Top 50 NFL Quarterbacks: #4 - Peyton Manning

Peyton Manning

Peyton Manning is always included in conversations about the greatest quarterbacks of all time, but he is rarely called the greatest due to the fact that despite his amazing regular season statistics, he won only 2 Super Bowls in his career. While he may not be the greatest champion in league history, he is possibly the greatest regular season player ever, and had greater longevity than nearly every other QB in history.

He began his career as a #1 pick in 1998, going to the Indianapolis Colts, where he was immediately inserted as the starting quarterback. In his 18 seasons, he has only missed a total of 22 games, comprising the entire 2011 season, when he sat out due to two neck surgeries, and 6 games in his final season. His rookie season and his final season were the only times in his entire career when he wasn't one of the top passers in the entire league.

He vaulted to the top of the league in his second season, with 4135 yards, 26 touchdowns, and only 15 interceptions, and the Colts improved by 10 games, to 13-3. They would lose in their first playoff game, however, which would become a pattern in his career, with 9 seasons ending with a loss in his first playoff game.

In his third season, he led the league with 4413 yards and 33 touchdowns, the first of many times he would lead the league in each. He failed to win a playoff game once again, and didn't even get the Colts to the playoff the following year. It would be the final time he would miss the playoffs. 

In 2003, he led the league in yardage for the second time, winning his first MVP award while leading Indy to a 12-4 record, and once the playoffs started, he finally got things on track. In his first ever playoff win, he threw 377 yards and 5 touchdowns, destroying the Broncos 41-10. He threw 304 yards and 3 touchdowns in the next round, getting to his first AFC title game, where the Colts fell to Tom Brady and the Patriots 24-14.

He followed up his first MVP season with a repeat performance, throwing 4557 yards, his best to that point, along with 49 touchdowns, which broke Dan Marino's long-standing record of 48, and had only 10 interceptions. He was awarded his 2nd MVP for that amazing performance, but fell to New England in the playoffs again.

In 2005 he posted his worst statistical season since he was a rookie, missing the 4000 yard mark for only the second time in his career, but the Colts finished with a 14-2 record, the best of Manning's career. It was Pittsburgh that would end his season early this time, the third straight season he fell to the eventual champions in the playoffs.

In 2006 he was back on top, leading the league in touchdown passes for the third time, and he finally exorcised his playoff demons, taking out the Patriots in the AFC title game and reaching his first Super Bowl. He was not great in that game, with 247 yards and 1 touchdown, but it was enough for him to earn the Super Bowl MVP.

He was his usual great self in 2007, but was overshadowed by Tom Brady, who broke his record when he reached 50 touchdown passes while leading the Patriots to an undefeated season. Manning would bow out in his first playoff game once again. When Brady was hurt at the beginning of 2008, Manning looked to have a clear path to another title, but despite winning his 3rd MVP, he couldn't get past his first playoff opponent again.

In 2009 he was even better, with 4500 yards and 33 touchdowns, and the Colts were better also, getting back to 14-2. He pushed right through the playoffs, getting to the Super Bowl for the second time, and while he played better than the previous game, his 333 yards and 1 touchdown weren't enough to stop Drew Brees and the Saints.

In 2010 he set a new career high with 4700 yards, but the Colts only won 10 games, their lowest total in 8 years. After another first round playoff exit, he went to a doctor about neck pain that he had been having for several years, and discovered that he would need surgery on his neck, and the recovery cost him the entire 2011 season. Nervous about how he would fare after his return, the Colts released him before the 2012 season.

He signed with Denver during the offseason, and posted one of the best seasons of his career, with 4659 yards and 37 touchdowns while leading the Broncos to a 13-3 record. He was awarded the Comeback Player of the Year Award for his great season, but was also back to his old tricks in the playoffs, losing in the first game once again.

The 2013 season would be truly historic, and ranks as one of the best seasons ever by any quarterback. He broke Drew Brees' passing yard record when he finished with 5477, and he broke Tom Brady's touchdown record with 55. He also threw only 10 interceptions all season, and was one of the easiest choices for MVP in history. The first two playoff games went great, with another win over Tom Brady and the Patriots in the AFC title game earning a third Super Bowl berth, but the big game couldn't have gone much worse, and they were destroyed 43-8.

