Top 50 NFL Quarterbacks: #29 - Jeff Garcia

Jeff Garcia

Jeff Garcia is one of the most underrated quarterbacks to ever play in the NFL, largely because he took over as the quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers after 20 years of Joe Montana or Steve Young at the helm.

Garcia went undrafted in 1994, so he went north to play in the CFL, where he was a standout, being named an All-Star 4 straight seasons and winning a championship MVP in 1998, which earned him a shot in the NFL with the 49ers, who signed him to back up Steve Young. Young went down with a concussion early in the 1999 season, and Garcia stepped in. He struggled in his first 5 starts, but got better down the stretch, throwing 8 TDs and only 2 picks in the final 5 games.

Steve Young retired after the season, so the 49ers drafted 2 quarterbacks that spring, but Garcia beat them both out for the starting job, and he responded in a big way, setting a new franchise record for passing yards in a season with 4278, a number that still stands today. He also threw 31 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions, but the Niners won only 6 games.

The next year he was just as good, becoming just the 6th passer ever to have consecutive 30-touchdown seasons, a feat that has been matched by 5 others since. He led them to a 12-4 record and a spot in the playoffs, but they lost to Green Bay in their first playoff game, ending their season prematurely.

His numbers dropped off a bit in 2002, but he was able to get the Niners back to the playoffs, and even got them a win, beating the Giants 39-38 after completing the second-largest comeback in playoff history. He played well again in 2003, but his relationship with star receiver Terrell Owens was disintegrating, and the team fell short of the playoffs, which led to Garcia being released after the season.

He played a couple of difficult seasons with terrible teams in Cleveland and Detroit before landing in Philadelphia to back up Donovan McNabb, and when McNabb injured his knee late in the season, Garcia took over and guided the Eagles to a 5-1 finish and a playoff berth. He had his best postseason that year, beating the Giants before falling to the Saints, but he didn't throw any interceptions in those two games.

With McNabb slated to return the next season, the Eagles elected not to resign Garcia, who left for a starting job in Tampa Bay, where he was a solid starter for two years. He later returned to the Eagles for one final season before retiring from the NFL.

He may not have lived up to the legacies of his two predecessors in San Francisco, but very few have ever matched their production. Garcia had two superstar-level seasons for the 49ers, then two more very good seasons, and he remained a good starter for several years afterward. He may not have reached the heights that many hoped he would, but he was good enough for long enough that he has to be included on this list of the best quarterbacks of all time.