It didn’t take long this season for Lamar Jackson to make even more NFL history. During the Ravens’ Week 2 win over the Browns, Jackson surpassed Aaron Rodgers with the highest career quarter rating in NFL history.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jackson, currently holds a 102.65 career passer rating, just ahead of Rodgers (102.6) and Patrick Mahomes (101.8). Not bad for a running quarterback, huh?<\/p>\n
Jackson’s passing prowess, in addition to his brilliance as a runner (he has several QB rushing records), has earned him a seat at the table as far as the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. To find exactly where he ranks, we put together a list of the top-35 quarterbacks in the history of the NFL<\/a>. Here was the criteria used when making the list.\u00a0<\/p>\n Individual accolades\u00a0Records set\u00a0Team success\u00a0Enduring legacy\u00a0Honorable mention. George Blanda\u00a0<\/p>\n Owner of one of the most unique careers in NFL<\/a> history, Blanda’s career spanned a record 26 seasons and included a stint as a linebacker with the\u00a0Bears<\/a>\u00a0early in his career. A three-time AFL champion with the Oilers, Blanda is the last quarterback to throw seven touchdown passes in a game, doing so during a win over the\u00a0Titans<\/a>\u00a0in 1961. Blanda was also a prolific kicker who became the first player to score over 2,000 career points.\u00a0<\/p>\n 35. Bobby Layne\u00a0<\/p>\n One of the NFL’s<\/a> original gun slingers, Layne led the Lions<\/a> to the franchise’s first two championships in 1952 and 1953. He capped off his career by going 27-19-2 in five seasons with the Steelers<\/a>, who had just two winning seasons prior to his arrival in 1958.\u00a0<\/p>\n 34. Norm Van Brocklin\u00a0<\/p>\n Van Brocklin helped revolutionize the quarterback position during the 1960s. After leading the Rams<\/a> to the NFL title game in 1950, Van Brocklin capped off his career by leading the Eagles<\/a> to a win over Vince Lombardi’s Packers in the 1960 NFL title game.\u00a0<\/p>\n 33. Joe Namath\u00a0<\/p>\n Namath’s career is defined by his role in the arguably the biggest upset in the history of American professional sports. In Super Bowl<\/a> III, Namath led the AFL champion Jets<\/a> to a 16-7 win over the NFL champion Colts<\/a>, who were 18-point favorites. Namath’s career accolades also includes him being the first player in AFL\/NFL history to throw for more than 4,000 yards in a season.\u00a0<\/p>\n 32. Eli Manning\u00a0<\/p>\n In a lot of ways, Manning is the 21st century version of Namath. While of his stats don’t stack up to other quarterbacks on this list, Manning’s excellence in two successful playoff runs makes up for it. He played a key role in the greatest upset since Super Bowl III when the Giants upset the then-undefeated Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. It was the first of two Manning-led Super Bowl wins against the NFL’s preeminent team of the century.\u00a0<\/p>\n 31. Matthew Stafford\u00a0<\/p>\n While his two Pro Bowls nods is underwhelming, nothing else about Stafford’s career is. A Super Bowl champion with the Rams, Stafford recently became the 10th quarterback in NFL history to reach 60,000 career passing yards. He’s also 10th all-time with 380 career touchdown passes.\u00a0<\/p>\n 30. Josh Allen\u00a0<\/p>\n Longevity is the only reason why Allen isn’t higher on this list. A three-time Pro Bowler, Allen has earned a spot on this list after winning his first league MVP at the end of the 2024 season. A Super Bowl win would do wonders for Allen’s and his legacy.\u00a0<\/p>\n 29. Warren Moon\u00a0<\/p>\n Moon started his career in Canada before finally getting his shot in the NFL with the Oilers at age 28. Moon spearheaded a resurgence in Houston (who were just 13-35 in his first three seasons) that included seven consecutive playoff berths. Moon, whose patented deep ball helped him win back-to-back passing titles later in his career, was third all-time in career passing yards (behind only Dan Marino and John Elway) at the time of his retirement.\u00a0<\/p>\n During his 17-year career, Rivers led the NFL in passing yards (2010), touchdown passes (2008), completion percentage (2013), completions and attempts (2015) and average yards gained per pass attempt twice (2008-09). Rivers’ most memorable NFL moment may have been his gritty performance against the then-undefeated Patriots<\/a> in the 2007 AFC title game while playing with a torn ACL.\u00a0<\/p>\n 27. Len Dawson\u00a0<\/p>\n Dawson was the Drew Brees of his era as from an accuracy standpoint. He led his respective league in completion percentage eight times that included six consecutive times in the 1960s and a final time in 1975 (his final season) at the age of 40. Dawson quarterbacked the\u00a0Chiefs<\/a>\u00a0in Super Bowl<\/a> I and was named MVP of Super Bowl<\/a> IV, the final game played before the AFL-NFL merger.