In 2014 he became one of the oldest passers ever to play at an elite level, passing for 4727 yards and 39 touchdowns, a bit lower than the previous season but still better than most of the league. He was disappointed with another quick playoff exit, continuing his career trend.

He had his worst statistical season in 2015, battling foot issues that were serious enough that the iron man sat out 6 games in the middle of the season. He came back for the playoffs, and they ran through the competition to get Peyton his second Super Bowl title, though it was the defense that won, and not anything in particular that Manning did.

Manning threw for over 4000 yards 14 times, a league record, and over 30 touchdowns 9 times, which trails only Drew Brees' 10. He has a record 5 MVP's, and owns the single season records for both touchdowns and yardage, along with the career record for touchdowns. But while he dominated the regular season like no other, he was rarely on top of his game in the playoffs, losing his first playoff game 9 times, many of which were upsets, but there is no doubt that he is one of the greatest to ever play the game.

Top 50 NFL Quarterbacks: #1 - Peyton Manning

Peyton Manning

Peyton Manning is always included in conversations about the greatest quarterbacks of all time, but he is rarely called the greatest due to the fact that despite his amazing regular season statistics, he has only won one Super Bowl in his career. While he may not be the greatest champion in league history, he is the greatest regular season player ever, and has greater longevity than nearly every other QB in history.

He began his career as a #1 pick in 1998, going to the Indianapolis Colts, where he was immediately inserted as the starting quarterback. In his 17 seasons, he has only missed a total of 16 games, comprising the entire 2011 season, when he sat out due to two neck surgeries. His rookie season was the only time in his entire career when he wasn't one of the top passers in the entire league, with 3739 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 28 interceptions, each of which was the worst he would ever have.

He vaulted to the top of the league in his second season, with 4135 yards, 26 touchdowns, and only 15 interceptions, and the Colts improved by 10 games, to 13-3. They would lose in their first playoff game, however, which would become a pattern in his career, with 9 seasons ending with a loss in his first playoff game.

In his third season, he led the league with 4413 yards and 33 touchdowns, the first of many times he would lead the league in each. He failed to win a playoff game once again, and didn't even get the Colts to the playoff the following year. It would be the final time he would miss the playoffs. He got them back in 2002, but again lost in round 1.

In 2003, he led the league in yardage for the second time, winning his first MVP award while leading Indy to a 12-4 record, and once the playoffs started, he finally got things on track. In his first ever playoff win, he threw 377 yards and 5 touchdowns, destroying the Broncos 41-10. He threw 304 yards and 3 touchdowns in the next round, getting to his first AFC title game, where the Colts fell to Tom Brady and the Patriots 24-14.

He followed up his first MVP season with a repeat performance, throwing 4557 yards, his best to that point, along with 49 touchdowns, which broke Dan Marino's long-standing record of 48, and had only 10 interceptions. He was awarded his 2nd MVP for that amazing performance, but fell to New England in the playoffs again.

In 2005 he posted his worst statistical season since he was a rookie, missing the 4000 yard mark for only the second time in his career, but the Colts finished with a 14-2 record, the best of Manning's career. It was Pittsburgh that would end his season early this time, the third straight season he fell to the eventual champions in the playoffs.

In 2006 he was back on top, leading the league in touchdown passes for the third time, and he finally exorcised his playoff demons, taking out the Patriots in the AFC title game and reaching his first Super Bowl. He was not great in that game, with 247 yards and 1 touchdown, but it was enough for him to earn the Super Bowl MVP.

He was his usual great self in 2007, but was overshadowed by Tom Brady, who broke his record when he reached 50 touchdown passes while leading the Patriots to an undefeated season. Manning would bow out in his first playoff game once again. When Brady was hurt at the beginning of 2008, Manning looked to have a clear path to another title, but despite winning his 3rd MVP, he couldn't get past his first playoff opponent again.

In 2009 he was even better, with 4500 yards and 33 touchdowns, and the Colts were better also, getting back to 14-2. He pushed right through the playoffs, getting to the Super Bowl for the second time, and while he played better than the previous game, his 333 yards and 1 touchdown weren't enough to stop Drew Brees and the Saints.

