Top 50 NFL Quarterbacks: Intro

Four years ago I released the first version of my rankings of the 50 greatest NFL quarterbacks of all time. While I feel that it was a somewhat good representation of their greatness over time, I did feel like there were some flaws in the system, causing some players to be ranked too high or too low, or to miss out on the top 50 altogether.

One issue I discovered is that players from all eras were being judged on the basis of the current game, which emphasizes passing more than it did in previous eras. I felt it was more fair to judge players based on how well they performed in the league in which they played, so I calculated the average quarterback output in each major category on a per dropback basis for each season, then calculated how far above or below average each quarterback was during that specific season. Each positive score was added together to attain a cumulative career score for each player, while negative scores were discarded.

Another issue that I discovered is that the rushing abilities of many quarterbacks was being minimized, which made many of the other per dropback averages look bad. I was able to incorporate this more fully into the formula this time, putting it on equal footing with yards gained through the air, because both are positives for the team.

This system rewards not only short periods of greatness, but also sustained periods of solid play, with the top players on the list having sustained periods of greatness. Players need to play at a high level, meaning minimizing turnovers and yards lost, while maximizing positive yardage and scoring. In addition, longevity is very important, though that longevity must go along with solid play. Also, winning matters, because quarterback is the single most important position in sports and has the greatest impact on team success, so playoff performance is also included in the formula, giving players a bonus for how well they performed in postseason games. Winning the Super Bowl does not always mean positive points for a player, because sometimes the team wins in spite of quarterback play, but great play, especially in a championship situation, can give a big boost to a player.

Nine of the 10 players from my previous top 10 remained in those spots in this iteration of the rankings, and 38 of the previous top 50 are back this time, with only 3 of those spots being taken by current players who played their way onto the list and 9 coming from older players who were missed on the previous version. 30 teams have a representative on the list, meaning a player who earned points while playing for that team, with just the Texans and Jaguars, two of the newest franchises, being shut out. An additional 4 teams, the Buccaneers, Cardinals, Jets, and Lions, are not the primary team of any player on the list, while the 49ers top the list with 4 such players.

There are 9 players each whose primary decade was the 2010's, 2000's, or 1990's, with slightly fewer in each of the earlier decades when there were fewer teams and players. There are also 9 current quarterbacks on the list, with three others who have retired in the past few years. 60 total championships are represented, including many before the creation of the Super Bowl, but 24 of the players represented do not have a ring.

I plan to reveal the 50 players over the course of the summer, finishing up before the new season starts, and I will update this post with a list of the players who have been revealed and a link to their writeup. While no ranking system can be perfect, especially with differing opinions and favoritism toward players on your favorite team, I feel that this ranking is a very good representation of the best players ever at the position. My purpose is not to create arguments about a player's worthiness to be on the list or at a certain rank, but rather to celebrate the greatness of these 50 men. I hope you enjoy it.

1. Tom Brady - Patriots - 2010's
2. Joe Montana - 49ers - 1980's
3. Steve Young - 49ers - 1990's
4. Peyton Manning - Colts - 2000's
5. Otto Graham - Browns - 1950's
6. Aaron Rodgers - Packers - 2010's
7. Drew Brees - Saints - 2010's
8. Brett Favre - Packers - 1990's
9. Dan Marino - Dolphins - 1980's
10. John Elway - Broncos - 1990's
11. Sid Luckman - Bears - 1940's
12. Terry Bradshaw - Steelers - 1960's
13. Bart Starr - Packers - 1960's
14. Roger Staubach - Cowboys - 1970's
15. Kurt Warner - Rams - 2000's
16. Fran Tarkenton - Vikings - 1970's
17. Donovan McNabb - Eagles - 2000's
18. Ben Roethlisberger - Steelers - 2000's
19. Steve McNair - Titans - 2000's
20. Johnny Unitas - Colts - 1960's
21. Matt Ryan - Falcons - 2010's
22. Randall Cunningham - Eagles - 1990's
23. Tobin Rote - Chargers - 1950's
24. Russell Wilson - Seahawks - 2010's
25. Ken Anderson - Bengals - 1970's
26. Len Dawson - Chiefs - 1960's
27. Cam Newton - Panthers - 2010's
28. Troy Aikman - Cowboys - 1990's
29. Jeff Garcia - 49ers - 2000's
30. Daryle Lamonica - Raiders - 1960's
31. Warren Moon - Oilers - 1990's
32. Rich Gannon - Raiders - 2000's
33. Ken Stabler - Raiders - 1970's
34. Alex Smith - Chiefs - 2010's
35. Daunte Culpepper - Vikings - 2000's
36. Charlie Conerly - Giants - 1950's
37. Jim McMahon - Bears - 1980's
38. Philip Rivers - Chargers - 2010's
39. Dan Fouts - Chargers - 1980's
40. Tony Romo - Cowboys - 2010's
41. Michael Vick - Eagles - 2000's
42. Roman Gabriel - Rams - 1960's
43. Boomer Esiason - Bengals - 1980's
44. Y.A. Tittle - 49ers - 1950's
45. Jeff Hostetler - Giants - 1990's
46. Norm Van Brocklin - Rams - 1950's
47. Kordell Stewart - Steelers - 1990's
48. Steve Grogan - Patriots - 1980's
49. Jim Kelly - Bills - 1990's
50. Joe Theismann - Redskins - 1980's