There is no real doubt that this guy can get it done, and he's got all the statistics you could ever want to back it up. Clausen ultimately lost his first flag football game, but he was playing against Michael Vick (seriously, who could ever beat Vick in flag football?). He became a backup until his career ended in 2015. Despite that, he would spend the longest stint of his 17-season career with the Jacksonville Jaguars from 1995 to 2004, when he decamped to join the Washington Redskins. Brees would lead the Saints to their one and only Super Bowl (XLIV) victory in franchise history in 2009, earning game MVP honors in the process. Oh, one more thing. When it comes to quarterbacks in the NFL, theres young, theres Peyton Manning old, theres Brett Favre old, and then theres George Blanda. 1 overall pick in 1990 by the Indianapolis Colts, Jeff George was simply in the NFL a long time. Of course, Morton's legacy is somewhat diminished by the fact that he lost both of his Super Bowl appearances- to the Unitas-led Baltimore Colts in 1970 and to the Staubach-led Dallas Cowboys in 1977. He isn't exactly what you would call a "clutch" quarterback, having famously screwed up a hold in the playoffs that cost the Cowboys the game against the Seahawks; however, it was undeniable that any chance the Cowboys had to save their season ended with Romo's injury. His bravado didn't really carryover into the NFL, however, as he struggled mightily when given opportunities. It is interesting to note that Jones is occasionally described as someone who would be one of the better players ever, had he been in possession of a better supporting cast; this view is held by former Giants GM Ernie Accorsi. Kilmer was selected 11th overall in the NFL draft (39th overall in the AFL draft) out of UCLA. Every season, Rivers just keeps slinging the ball around, and frankly it doesn't seem to matter who is catching it because Rivers just makes it all go, and that's exactly what he's been doing since he became San Diego's starter. #1 Aaron Rodgers - 13002 yards (4th), 14.74 . Not that his statistics don't back it up, though- they do. Ferguson wore the No. As the season has played out and new reporting has trickled in, however, we've learned more about Brady's future plans. The play call, "Red Right 88," was immortalized in Cleveland football lore, and since then, the Browns have been among the unluckiest teams in the NFL. Yes, there are knocks against him that he was surrounded by an all-star supporting cast on both offense and defense, and he didn't avoid a couple of big upsets. Moon would spend the majority of his NFL career in Houston running the Oilers' famed run-and-shoot offense. Graham was through and through a winner, and that alone earns him the No. The guy who replaced him in New England still plays QB there and you all remember him. Note: Statistics in tables are for regular-season games. To an extent, the murmurs about that were quieted when Manning won his first and to date his only Super Bowl against the Bears in 2006, but the murmurs got a lot louder when Manning threw a game-sealing interception to Saints CB Tracy Porter in last season's Super Bowl. After finally winning his first Super Bowl in 1997, Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway decided to come back for one final ride in Mile High. Greg Landry was the 11th overall pick in the 1968 draft and spent most of his career with the Detroit Lions before finishing his career with the Baltimore Colts and then the Chicago Bears. Thanks in large part to this pass-happy offense, he would twice lead the NFL in passing yards. The two rings did, however, jump him ahead of Roger Staubach. Dan Treacy is a content producer for Sporting News. Despite his apparent mediocrity, Vinny Testaverde wound up spending 21 years in the NFL and was a professional football player well into his 40s, according to ESPN. Baugh also ranks as a top-20 punter in NFL history with a career average of 45.1 yards per punt. There is no more revered or analyzed position in the NFL than quarterback. Baugh's rookie contract was $8,000, which made him the highest paid player on the team, but it's also interesting to note that at the time he was drafted, Baugh didn't have a clue what, exactly, the NFL draft was. He was known for running the no-huddle "K-Gun" offense- often calling two or three formations in the huddle and then immediately getting back into an offensive formation to keep the defense from making substitutions. Leftwich must have proven his worth as he was hired as the Cardinals quarterbacks coach for the 2017 season. Moon is also the only African-American quarterback enshrined in the Hall. Leftwich, commonly remembered for his collegiate game in which he played with a broken leg, showed promise in the NFL but could never put it all together. During his 13-year career, Milt Plum played for the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Rams and New York Giants. 