regular season games.
Also played two seasons in the USFL.
First round pick in the 1983 draft.
10) Brett Favre
186-112 in regular season, 13-11 in playoff games.
Won Super Bowl with the 1996 Packers.
Threw for 71,838 yards in regular season games.
Second round pick in the 1991 draft.
Falcons traded him to Green Bay after his rookie season.
9) Steve Young
94-49 in regular season, 8-6 in playoff games.
Won his only Super Bowl as a starter with ’94 49ers.
Also played two seasons in the USFL.
First round supplemental pick in the 1984 draft.
8) Patrick Mahomes
95-31 in regular season, 17-4 in playoff games.
Went 5-2 in AFC title games in a seven-year span.
Won three of those five Super Bowls.
First round pick in the 2017 draft.
By the time his career ends, he’ll probably be on top of this list.
7) Dan Marino
147-93 in regular season, 8-10 in playoff games.
Most career wins by a QB who didn’t win a Super Bowl.
Threw for 61,631 yards in regular season games.
First round pick in the 1983 draft.
Famous birthdays, May 6th:
George Clooney, 65
Jason Witten, 44
Chris Paul, 41
Goran Dragic, 40
Gerardo Parra, 39
Jose Altuve, 36
6) Terry Bradshaw
107-51 in regular season, 14-5 in playoff games.
Won four Super Bowls, and is still somehow underrated.
His four Super Bowl titles came in a six-year span.
First pick in the 1970 draft.
5) Roger Staubach
85-29 in regular season, 11-6 in playoff games.
Won two Super Bowls, six years apart with the Cowboys.
Went to the Naval Academy; his rookie year was five years after he was drafted.
10th round pick in the 1964 draft.
4) Peyton Manning
186-79 in regular season, 14-13 in playoff games.
Won two Super Bowls, one with the Colts, one with Denver.
Threw for 71,940 yards in regular season games.
First pick in the 1998 draft.
3) Tom Brady
251-82 in regular season, 35-13 in playoff games.
Won seven Super Bowls, including three of the first four years he started.
Won six Super Bowls with New England, one with Tampa Bay
6th round pick in the 2000 draft.
He has accomplished the most of any QB, but if I had my pick of any QB on this list in their prime, I’d take the next two guys before Brady……..
2) Joe Montana
117-47 in regular season, 16-7 in playoff games.
Won four Super Bowls in a nine-year span.
Threw for 40,551 yards in regular season games.
3rd round pick in the 1979 draft.
1) John Elway
148-82 in regular season, 11-6 in playoff games.
Denver won the AFC five times with him as their QB.
Won the Super Bowl in each of his last two seasons.
1st round pick in the 1983 draft.
There’s the list; it is easier to play quarterback now, they don’t get hit nearly as much. The rules favor the offense; back in the 70’s/80’s QB’s got hit a lot harder than they do now.