In 2010 he set a new career high with 4700 yards, but the Colts only won 10 games, their lowest total in 8 years. After another first round playoff exit, he went to a doctor about neck pain that he had been having for several years, and discovered that he would need surgery on his neck, and the recovery cost him the entire 2011 season. Nervous about how he would fare after his return, the Colts released him before the 2012 season.

He signed with Denver during the offseason, and posted one of the best seasons of his career, with 4659 yards and 37 touchdowns while leading the Broncos to a 13-3 record. He was awarded the Comeback Player of the Year Award for his great season, meaning that each of the top 3 of all time have been recipients of the award. He was also back to his old tricks in the playoffs, losing in the first game once again.

The 2013 season would be truly historic, and ranks as one of the best seasons ever by any quarterback. He broke Drew Brees' passing yard record when he finished with 5477, and he broke Tom Brady's touchdown record with 55. He also threw only 10 interceptions all season, and was one of the easiest choices for MVP in history. The first two playoff games went great, with another win over Tom Brady and the Patriots in the AFC title game earning a third Super Bowl berth, but the big game couldn't have gone much worse, and they were destroyed 43-8.

In 2014 he became one of the oldest passers ever to play at an elite level, passing for 4727 yards and 39 touchdowns, a bit lower than the previous season but still better than most of the league. He was disappointed with another quick playoff exit, continuing his career trend.

While it is obvious that Tom Brady is the better playoff quarterback, with twice as many Super Bowl appearances and 4 wins to Manning's one, Brady has been nowhere near the same player as Manning in the regular season. Manning has thrown for over 4000 yards 14 times, a league record, while Brady has only 7. He has thrown 30 touchdowns 9 times, while Brady has done it only 5. He has a record 5 MVP's, while Brady has only 2. He owns the single season records for both touchdowns and yardage, along with the career record for touchdowns. He has also played 2 more seasons than Brady, and 3 more at an elite level, which is the biggest reason he is at the top. If you judge the two based on per-season greatness, Brady's pace is slightly ahead of Manning's, meaning that if he lasts two or three years longer than Manning while still playing well, the #1 spot will most likely be his, at least until Aaron Rodgers passes them both. For now, Manning still holds the spot he took from Joe Montana 5 years ago.

Top 50 NFL Quarterbacks: #2 - Tom Brady

Tom Brady

Tom Brady is universally recognized as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, due to his 4 Super Bowl victories, tied for the most all time, and 6 Super Bowl appearances, which put him ahead of John Elway last season for the most all time.

He began his career as a 6th-round pick in 2000, and he spent his rookie season riding the bench behind Drew Bledsoe, completing only one pass for 6 yards all season long. He took over as the starter in the third game in 2001, and has started in every game he played since.

 He was a decent player in his first season, but his totals in every category turned out to be career lows. He did enough to get New England to the playoffs, and even survived the first two rounds of the playoffs somehow, without throwing a single touchdown pass on the way to the Super Bowl. In the Super Bowl, he threw 145 yards and 1 touchdown, but was awarded the MVP anyway, even though Adam Vinatieri was really the reason they won.

He was a little better in his second season, even leading the league in touchdown passes with 28, but the Patriots missed the playoffs, which would be the only time in his entire career as a starter that he would fail to make the postseason.

His regular season numbers remained steady in 2003, even dropping off a little, but he led New England to a 14-2 record, then threw one touchdown in his first two playoff games, which was better than his previous postseason run, and had a great Super Bowl, throwing 354 yards and 3 touchdowns while winning his second Super Bowl MVP.

He remained a steady passer again in 2004, among the top 5 in the league, putting up nearly identical numbers while leading the Patriots to an identical 14-2 record. He threw 3 touchdowns leading up to the Super Bowl, once again slightly better than the previous year, and threw 236 yards and 2 touchdowns in the Super Bowl, which was somewhat average for a winning QB, and did not win the MVP.

He raised his numbers in 2005, leading the league with 4110 yards, but lost in the second round of the playoffs, which was the first time Brady ever lost in the postseason, which was pretty amazing after winning his first 10 games. When he dropped his numbers back down to his average in 2006, the team's playoff performance improved, but they lost in the AFC title game to Peyton Manning and the Colts.