\u00a0<\/p>\n 26. Sonny Jerguson\u00a0<\/p>\n Jerguson took passing to a new level on the 1960s, winning five passing titles during the decade. In 1967, Jerguson became the first quarterback in history to attempt 500 passes in a season. His 82.62 career passer rating was the best in NFL history prior to 1978, when the NFL made several rule changes to help advance the passing game.\u00a0<\/p>\n 25. Dan Fouts\u00a0<\/p>\n Fouts’ career took off as soon as Don Coryell became his head coach. It was quite simply a perfect marriage, as Fouts mastered Coryell’s pass-happy offense to the tune of four consecutive passing titles. Fouts was also the winning quarterback in one of the greatest games in NFL history, a 41-38 overtime win over the Dolphins<\/a> in the 1981 playoffs that was dubbed appropriately as the “Epic in Miami.”<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n 24. Jim Kelly\u00a0<\/p>\n Kelly led the\u00a0Bills<\/a>‘ appropriately-named “K-Gun” offense that appeared in four consecutive Super Bowls, an\u00a0NFL<\/a>\u00a0record. One of 18 quarterbacks with 100 career wins, Kelly led the\u00a0NFL<\/a>\u00a0in completion percentage and passer rating in 1990 and in touchdown passes in 1991.\u00a0<\/p>\n 23. Sammy Baugh<\/p>\n The origin of the modern-day quarterback can be traced back to Baugh, who led the NFL in completion percentage eight times during his 16-year career. In 1945, Baugh became the first quarterback to complete over 70% of his passes in a season. He led Washington to NFL titles in 1937 (his rookie season) and in 1942.\u00a0<\/p>\n 22. Ken Stabler\u00a0<\/p>\n “The Snake” won NFL MVP in 1974 while leading a\u00a0Raiders<\/a>\u00a0offense that boasted a record seven future Hall of Famers. Two years later, Stabler led the Raiders to the franchise’s first Super Bowl win that included an AFC title game victory over the two-time defending champion Steelers. Stabler’s name is synonymous with two of the most famous TD passes in history: the\u00a0“Sea of Hands”<\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0“Holy Roller.”<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n 21. Y.A. Tittle\u00a0<\/p>\n Tittle was part of the\u00a049ers<\/a>‘ legendary “Million Dollar Backfield”<\/a> during the 1950s. He ended his career with the\u00a0Giants<\/a>\u00a0that included one of the greatest seasons in NFL history. At age 37, Tittle led the NFL in completion percentage, touchdown passes and passer rating while leading New York to an NFL Championship game appearance.\u00a0<\/p>\n 20. Lamar Jackson\u00a0<\/p>\n Given his lack of longevity, you could argue that Jackson may be ranked a tad too high on this list. For me, though, Jackson’s legacy as the greatest running quarterback in NFL history, in addition to having the highest passer rating in league annals, more than justifies his spot in the top-20.\u00a0<\/p>\n Jackson could eventually be a top-15 or even a top-10 QB of all-time if he ever wins a Super Bowl.\u00a0<\/p>\n 19. Kurt Warner\u00a0<\/p>\n Warner’s story was so unbelievable that it was actually made into a movie<\/a>. Warner toiled as a grocery store clerk before enjoying success in the Arena Football League before getting an opportunity with the Rams. Warner then seized his opportunity to play when an injury ended then-Rams starting QB Trent Green’s season during the 1999 preseason.\u00a0<\/p>\n Warner quickly took the NFL by storm, becoming the first QB in history to throw three touchdowns in each of his first three starts. He capped off his storybook season by winning MVP honors in Super Bowl XXXIV on the strength of his game-winning touchdown pass to Isaac Bruce<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Warner won two league MVP awards and played in two more Super Bowls. While his team lost both times, Warner threw for the second- and third-highest totals in Super Bowl history at that time (his 414 yards in the Rams’ Super Bowl win over the Titans was the highest-single game total at the time).\u00a0<\/p>\n “Big Ben” started his career by going 13-0 as Pittsburgh’s starter during his rookie season, the best mark ever by a rookie quarterback. Roethlisberger followed that up a year later by becoming the youngest quarterback to win the Super Bowl as the Steelers became the first six seed to win it all. Three years later, Roethlisberger capped off one of the greatest Super Bowls of all-time by completing one of the most clutch passes in NFL history<\/a> when he hit Santonio Holmes<\/a> for the game-winning score.\u00a0<\/p>\n Roethlisberger was named to six Pro Bowls and is fifth all-time in career passing yards and eighth in career touchdown passes. He’s the only player in history with three games with at least 500 passing yards. He had back-to-back games with six touchdown passes back in 2014.