The Best Quarterback in Each Team's History

Jim Hart played for the Cardinals when the itinerant franchise was in St. Louis. He played 18 seasons with the team, more than any other player in the franchise’s history. His longevity with the Cardinals is a big reason he got the nod for best franchise quarterback over Kurt Warner, who took the team to their lone Super Bowl appearance.

Hart set Cardinals career records for wins by a quarterback (87), pass attempts (5,069), completions (2,590), passing yards (34,639), and touchdown passes (209). He was selected to four straight Pro Bowls (1974-77) — more than any other Cardinals’ quarterback. Hart led the Cardinals to three consecutive 10-win seasons (1974-76) and back-to-back division titles in 1974 and 1975.

Known as “Matty Ice,” Matt Ryan has regularly demonstrated his coolness under pressure since his entry into the league in 2008. In 2016, he posted one of the greatest seasons in NFL history by passing for 4,944 yards and 38 touchdown passes with just seven interceptions, and having a quarterback rating of 117.1. For his efforts, Ryan was named league MVP, the only Atlanta Falcons player to ever win the award. That season, Ryan steered the Falcons to their second Super Bowl appearance, where they lost to the New England Patriots.

As his career has stretched into its second decade with Atlanta, Ryan has established himself as one of the most accomplished QBs of all time. In 2019 and 2020, he led the NFL in completions. Ryan is one of two quarterbacks in NFL history who has thrown for over 4,000 yards in at least 10 consecutive seasons, along with Drew Brees. Going into the 2021 season, Ryan ranks ninth all-time in career passing yards, at 55,767.

Though Lamar Jackson became in 2019 the only Ravens player to win NFL MVP honors, the young quarterback still has a ways to go before he becomes the greatest QB in Ravens history. As of 2021, that honor still belongs to Joe Flacco, even though he was benched in favor of Jackson in 2018. Flacco is the Ravens’ all-time leading passer in yards (38,245), touchdown passes (212), and completions (3,499). In 2016, he threw for a single-season team-record 4,317 yards.

Flacco is by far the longest tenured Ravens QB, having played for the team for 11 out of its 25 seasons. Though he was never selected to an All-Pro team, or even a Pro Bowl, Flacco led Baltimore to the Super Bowl XLVII title in 2012 and was named the game’s MVP. After being benched in 2018, Flacco moved on to the Denver Broncos for 2019, the New York Jets for 2020, and has signed with the Philadelphia Eagles for 2021.

Jim Kelly gets the nod as the Buffalo Bills’ greatest signal caller in franchise history. Kelly was part of the storied 1983 NFL draft that produced such notable quarterbacks as Dan Marino, John Elway, and Tony Eason among others. After a stint in the United States Football League, Kelly went to the snowy climes of Buffalo.

Kelly directed a high-powered offense featuring running back Thurman Thomas and wide receiver Andre Reed that took the Bills to four straight Super Bowls in the early 1990s. In his 11 seasons in Buffalo, Kelly led the Bills to the playoffs eight times. Throughout his career, Kelly made five Pro Bowls and was named first team All-Pro in 1991. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002.

Founded in 1995, the Carolina Panthers are one of the newest NFL franchises. Only a handful of players have started at QB for the team. Of those, Cam Newton is by far the best. After being drafted first overall in 2011 by the Carolina Panthers, Newton quickly showed why he was so valuable. He shattered the rookie passing record, becoming the first player to throw for over 4,000 yards in his first season en route to rookie of the year honors.

Of his nine seasons with the Panthers, 2015 was easily the best. Newton threw 35 touchdown passes against 10 interceptions and capped off that campaign by making his third Pro Bowl, winning the MVP, and leading the Panthers to a 15-1 record and a trip to Super Bowl 50. After an injury-shortened 2019 season, the Panthers cut Newton, who joined the New England Patriots for 2020 and resigned for 2021.

Sid Luckman helped define the role of the modern quarterback. Luckman’s signal calling and passing skills were instrumental in the Bears’ 73-0 shellacking of the Washington Redskins in the 1940 NFL Championship. It remains the most one-sided result in NFL postseason history, and that game changed the way teams run their offense.