His 2007 season was the best he ever had, and is the second-best ever recorded by a quarterback in history. He led the league with 4806 yards and a record-setting 50 touchdowns, and the Patriots became the first team to ever finish a season 16-0. They won two playoff games easily, and appeared headed to a perfect 19-0, but Brady was outplayed by Eli Manning in the Super Bowl, throwing only 266 yards and 1 touchdown as the perfect season ended one game short.

There would be no repeat in 2008, as Brady tore his ACL in the first game of the season, and the Patriots missed the playoffs as a result of losing their star. He came back very strong in 2009, posting his second-best season in both yardage and touchdowns, and was given the Comeback Player of the Year award for his amazing bounceback, though the Patriots failed to win a single playoff game for the first time with Brady at the helm.

He was even better in 2010, dropping his yardage a bit, but throwing 36 touchdowns with only 4 interceptions on the season for an amazing 9:1 TD:INT ratio. Once again, the Patriots would lose their first playoff game, leaving Brady without a playoff victory in 3 full seasons.

He had his second-best season in 2011, breaking Dan Marino's single season passing yardage record one week after Drew Brees did it, which means that he never actually held the record. He finished with 5235 yards and 39 touchdowns, then led another Super Bowl run, but it ended the same way as it did 4 years earlier, with a mediocre performance in the Super Bowl that ended in a loss to the Giants and Eli Manning. His best two seasons both ended in Super Bowl losses to New York.

He was the best QB in the league in 2012, putting together 4827 yards, 34 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions while taking New England to a 12-4 record. He played well in his first playoff game, but struggled against Baltimore in the AFC title game, falling short in his bid to reach a record 6th Super Bowl.

He had a significant dropoff in 2013, falling down to 4343 yards and 25 touchdowns, but the Patriots reached 12-4 again, and Brady led them back to the AFC title game, where they lost to Peyton Manning and the Broncos, leaving him out of the Super Bowl again.

His 2014 season started off rough, but he rebounded nicely as the season went on, and ended up with 4109 yards and 33 touchdowns, and New England reached 12-4 for the third straight year. The playoffs that season would be the best of his entire career. He threw 3 touchdowns in each of the first two playoff games, which earned him a trip to his 6th Super Bowl. In that game he threw 328 yards and 4 touchdowns, which earned him his record-tying 3rd Super Bowl MVP.

Brady is ahead of Joe Montana for several reasons. He has played in 2 more Super Bowls than Montana, and won 4, tying him with Joe. Both won 3 Super Bowl MVP's and 2 regular season MVP's, but Brady reached more conference title games, with an NFL-record 9 to Montana's 6. He was the first QB to ever throw 50 touchdowns, and the 3rd ever to reach 5000 yards. In addition, he has been an elite quarterback for 11 full seasons, two more than Montana. Without last season, he wouldn't be ranked ahead of him, but everything that happened last season vaulted him into the #2 spot.

Top 50 NFL Quarterbacks: #5 - Drew Brees

Drew Brees

Drew Brees may seem to be ranked a little high here, but he is often overlooked because of the success of his comtemporaries, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft, but only saw action in one game during his rookie season.

He won the starting job from Doug Flutie before the 2002 season, and was a usable starter, but did nothing of note. His second season as a starter was a disaster, and he lost his starting job back to Flutie midway through the season. When San Diego picked up Philip Rivers on Draft Day in 2004, it appeared that Brees was headed out of town, but that isn't quite what happened.

His impending replacement seemed to wake him up, and he started to show flashes of his future brilliance in 2004, putting up 3159 yards and 27 touchdowns with only 7 interceptions. He also had his first playoff appearance, although it ended quickly, going down 20-17 in the wild card round. He was about as good in 2005, but tore his labrum and rotator cuff in his throwing shoulder in the final game of the season, and San Diego did not want to commit much to him, so he walked away, signing with New Orleans, which turned out to be the best decision he ever made.

In his first season with the Saints, he led the league in passing with 4418 yards, which would turn out to be one of the lowest totals of his Saints career, and led the Saints to the playoffs, one season after they finished 3-13. Not only did they make the playoffs, they went clear to the NFC Championship Game, where they fell to the Bears, but it was just the start of something great.