\u00a0<\/p>\n 17. Troy Aikman<\/p>\n Winning largely defines Aikman’s legacy. He was the first QB to win three Super Bowls in a four-year span. In his first Super Bowl, Aikman won MVP honors after going 22 of 30 for 273 yards and four touchdowns in leading Dallas to a 52-17 win over Buffalo. Aikman’s 70% career Super Bowl completion percentage stood as the all-time best mark until it was recently broken by Eagles quarterback\u00a0Jalen Hurts<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n 16. Bart Starr<\/p>\n The leader of the Packers’ 1960s dynasty, Starr has a unique place in NFL history as the MVP of the first two Super Bowls. Starr (who led the NFL in completion percentage and passer rating four times) also authored one of the most iconic plays in NFL history on his quarterback sneak<\/a> that sealed the Packers’ win in the 1967 NFL title game, also known as the “Ice Bowl.”\u00a0<\/p>\n 15. Fran Tarkenton\u00a0<\/p>\n Tarkenton started and ended his career in Minnesota, where he led the\u00a0Vikings<\/a>\u00a0to three NFC titles over a four-year span. Tarkenton (nicknamed “Scrambling Fran” for his peerless elusiveness in and out of the pocket) was a Pro Bowler in four of his five seasons with the Giants. He retired as the NFL’s all-time career passing leader, a title he held for 17 years.\u00a0<\/p>\n 14. Roger Staubach\u00a0<\/p>\n Staubach didn’t become the\u00a0Cowboys<\/a>‘ full-time starting QB until 1971, but he quickly made up for lost time. Staubach went 13-0 as Dallas’ quarterback that year that included his MVP performance in Super Bowl VI. He led Dallas to three more Super Bowls during the 1970s that included a blowout win over the\u00a0Broncos<\/a>\u00a0in Super Bowl XII. Staubach, who had a penchant for leading the Cowboys on game-winning drives,\u00a0recorded the first “Hail Mary” in NFL history<\/a>\u00a0that contributed the Cowboys’ third Super Bowl run.\u00a0<\/p>\n 13. Terry Bradshaw\u00a0<\/p>\n Believe it or not, Bradshaw is the only Steelers player who has won league MVP, doing so in 1978. Bradshaw also won the first of two consecutive Super Bowl MVP awards that season while becoming the first (and only) QB to win back-to-back Super Bowls twice. In Super Bowl XIII (played at the end of the ’78 season), Bradshaw threw for then-Super Bowl records 318 yards and four touchdowns in Pittsburgh’s 35-31 win over the Cowboys in the first Super Bowl played between two franchises that had already won multiple Super Bowls.\u00a0<\/p>\n In four Super Bowls<\/a>, Bradshaw threw nine touchdowns against just four interceptions. He threw the game-winning score three times.\u00a0<\/p>\n 12. Otto Graham\u00a0<\/p>\n Graham accomplished a lot during his career, with winning being at the forefront of his accomplishments. Graham (who is widely considered to be the best QB in history prior to Johnny Unitas) won seven championships that included three NFL titles. He went 9-3 in the postseason and played for a title in each of his 10 seasons with the\u00a0Browns<\/a>. Graham won 81.3% of his starts, the highest percentage of any QB in history with at least 1,500 pass attempts.\u00a0<\/p>\n 11. Steve Young<\/p>\n Young’s pro career included two years in the USFL, two forgettable years with the\u00a0Buccaneers<\/a>\u00a0and two Super Bowl wins in San Francisco as Joe Montana’s backup. Young didn’t become a full-time starter with the 49ers until he was 30 years old. Despite that, he enjoyed a prolific career that included seven straight Pro Bowl selections, two league MVPs and a Super Bowl MVP. His 96.8 career passer rating was the best in NFL history at the time of his retirement.\u00a0<\/p>\n In Super Bowl XXIX, Young threw for a Super Bowl record six touchdowns<\/a> and was the first QB to lead both teams in rushing in a Super Bowl. Speaking of running, Young was one of the best duel-threat QBs in NFL history. He’s sixth all-time among quarterbacks in career rushing yards and fourth in career touchdown runs.\u00a0<\/p>\n 10. Drew Brees<\/p>\n Like Steve Young before him, Brees was an incredibly efficient player who reached a level of passing excellence few others have matched. Brees won seven passing titles, led the NFL in touchdown passes four times and completion percentage six times. Brees’ excellence spearheaded the Saints<\/a>‘ only Super Bowl win, a 31-17 victory over the Colts that saw Brees (who was named the game’s MVP) go 32 of 39 for 288 yards and two touchdowns.\u00a0<\/p>\n Only Tom Brady<\/a> has more career touchdown passes and career passing yards than Brees, whose 5,476 passing yards in 2011 has been surpassed only by Peyton Manning<\/a>. Not bad company to be in.