The Bears were truly the Monsters of the Midway under Luckman’s direction in the 1940s. Luckman was a dominant passer that decade, leading the NFL in passing yards and passing touchdowns three times. They won NFL titles in 1940, 1941, 1943, and 1946. They won only two championships in the following seven decades.

Selecting the greatest Cincinnati Bengals’ quarterback was a tough call. Both Ken Anderson and Boomer Esiason won the league’s most valuable player award and both took the Bengals to the Super Bowl. But Anderson, who spent his entire 16-year career with the Bengals, gets the edge because his lifetime record is better.

Anderson exercised pinpoint accuracy in leading the Bengals. He completed more than 64% of his passes in three seasons, and in four he had a quarterback rating for the full season of 90 points or better. His greatest season was 1981, when he threw for 3,754 yards and 29 touchdowns to win league MVP and take the Bengals to the Super Bowl. Anderson is also the team’s career leader in passing yards (32,838) and passing touchdowns (197).

No list of all-time great quarterbacks of any kind would be complete without Otto Graham. He took the Browns to league championship games in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and then in the National Football League every year between 1946 and 1955 — and the Browns won seven of them.

Most of Graham’s records have been surpassed, but one has not. Graham has the highest winning percentage of any quarterback in NFL history with a minimum of 35 wins at .788 (61 wins to 16 losses). Paul Brown, who coached Graham in Cleveland, once said about the quarterback: “The test of a quarterback is where his team finishes. By that standard, Otto Graham was the best of all time.”

The Dallas Cowboys have a rich history at quarterback with Troy Aikman, Tony Romo, and Don Meredith to name just a few. But there is only one Captain America, and that is Roger Staubach. Staubach won the Heisman Trophy while playing at the Naval Academy, so you knew he had the leadership skills. Staubach’s combination of scrambling and passing skills, and his knack for making big plays in the most desperate situations, made him a Cowboy immortal.

With Staubach helming the offense, America’s Team reached the conference championship game six times in nine seasons, played in the Super Bowl four times, and won twice. Staubach was the MVP in the Cowboys’ first Super Bowl victory in 1972, completing 12 of 19 passes and two touchdowns. When he retired in 1979, the six-time Pro Bowler was the second-leading passer in team history with 22,700 yards and 153 touchdowns. He also ran for 2,264 yards and 20 touchdowns.

NFL historians point to the 1983 draft as the greatest of all time for quarterbacks as six were drafted in the first round — and none were greater than John Elway. He won 148 games in his 16-year career and still ranks among the top 10 quarterbacks in career passing yardage (51,475) and 12th in touchdown passes (300).

Throughout his career, Elway and the Broncos were labeled “chokers” after losing three Super Bowls in the 1980s. But Elway persevered, winning back-to-back Super Bowls in 1998 and 1999, his final seasons.

There was a time when the Detroit Lions ruled the NFL, and Bobby Layne was their best player. In the 1950s, Layne directed the Lions to three NFL titles, the last one in 1957. That is also the last NFL title the Lions won. He was also selected to six Pro Bowl teams and three All-Pro teams.

Though Matthew Stafford holds virtually every Detroit passing record now, Layne ranks second in Lions history in career records for completions (1,074), passing yards (15,710), and touchdown passes (118). Much of that output occurred late in the games, as he specialized in late-game rallies. Layne, who was inducted into the football Hall of Fame in 1986, is often cited as the innovator of the two-minute offense. ”Bobby Layne never lost a game,” his friend and former teammate Doak Walker once said. ”Sometimes, time just ran out on him.”

The Green Bay Packers have been fortunate to have some of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game. Bart Starr or Aaron Rodgers would have been fine selections as the best franchise quarterback of all time for the Packers, but because of his standout individual statistics, Brett Favre still ranks as the best QB in Green Bay history.

Favre restored the Packers to glory in leading them to a Super Bowl victory in 1997, their first in almost 30 years. During his Packers career, Favre threw for 61,655 yards and 442 touchdowns, which alone would rank top 10 all time. Favre added to those totals as a member of the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings at the end of his career. He won his three MVP awards in succession (1995-97) with the Packers. Favre was also durable, starting an NFL record of 297 consecutive regular-season games.