1, he now falls to No. When he became a member of the 1972 Miami Dolphins the only team to ever go undefeated from start to finish over a regular season and an entire playoff in NFL history quarterback Earl Morrall had already been a professional football player for 17 seasons. Eli is basically a "one hit wonder" as well, defeating the Patriots in arguably the greatest upset in NFL history, and he's largely failed in clutch situations since. When you compare the two players, Tarkenton retired as the leading passer AND rusher among quarterbacks. Kolb, who used to spend his offseasons fishing and hunting wild boar, is now using his entrepreneurial skills to make a name for him in the business world in Texas. After finishing his career at Auburn University, Campbell was drafted in the first round by the Washington Redskins in 2005. One of the more unknown four-time Pro Bowlers in league history, especially as QBs go, is Norm Snead, who was drafted by the Washington Redskins before playing with Philadelphia, Minnesota, the New York Giants, and San Francisco before he retired. Despite the fact that he got a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter, the fact remains that it was Eli's moment to datereally his only moment, but still most definitely Eli's moment. Known as "Jaws" is probably a better commentator than he was an NFL quarterback, but the fact of the matter is that he knew what he was doing under center. In 2016, Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians decided to give Leftwich a shot as an intern for the team (Arians was a former coach of Leftwich during their time in Pittsburgh). Brady, who ended the regular . But for Roger Staubach they did. After leaving Philadelphia, Jaworski played with Miami and finished his career in Kansas City. Unitas was the winning quarterback in the so-called "Greatest Game Ever Played," the 1958 NFL championship against the New York Giants, quarterbacked a successful title defense in 1959, then defeated the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl V. Most of Unitas's records have now been broken with the advent of rule changes that favor offensive production, but Unitas pioneered such mainstays as the so-called "two-minute drill" that are still used today. The 2022 season has been one of Brady's most challenging. A Hall of Fame career, spent primarily with the Baltimore Colts, would include a victory in Super Bowl V to go along with three NFL championships. He also is involved with the Jaguars media and can often be seen giving his perspective on ongoing Jaguar issues. I'm about to get hammered no matter where I place Starr. Consequently, Denvers offensive dominance continued into Super Bowl XXXIII. 1 on this list, you need a signature moment. The first modern quarterback to appear on this list, Chad Pennington spent most of his career with the New York Jets, though he now plays for the Miami Dolphins. He was selected No. He is tied with Peyton Manning for second with 186 career regular-season wins. Bears owner George Halas traded Layne to the New York Bulldogs, where Layne developed quickly even though he only played there for one season before joining the team with which he spent most of his career- the Detroit Lions. A guy with a lot of upside, Matt Schaub is the first active player to appear on the list that has a real chance to move up, especially with the kind of talent around him on the Houston offensemost notably Andre Johnson and now Arian Foster. Manning became the first to start two Super Bowls with multiple franchises, with different head coaches each time (Dungy, Caldwell, Fox, and Kubiak). NFL Network also said that Brady entered the season planning to retire but could be open to considering his options in free agency. Elway has a fantastic game as well. Not necessarily. During his tenure in St. Louis, Warner