ToughJ, no Elway in your top ten, not even honorable mention? That's harsh. Rating all-time QBs is really tough because developments and rule changes have affected the way QBs play. Walsh's revolution in the short passing game and its subsequent evolution has made today's QBs much more efficient. If you look at the numbers, the top QBs for yards per completion all played before the revolution in the passing game, because back then most teams threw the ball downfield - that's why the completion percentages and interception ratios of many of the greats of the 50, 60s, 70s have numbers that today would be considered pedestrian, if not unacceptable. That said, Peyton Manning is playing the position as well as anyone ever at this point. His combination of mental and physical gifts are almost unparalleled. Late in his career, Steve Young was playing almost as well, but he wisely chose to retire before he got his brains scrambled. If Young had played a full career - except for one season on a terrible Tampa Bay team, he didn't become a full-time starter until he was 31, and he retired at 37, so he only had seven full seasons - he might have set the benchmark for all QBs. I'd rank them as follows:
1. Manning
2. Montana
3. Unitas (Johnny U was really something. I guess you had to be there.)
4. Young (Among other things, Young ran for 43 tds in his career, which would be a good number for a full-time running back.)
5. Otto Graham (Only seen him play on film, and perhaps this is going too far back in football history, but his winning record is unsurpassed.)
6. Brady
7. Elway
8. Bart Starr (Numbers are good for the era, and the game is about winning. No one won the big prize in the NFL more than Bart.)
9. Bradshaw (Perhaps too high, because the first two Steeler SBs were won almost exclusively with defense, but Terry didn't lose those games, and as the Steel Curtain became more vulnerable, he picked up his game.)
10. Len Dawson (Wildly overlooked, even in his playing days. His numbers are great, especially for the era, and his teams won two championships. He and Starr are probably the prototypes of the "game manager" who makes good decisions, protects the ball, and gives his team a chance to win.)
11. Sonny Jurgensen (extremely productive for his time, and took care of the ball as well. He was bascially an earlier version of . . .)
12. Marino.
13. Staubach (Again, didn't become a full-time starter until he was 31 and retired at 37, came back to the game after a six-year layoff and became a great pro. A great athlete, who QB'd two SB victories, and two close losses (damn you, Jackie Smith). Might have been the best ever, had he had a normal career trajectory)
14. Farve (most would think Brett is far too low, but there it is. Great numbers, but he has failed to protect the ball as a QB in this day and age should. Very dodgy decision making.
15. Tarkenton.
16. Moon. (Didn't become a starter until he was 28, and was productive into his 40s. Probably would have held all the important records until Farve had he been drafted when he should have been. Threw the ball as well as anyone. Was a big winner in the CFL, but not the NFL.)
17. Fouts (Didn't protect the ball as well as he should have, and never got the Chargers over the hump - of course it wasn't his fault half the team was coked out of its mind - but was as smart and tough as any QB ever. Rag arm and he could hardly walk, but had probably the quickest release ever and was unstoppable when he was on.)
18. Aikman (Numbers are pedestrian, but was a winner.)
19. Griese (Ditto)
20. Kelly (Wasted time in the USFL and retired early, which held down his career numbers. Four straight AFC championships count for a lot. However, the Bills would have won that first SB if Kelly had managed the clock better.)
Special Honorable Mention
Doug Flutie. Wasted time in the USFL, and then got totally screwed by the NFL. As good a football player as ever laced them up. CFL numbers are mind-boggling, and he played well enough when he returned to the NFL late in his career. Should have had a top ten NFL career.
Greg Cook. Still the only rookie to lead the league in passing. Played one season, on a second-year expansion team, and electrified football with his poise and arm. The greatest "what if" in football history
Honorable Mention:
Don Meredith (Helped QB the worse expansion team ever, and stuck with them until they became a powerhouse. Retired early at 30 after his best season. Nearly beat Lombardi and the Packers in the NFL title games for places in the first two Super Bowls, which leads to an interesting counter-historical hypothetical: Those first two SBs would have featured very interesting matchups: Cowboys/Chiefs, Cowboys/Raiders. The Cowboys were very much like an AFL team so these games could have been classics, instead of Packer walkovers.)
Phil Simms
Lamonica/Namath Both would have had Farve-like careers and numbers under today's rules. Plus Joe's knees wouldn't have been such a big issue these days.
Ken Anderson/Stabler
Current players who may end up in the top twenty when their careers are finished: Brees, Roethlisberger, Warner, Rivers, possibly Palmer and McNabb. And JaMarcus Russell (just kidding)
Edited by: Alworth No.19