After putting up nearly the same numbers in 2007 but missing the playoffs, he had an amazing season in 2008, becoming only the second player in league history to reach 5000 yards, coming up just 15 yards short of breaking Dan Marino's 24-year-old record. He also led the league with 34 touchdown passes, but New Orleans missed the playoffs again, making his amazing season a little less meaningful.

In 2009 he had the lowest passing yard total of his Saints career, reaching "only" 4388, but did lead the league with 34 touchdowns, and New Orleans led the NFC with a 13-3 record. He had a great postseason, throwing three touchdowns in each of the playoff games leading up to the Super Bowl, which was a first in Saints history. In the Super Bowl, he outplayed Peyton Manning by throwing 288 yards and 2 touchdowns as the Saints won 31-17, earning Brees the Super Bowl MVP.

His follow-up season wasn't quite as good, with 4620 yards, 33 touchdowns, and a career-high 22 interceptions, and the Saints ended up losing in the wild card round. 2011, however, was a different story, as he destroyed Dan Marino's yardage record, breaking it with a week to spare and ending up with 5476. He also led the league in touchdowns with 46 and set another record with a 71.2% completion percentage. He was also great in the playoffs, throwing 466 yards and 3 touchdowns in a wild card win, then throwing 462 yards and 4 touchdowns in a loss to the 49ers in the divisional round.

The Saints were severely hampered by the Bountygate scandal the next year, causing them to win only 7 games as several players and coaches were suspended during the season, but Brees was his usual awesome self, leading the league with 5177 yards and 43 touchdowns. He also became the first and only player to reach 5000 yards in consecutive seasons.

In 2013 he did it again, passing for 5162 yards and 39 touchdowns, but was overshadowed by Peyton Manning breaking his yardage record by a single yard while setting the touchdown record as well. He did get the full-strength Saints back to the playoffs, but they only reached the second round of the playoffs.

The 2014 season was a bit of a disappointment for Brees, as he missed the 5000 yards plateau for the first time in 4 years, ending the season just short at 4952, which was still enough to lead the league, and the Saints missed the playoffs despite playing in the weakest division. While that would still be considered a career year for most players, for Brees it was a little lackluster.

Brees has had the least playoff success of any of the top 5, and ranks only behind Dan Marino among the top 10 in that regard, but he did have a big Super Bowl victory and one other great playoff run two years later. What qualifies him to be in the top 5 is his record-setting passing. Of the eight 5000 yard seasons in NFL history, 4 belong to Drew Brees, and the other 4 to Matthew Stafford, Dan Marino, Tom Brady, and Peyton Manning. He also holds the record for most consecutive 4000 yard seasons, with 9 and counting, and the highest completion percentage in a season. He was the first QB ever to throw 40 touchdowns in back-to-back seasons, and holds the record for most consecutive games with a touchdown pass, breaking a very old record belonging to Johnny Unitas. He may not be the postseason stud most of the greatest quarterbacks are, but his amazing performance over the past 9 seasons was enough to put him at #5

Top 50 NFL Quarterbacks: #26 - Philip Rivers

Philip Rivers

Philip Rivers is the next quarterback in my countdown, and his placement here is pretty interesting, because the man ranked two spots below him, Eli Manning, was traded for him on draft day in 2004. Even though Manning has had more postseason success, Rivers has been far superior in regular season success.

Rivers did not start a game in his first two seasons with San Diego, throwing a total of 30 passes while backing up Drew Brees. When Brees left as a free agent in 2006, Rivers was promoted and immediately became a strong player, leading the Chargers to a 14-2 record in his first season at the helm. They lost to New England in their first playoff game, however, wasting their best chance at a title.

He was pretty solid again the next season, leading the Chargers to another division title, and this time they won a couple playoff games, ultimately falling to the Patriots once again in the AFC title game, coming up just a game short of making the Super Bowl.

The following season was his best as a pro, as he threw for a league-leading 34 touchdowns and led the Chargers to their third straight division title, as well as an upset of Peyton Manning and the Colts in the wild card game. It was also the first time he eclipsed 4000 yards, something he has done 5 more times since.