won two league MVPs and went to three Pro Bowls. Jim McMahon is the closest thing the Chicago Bears have had to a starting quarterback since the days of Sid Luckman, and while some thought that Jay Cutler would be the answer, results indicate otherwise. Johnson went over 3,000 yards passing in one season five times during his career, including a 4,000 yard season with the Washington Redskins, and he also won one Super Bowl as quarterback of the Bucs. To be fair, he was injured in the 2000 AFC championship against the eventual champion Baltimore Ravens, but in 2002, Gannon had a Jake Delhomme-like performance, throwing five interceptions against the Bucs. Following a successful five-year stint with the San Diego Chargers to begin his career, the former second-round pick out of Purdue wound up with the New Orleans Saints where his career really began to take off. He would bounce in and out of retirement over the final three seasons of his 20-year career, ending it with short stints with the Jets and Vikings. While Kelly never managed to win the big game, he is the only quarterback in NFL history to lead his team to four consecutive Super Bowls. We take a look at the top three available quarterbacks in the transfer portal #GoBucks While he's a guy who some might rank higher, the fact that Steve DeBerg was frequently a backup quarterback hurts him on my list. However, the fact that a guy hasn't won a Super Bowl doesn't mean he wasn't one of the best to ever play the position. To be fair, Testaverde does hold the record for most losses as a starting quarterback (123), but frankly, anyone who can suit up and play decent football after 21 seasons in the NFL as Testaverde did with the Panthers impresses me. Williams's victory was without doubt the high point of his career; he dealt with injuries afterward and eventually lost his starting job to Mark Rypien. 78.4% NFL career winning percentage, 2nd all time for QBs, 90% AFL career winning percentage, 1st all time for QBs. Earl Morrall, during his 21-year career, earned the title of "best backup QB" in NFL history; Morrall was part of three Super Bowl teams and led the Baltimore Colts into Super Bowl III at 13-1 where they were promptly upset by Joe Namath's Jets. Jake "the Snake" Plummer first earned his proverbial call sign for his elusiveness while playing for Arizona State University, and the nickname stuck with him throughout his college career. His seven Super Bowl rings are not only the most by any player but also more than any franchise. Grossman lost his starting job the next season and never fully bounced back, although he did have a strong final season in Washington. Currently, he works as an ESPN NFL analyst. According to the report, Brady "feels good enough to keep playing" and has become more like himself as he gets further removed from a very public divorce that was finalized earlier in the season. but we were using very old ideas and equipment and over the last 20 years we have evolved . Tough break, John. He also is currently second for all-time completion percentage (67.7), behind Deshaun Watson by 0.01. Brady has long said that his goal was to play until he was 45, and reported marital issues which ultimately turned into a divorce made the idea of him returning for a 24th season very unlikely. Phil Harrison. Even though he played for a long time, he retired too early to qualify. Brett Favre (October 10, 1969 - Present) In fact, Kolb never played another snap in the NFL after the Cardinals released him in 2013 and he retired following a concussion sustained in preseason with the Bills. It is a testament to exactly how good Manning was that he made two Pro Bowls near the end of his tenure with the Saints. Maybe his actions will be forgotten in Pittsburgh; I'd put the probability at "very high" if the Steelers win another championship, and in reality Ben is likely to rise much higher than this when his career is over. It also helped him earn NFL MVP honors in 1990. He spent all 12 of his professional seasons in Dallas, where he would become the Cowboys' all-time career leader in wins, pass attempts and completions. 