The Houston Texans have not been around that long and have yet to produce a legendary quarterback. Current QB Deshaun Watson’s once-promising NFL future has been thrown into doubt after he was accused of inappropriate conduct by more than 20 women. But Matt Schaub served the team well in the seven years he played there.

Schaub has been selected twice to the Pro Bowl and has thrown 124 touchdown passes for Houston — throwing 20 touchdown passes or more in three seasons. His best season was in 2009, when he led the league in passing yards (4,770), passing yards per game (298), and passes completed (396). Schaub holds all Texans’ records in every passing category.

The Colts are a tricky team when it comes to choosing the best quarterback. Without question, Peyton Manning is the best ever to play for the Colts after they moved to Indianapolis in 1984. But when they were still in Baltimore, there is no doubt that Johnny Unitas was the greatest signal caller for the team. The numbers, though, tilt in Manning’s favor, barely.

In his Colts career, Manning passed for 54,828 yards and 399 touchdowns. With Indianapolis, Manning led the NFL in passing yardage twice and passing touchdowns three times. He led the Colts to victory over the Chicago Bears in the 2007 Super Bowl. Manning won MVP four times with the Colts and a fifth time with the Broncos.

Mark Brunell holds all the passing records for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He has the most touchdown passes (144), passing yards (25,698), and most completions (2,184). The left-hander from the University of Washington has also played more games as the Jacksonville signal caller than any other quarterback.

His best season at Jacksonville was in his second year with the Jaguars in 1996, when he led the league with 4,367 passing yards. Brunell directed Jacksonville to its best regular-season record of 14-2 in 1999. Under Brunell, the Jags reached the playoffs four times and got to the AFC Championship Game in 1996 before falling to the New England Patriots.

Though Patrick Mahomes appears to be well on his way to becoming the greatest quarterback in Kansas City Chiefs history, he still has a ways to go to catch up with the accomplishments of Hall of Famer Len Dawson. More than 40 years after he retired, Dawson is the franchise leader in career passing yards (28,507) and touchdowns (237).

Dawson joined the Chiefs organization in 1962, the final year the team played in Dallas as the Texans. He led that team to the American Football League Championship. He also led the Chiefs to their first two Super Bowl appearances, losing the first ever Super Bowl to the Green Bay Packers in 1967 but winning Super Bowl IV over the favored Minnesota Vikings in 1970.

The Las Vegas Raiders, then in Oakland, had one of their most successful stretches when Ken Stabler played for them in the 1970s. Stabler played 10 years with the Raiders, serving as the primary starter for seven of those years.

Stabler led the Raiders to the playoffs six times, and his postseason record of 7-4 with the team included a Super Bowl victory in 1977. The Raiders never had a losing season with Stabler at the helm. His greatest season was 1974, when he won the MVP and led the league in touchdown passes with 26.

Though Philip Rivers holds virtually every passing record in Chargers history, Dan Fouts still stands out as the franchise’s best QB of all time. This is in large part because of his two All-Pro designations and Hall of Fame status. Rivers was never named an All-Pro.

Fouts helped turn the NFL into a high-octane, passing focused league. He led the NFL in passing yards four seasons in a row from 1979-1982. In 1981, Fouts became the first player to pass for over 4,800 yards in a single season.

Kurt Warner went from bagging groceries to becoming a Hall of Fame QB. He was not drafted to the NFL and played in the Arena Football League and NFL Europe before he signed with the St. Louis Rams. He would eventually take the Rams and their “Greatest Show on Turf” to their only Super Bowl win in Super Bowl XXXIV, passing for 414 yards and winning the MVP.

Warner also has two regular-season MVPs to his credit, for the 1999 and 2001 seasons. Just to prove his time with the Rams was not a fluke, Warner led the 2008 Arizona Cardinals to their first Super Bowl appearance in XLIII.

Hall of Famer Dan Marino is another member of the storied quarterback class of 1983, and some might say he is its valedictorian. He is regarded by some NFL historians as the greatest passer to ever play in the NFL, known for his quick release and powerful arm. He was the first quarterback to pass for more than 5,000 yards in one season when he threw for 5,084 in 1984. No other QB could replicate that feat for more than 25 years.

