Determining the greatest quarterback of all time isn’t as easy as it should be.
Some will point to John Elway’s physical gifts and say he was the best of the best. Many will remember Dan Marino and say he was the best passer of all time. Aaron Rodgers He is mentioned as the most talented person anyone has ever seen.
But at some point, results have to be the main driver of controversy. This is the only concrete thing to judge any quarterback. And when a quarterback biography is the standard, there is little doubt as to who is the greatest of all time.
Here is a list of the five best players of all time Tom Brady officially Announcing his retirement On Wednesday morning:
5. Drew Brees
Brees may be behind Dan Marino, Otto Graham, Johnny Unitas, Steve Young, John Elway, Brett Favre or others on similar lists, but what box is Brees not checking? He won a Super Bowl with A.J New Orleans Saints Imtiaz did nothing before he got there. If you say Brees’ stats were only due to the era in which he played, it’s hard to explain how he led the NFL in passing yards seven times, which was a record. Brees has five of the 14 5,000-yard seasons in NFL history, and Tom Brady is the only other player on that list multiple times. Brees set records for career passing and touchdowns, though Brady passed him in both categories. If accomplishments matter so much, Brees is a top five quarterback.
4. Joe Montana
Montana benefited greatly from playing on great 49ers teams, with all-time legend in Bill Walsh coaching him. His legend is built on his 4-0 record in Super Bowls, though that ignores that he failed (sometimes in Amazing fashion) in other playoffs. But he was great in those Super Bowls and was a master of calm in pressure situations, resulting in a generation that still considers him the best of all time. He won Most Valuable Player Awards in 1989 and 1990 and for a long time, his accuracy and deadly accuracy running West Coast Offense set the standard for quarterbacking in the NFL.
3. Peyton Manning
Manning won five MVPs and could have had more; He was a seven-time First Team All-Pro quarterback. He finished second in MVP voting three times and third again. Win a championship with Indianapolis Colts Take the worry out that he’ll be in that group of great guys without a ring. He then became the first quarterback to win the starting quarterback from two different franchises when he got one with the Denver Broncos. He was a fluke to himself on the title team in 2015, but a karmic payback for 2012-2014, when the Broncos had some great teams and couldn’t win it all. Manning’s 2013 season, when he set single-season records for passing yards and touchdowns, may be the single greatest season in NFL history.
2. Aaron Rodgers
Many will credit Rodgers with winning only one Super Bowl, although it is not easy to win even once. Ask Dan Marino. Rodgers has done it all, including the game’s MVP and some of the best individual seasons ever. His arm talent and accuracy, especially from impossible angles, is simply amazing. That he was still winning the MVP award in his late 30s is testament to his greatness, and the lack of another championship cannot be pinned on him alone.
1. Tom Brady
No one can match Brady’s accomplishments. Brady has played in an astonishing 14 conference championships, winning 10 of them and winning 7 of the 10 Super Bowls he has played in. No other quarterback has won more than four Super Bowls. No other player in any position has more than five. Only Peyton Manning and Brady have won Super Bowls with two different franchises, dispelling any notion that Brady was just a product of the Patriots system. Brady’s longevity is unparalleled – it’s often been said that if you cut his career in half, the first half of his career and the second half of his career would be Hall of Fame-worthy. He was also amazing and no-nonsense, proven by the MVP of the game. He is the all-time top 10 player in passing yards and passing touchdowns, and in the top 10 all-time in passer rating.
It’s not like you can’t make an argument for Manning or Rodgers or whoever else is the best of the best. But the argument will come up short.