1 in career passing yards (84,520) and touchdowns (624), and he just led the league in both categories in the 2021 season, at the age of 44. After leaving New England, Bledsoe played with the Buffalo Bills and then with the Dallas Cowboys before retiring. A lack of postseason success keeps Fouts from entering the top 10. Even so, when you crunch the numbers, McNabb definitely deserves this spot, and if nothing else, the guy has a lot of talent and has made many, many postseason appearances with a pretty average group of guys around him barring Westbrook and Brian Dawkins. In any event, following the 1989 game in which Everett pretty much got killed by the 49ers defensive front for the entire game, Everett was perceived by many as someone who shied away from contact. The younger Manning is the New York Giants' all-time passing leader and the winningest quarterback in franchise history. 1 overall pick in NFL history, but he isn't the worst, either, and he warrants a pretty high spot on the list because of his championship pedigree alone. The oldest NFL quarterbacks of all time put most athletes to shame by playing into their 40s. The arguments about what Namath did for the game are all completely valid, and make him a lock to stay on this list so long as the NFL exists, though he will fall as time goes on- his stats really don't support his mythical status. List of retired professional football players | American Football Wiki | Fandom in: Pages with reference errors, Former players, 1994, 2000 NCAA Division 1-A List of retired professional football players View source This is a list of individuals who formerly played professional American football in the NFL, AFL, AAFC and other major leagues. Not too many 13th round picks end up as NFL MVPs at some point, but that's just what Brian Sipe did. Tittle has everything he could possibly want on his resume as far as numbers, but his legacy is hurt somewhat by the lack of an NFL championship, despite the fact that the Giants appeared in three straight NFL title games from 1961-3 with Tittle at quarterback. Super Bowl I Bart Starr, Green Bay PackersSuper Bowl II Bart Starr, Green Bay PackersSuper Bowl III Joe Namath, New York Jets, Super Bowl IV Len Dawson, Kansas City ChiefsSuper Bowl V John Unitas, Baltimore ColtsSuper Bowl VI Roger Staubach, Dallas CowboysSuper Bowl VII Bob Griese, Miami DolphinsSuper Bowl VIII Bob Griese, Miami DolphinsSuper Bowl IX Terry Bradshaw, Pittsburgh SteelersSuper Bowl X Terry Bradshaw, Pittsburgh SteelersSuper Bowl XI Ken Stabler, Oakland RaidersSuper Bowl XII Roger Staubach, Dallas CowboysSuper Bowl XIII Terry Bradshaw, Pittsburgh Steelers, Super Bowl XIV Terry Bradshaw, Pittsburgh SteelersSuper Bowl XV Jim Plunkett, Oakland RaidersSuper Bowl XVI Joe Montana, San Francisco 49ersSuper Bowl XVII Joe Theismann, Washington RedskinsSuper Bowl XVIII Jim Plunkett, Los Angeles RaidersSuper Bowl XIX Joe Montana, San Francisco 49ersSuper Bowl XX Jim McMahon, Chicago BearsSuper Bowl XXI Phil Simms, New York GiantsSuper Bowl XXII Doug Williams, Washington RedskinsSuper Bowl XXIII Joe Montana, San Francisco 49ers, Super Bowl XXIV Joe Montana, San Francisco 49ersSuper Bowl XXV Jeff Hostetler, New York GiantsSuper Bowl XXVI Mark Rypien, Washington RedskinsSuper Bowl XXVII Troy Aikman, Dallas CowboysSuper Bowl XXVIII Troy Aikman, Dallas CowboysSuper Bowl XXIX Steve Young, San Francisco 49ersSuper Bowl XXX Troy Aikman, Dallas CowboysSuper Bowl XXXI Brett Favre, Green Bay PackersSuper Bowl XXXII John Elway, Denver BroncosSuper Bowl XXXIII John Elway, Denver Broncos, Super Bowl XXXIV Kurt Warner, St. Louis RamsSuper Bowl XXXV Trent Dilfer, Baltimore RavensSuper Bowl XXXVI Tom Brady, New England PatriotsSuper Bowl XXXVII Brad Johnson, Tampa Bay BuccaneersSuper Bowl XXXVIII Tom Brady, New England PatriotsSuper Bowl XXXIX Tom Brady, New England PatriotsSuper Bowl XL Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh SteelersSuper Bowl XLI Peyton Manning, Indianapolis ColtsSuper Bowl XLII Eli Manning, New York GiantsSuper Bowl XLIII Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers, Super Bowl XLIV Drew Brees, New Orleans SaintsSuper Bowl XLV Aaron Rogers, Green Bay PackersSuper Bowl XLVI Eli Manning, New York GiantsSuper Bowl XLVII Joe Flacco, Baltimore RavensSuper Bowl XLVIII Russell Wilson, Seattle SeahawksSuper Bowl XLIX Tom Brady, New England PatriotsSuper Bowl L Peyton Manning, Denver BroncosSuper Bowl LI Tom Brady, New England PatriotsSuper Bowl LII Nick Foles, Philadelphia EaglesSuper Bowl LIII Tom Brady, New England Patriots, Super Bowl LIV Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs. 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