Marino put up impressive statistics in his 17 seasons, all of which were with the Miami Dolphins. He led the NFL in passing yardage five times and touchdowns three times. He made nine Pro Bowls, three All-Pro teams, and was named MVP once, in 1984. He was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2005. Yet there is one blot on Marino’s storied career — his playoff struggles. In spite of his statistical success, Marino made it to just one Super Bowl. His Dolphins lost to the San Francisco 49ers in 1985.

Fran Tarkenton was famous as an undersized scrambler; he’s also famous for being a winner. Tarkenton had two separate stints with the Minnesota Vikings with a period with the New York Giants in between. In his second tenure with the purple-clad Vikings, Tarkenton took them to three Super Bowls, and Minnesota lost all of them.

During his second tenure with the Vikings, Tarkenton was named MVP of the NFL in 1975, when he was 35 years old. He led the league that year with 25 touchdown passes and 273 completions. In his final season in 1978, Tarkenton completed 345 passes for 3,468 yards, both career highs. By the time he retired, Tarkenton owned every major quarterback record. He still holds the Vikings records for passing yards (33,098), completions (2,635), and touchdown passes (239). He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1986.

Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback in the history of the New England Patriots. Brady, a sixth-round draft pick in 2000, replaced an injured Drew Bledsoe in 2001 to lead the Patriots to a Super Bowl championship.

Since, Brady racked up trophies and honors with the Pats — six Super Bowl rings, 14 Pro Bowls, and three MVPs. He demonstrated his greatness again when, at age 43, he won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in his first season with another team after two full decades in New England.

The recently-retired Drew Brees was the architect of the only successful period in New Orleans Saints history. Brees has thrown for 5,000 yards five times, more than any other quarterback in league history. His 5,476 yards passing in the 2011 season is second by 1 yard to Peyton Manning’s single-season mark. Brees has also led the NFL in passing yards seven times since joining New Orleans.

Brees led the Saints to their only Super Bowl victory in 2010 by completing 32 of 39 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns. It was a great moment for Brees, who came from San Diego to New Orleans shortly after Hurricane Katrina had ravaged the city and became deeply involved in its recovery.

Eli Manning is one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in NFL history, and the greatest signal caller the New York Giants have ever had. He is one of just a dozen QBs with multiple Super Bowl wins, and he ranks eighth in career passing yards, at just over 57,000.

Though Manning never led the NFL in passing yards or touchdowns in a given season, his steady, consistent play at QB allowed dominant defenses to propel the Giants to postseason success. In the 2008 Super Bowl, Manning led the Giants to an upset victory over the previously undefeated New England Patriots. Four years later, he beat the Patriots again in the Super Bowl. During those two postseason runs, Manning threw 15 touchdown passes and had just two interceptions.

The New York Jets have been one of the most hapless franchises in the NFL as of late. The one bright spot in franchise history, Super Bowl III in 1969, was achieved largely thanks to Joe Namath. “Broadway Joe” boldly guaranteed his Jets would beat the heavily favored Baltimore Colts, and he turned out to be right.

Namath was one of the AFL’s best QBs and continued his high level of play after the Jets and the rest of the AFL merged with the NFL for the 1970 season, making his fifth Pro Bowl in 1972. The Hall of Famer still holds the Jets career records for passing yards (27,057) and touchdowns (170).

Though the Philadelphia Eagles finally won their first Super Bowl in 2018, both quarterbacks that helped them to the championship — Carson Wentz and Nick Foles — are with other teams. For at least the next few years, the most accomplished QB in Eagles history will remain Donovan McNabb. He is still the Eagles career leader in wins (92), completions (2,801), passing yards (32,873), and touchdown passes (216).