He has also led the league in passing yards once, with 4710 in 2010, and completion percentage, at 69.5% in 2013. He has reached 4000 yards 6 times, and 30 touchdowns 4 times, while winning 4 division titles and starting every game for 9 straight seasons, which is good for the 4th-longest streak of all time, behind Favre and the Manning brothers. While he has only made it to the conference title game once in his career, he has still been so good for so long that he has earned the right to sit ahead of the man he was traded for, at least for now.

Top 50 NFL Quarterbacks: #28 - Eli Manning

Eli Manning

Eli Manning was also the #1 overall pick in the draft, picked in 2004 by San Diego and immediately traded to the Giants. He became the starter midway through his rookie season, and has started every game since. He is the active leader in consecutive starts, with 167, which is #3 all-time, behind only Brett Favre and his brother Peyton.

The biggest reason Eli is this high on the all-time list is that he is a 2-time Super Bowl Champion. The first came in 2008, when they faced the undefeated New England Patriots, the only team to finish 16-0 in a regular season, and he outplayed Tom Brady, leading the Giants on the championship-winning drive over the last two minutes to earn his first Super Bowl MVP trophy.

His second Super win came 4 years later, when the Giants eked into the playoffs with a 9-7 record, but Manning went on a tear in the playoffs, throwing for 923 yards, 8 touchdowns, and only 1 pick in the first three playoff games, two of which came on the road. They again faced New England in the Super Bowl, and though he only threw one touchdown, it was enough to pull off another upset and take home another Super Bowl MVP trophy.

That season Manning also became the only player in history to throw for over 4900 yards in a season and win the Super Bowl, a pretty impressive accomplishment. Other than that year, he has never been a great regular season quarterback, but he has rarely been bad. He has struggled in the playoffs aside from those two great seasons, losing all 3 other games he has played in.

Although he has always lived in the shadow of his older brother, Eli has carved out his own place in history. He is a 2-time champion, 2-time Super Bowl MVP, a long-term iron man, and has put up some big numbers. And while he has won one fewer Super Bowl than Troy Aikman, who sits behind him on this list, Manning was much better in the playoffs than Aikman, and put up much better regular season numbers than the Cowboy, eclipsing 20 TD's 9 times to Aikman's one.

Top 50 NFL Quarterbacks: #38

Joe Flacco

Joe Flacco may not seem like a great quarterback, and for the majority of his career he has been just above average, but during one magical postseason run he played at a level that has been nearly unmatched in league history.

Flacco was the Baltimore Ravens' first round draft pick in 2008, and was immediately named the starter. During his 7-season career, he has started every single Ravens game, including 112 in the regular season and 15 in the playoffs. He has also led the Ravens to the playoffs in 6 of those 7 seasons, which is very impressive.

Not only did he lead his team to the playoffs in each of his first five seasons, they won at least one game in each of those seasons, becoming the first, and so far only, quarterback in history to achieve that feat. He was also the first rookie quarterback ever to win two playoff games in his first season.

The real magic happened in 2012, his fifth season in the league, when he led Baltimore to the AFC Central title with a 10-6 record, then marched straight through the playoffs, taking out both Denver and New England on the road. Even more impressive is the fact that he outplayed Peyton Manning and Tom Brady in consecutive playoff games, both on the road, guiding the Ravens to their second Super Bowl trip.

In Super Bowl XLVII, he continued his stellar play, finishing with 287 yards and 3 touchdowns, while the Ravens held the lead for the entire game. He tied a playoff record for most touchdown passes in a single postseason, with 11 (along with Kurt Warner and Joe Montana), and also tied Montana's record for most TD passes without an interception during a postseason run. In total, he threw for 1140 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions over the course of 4 games, which will go down as one of the greatest quarterback playoff performances of all time, and probably the best ever for a QB who was not considered a star player.

Flacco is one of the league's most consistent quarterbacks, throwing for over 3600 yards for 6 straight years and at least 20 touchdowns 5 times, while missing the playoffs only once and winning a playoff game in every season in which he made the playoffs. Combine that consistency with one of the all-time greatest playoff runs, and you've got the credentials for one of the top quarterbacks of all time.