After being drafted second overall by Philly in 1999, McNabb made five straight Pro Bowls from 2000-2004, and a sixth in 2009, his last year with the Eagles. The Eagles reached the NFC Conference Championship Game each season from 2001 to 2003, but lost each time. McNabb had his best year in 2004, completing 300 out of 469 (64%) passes for 3,875 yards, 31 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are tied with New England for the most Super Bowl wins, with six, won by two different quarterbacks — Ben Roethlisberger and Terry Bradshaw. Though Roethlisberger owns every Steelers passing record, Bradshaw gets the nod as the greatest Steelers QB. Bradshaw won more Super Bowls (4), and earned one All-Pro selection and one NFL MVP award, which Roethlisberger has never done.

Bradshaw, known as the Blonde Bomber, was drafted first overall in the 1970 NFL Draft. He had a knack for throwing the ball deep, and he led the NFL in yards per pass attempt and touchdown passes two times apiece. His Steelers were the dominant team of the 1970s, winning four Super Bowls thanks to his passing prowess and the vaunted Steel Curtain defense of the era.

Hall of Famer Joe Montana is the best San Francisco 49ers quarterback and one of the greatest QBs of all time. In his 13 years with the 49ers, he won four Super Bowls, two MVPs, and made seven Pro Bowls. His 35,124 pass yards and 244 passing touchdowns are still the most of any player in team history.

Montana, also known as “Joe Cool” for his calmness under pressure, was destined for pro greatness. By the time he had entered the league in 1979, he had already won a national championship at Notre Dame. Montana took charge of coach Bill Walsh’s West Coast offense and turned the 49ers into one of the greatest dynasties in NFL history.

Russell Wilson entered the NFL in 2012 with the knock that he was too short to win in the league. Wilson continues to prove the naysayers wrong. In his nine seasons, he has never missed a game and propelled his Seattle Seahawks to a winning record every single season, including in 2013, when he and the team’s legendary Legion of Boom defense brought Seattle its first and only Super Bowl.

Wilson is already by far the most statistically impressive QB the Seattle Seahawks have ever had. He holds the franchise records for passing yards (33,946), passing touchdowns (267), passer rating (101.7), and wins (98) — and he appears to have many productive years still ahead of him.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a tricky team to determine the best QB for as they have never had the same starting quarterback for more than six consecutive seasons. Players like Vinny Testaverde, Trent Dilfer, Josh Freeman, and Jameis Winston were all Bucs’ first round draft picks, but left the franchise soon after without much success.

Despite the constant turnover at the QB position, Tampa Bay has won two Super Bowls — one with Tom Brady under center in 2021 and another with Brad Johnson at QB in 2003. Brady has not been in Florida long enough to have a solid claim as the Bucs best QB, so it must go to Johnson — the only Tampa player in history to spend multiple seasons starting at QB with a winning record.

After stints at Minnesota and Washington, Johnson joined Tampa Bay in 2001. He helped guide the Buccaneers to their first Super Bowl win in 2003. During that season, Johnson tossed 22 touchdown passes and was chosen for the Pro Bowl, making him the only QB in Tampa Bay history to make a Pro Bowl and win a Super Bowl.

The Tennessee Titans were once known as the Houston Oilers, and when they were the Oilers, Warren Moon was their quarterback. He was a free-wheeling thrower who gained Hall of Fame recognition as a quarterback who could fling the ball deep. His best season in Houston was in 1990, when he threw for 33 scores against 13 interceptions and led the league with 4,689 yards and 362 completions.

Wins were harder to come by, and Moon had an undistinguished postseason record. With the Oilers, he was only 3-6, with 15 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions. Yet his credentials were good enough to get him enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 2006.

Though the Washington Football Team has won a Super Bowl with three different quarterbacks, their greatest ever QB, Sammy Baugh, predates the Super Bowl era. Baugh helped define the modern quarterback. Before him, football games were grind-out affairs, and passing was only done when a team was forced to throw. Baugh helped change that. He led the NFL in passing yards four times, passing yards-per-game five times, completion percentage right times, passing touchdowns twice, and passer rating three times — even though he technically began his career as a tailback.

Baugh helped Washington win two NFL championships, and he earned six Pro Bowl nods and four All-Pro designations throughout his career. Many NFL historians consider Baugh as the greatest player in NFL history for his versatility. But his nickname is Slingin’ Sammy for a reason, and he gets the nod over such Washington Redskins notables as Joe Theismann and Sonny Jurgensen.