\u00a0<\/p>\n 9. Brett Favre\u00a0<\/p>\n The epitome of a gun slinger, Favre’s lengthy list of NFL records includes 336 career interceptions. Favre threw some legendary picks (including critical ones in three NFC title game losses), but his willingness to take risks also led to many breathtaking plays. It also contributed to the Packers’ first Super Bowl win in 29 years, one that included three total touchdowns from Favre, whose lone Super Bowl win came in the middle of his stretch of three consecutive MVP seasons.\u00a0<\/p>\n Along with his interceptions total, Favre’s most iconic record is his 321 consecutive starts, a feat that may never be equaled.\u00a0<\/p>\n 8. Aaron Rodgers<\/p>\n There are two main differences when comparing Brees and Rodgers. Rodgers won four league MVPs (the second-most in history) while Brees oddly never won one. Rodgers also threw more than 10 interceptions in a season just four times compared to Brees’ 14 seasons.\u00a0<\/p>\n Like Brees, Rodgers played in and won one Super Bowl where he was named the game’s MVP. Rodgers’ career numbers don’t add up to Brees (largely because Rodgers spent his first three seasons as Brett Favre’s backup) but he is responsible for several of the most statistically insane QB seasons ever, including his fourth and final MVP season (in 2020) that saw him complete 70.7% of his throws with 48 touchdowns against just five interceptions.\u00a0<\/p>\n One of just two active players on this list, Mahomes is more than deserving of his top-10 position. The 29-year-old is already a two-time league and three-time Super Bowl MVP. He has an astonishing 106-27 record as the Chiefs’ starting quarterback that includes a 17-4 postseason mark. Mahomes’ five Super Bowl starts is tied with John Elway for the second-most in history.\u00a0<\/p>\n 6. John Elway\u00a0<\/p>\n Elway’s brilliant career includes nine Pro Bowl selections, an NFL MVP award and back-to-back Super Bowl wins to close out his career. Elway was named Super Bowl MVP in his final game, a year after\u00a0his famous helicopter run<\/a>\u00a0led the Broncos to their first Super Bowl win, an upset win over the defending champion Packers that ended the NFC’s 13-year Super Bowl winning streak.\u00a0<\/p>\n Elway’s career also included three other trips to the Super Bowl and his famous 98-yard drive (appropriately nicknamed\u00a0“The Drive”<\/a>) that forced overtime in the 1986 AFC Championship game.\u00a0<\/p>\n 5. Johnny Unitas\u00a0<\/p>\n The best QB during the NFL’s first half-century, Unitas led the Colts to back-to-back title that included a victory in the NFL’s first game that went into overtime. The Colts’ 23-17 overtime win<\/a> over the Giants in the 1958 NFL title game is also credited with helping take pro football’s popularity to a new level.\u00a0<\/p>\n Unitas’ career included four passing titles, being the NFL’s leader in touchdown passes four times, a Super Bowl win with the 1970 Colts and 47 straight games with a touchdown pass (which spanned from 1956-60), a record that stood for over 50 years before it was broken by Drew Brees in 2012.\u00a0<\/p>\n 4. Dan Marino\u00a0<\/p>\n Many consider Marino to be the best pure passer in NFL history, and the stats back it up. In 1984 (his second season), Marino threw for then-NFL records 5,084 yards and 48 touchdowns while leading Miami to its most recent Super Bowl appearance. Marino won five passing titles (including four in a five-year span early in his career) and led the NFL in touchdown passes three straight seasons from 1984-86. He retired after the 1999 season as the NFL’s career passing leader.\u00a0<\/p>\n 3. Peyton Manning\u00a0<\/p>\n Manning’s rivalry with Tom Brady was similar to golf’s greatest rivalry between Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer. When comparing the rivalries, Brady was like Nicklaus in that he won significantly more titles. But like Palmer, Manning’s legacy is more about his impact on the quarterback position and his status as one of the NFL’s greatest ambassadors.\u00a0<\/p>\n Manning was also a great quarterback, too. He won a record five league MVP awards, was the first starting quarterback to win Super Bowls with multiple franchises, and is the single-season record holder for most career passing yards (5,477) and touchdown passes (55). Oh, he also went 3-1 in his matchups with Brady in AFC title games.\u00a0<\/p>\n 2. Joe Montana\u00a0<\/p>\n Considered the greatest QB of all-time pre Brady, Montana still has the unofficial title as the best QB of the 20th century. Montana’s “Joe Cool” nickname was well earned as he led the 49ers on two of his most famous game-winning drives in NFL history. His touchdown pass to Dwight Clark<\/a> (nicknamed “The Catch”) led to the 49ers’ first Super Bowl berth while shifting the NFL’s balance of power from Dallas to San Francisco. Seven years later, Montana led a 92-yard drive<\/a> that was punctuated by his game-winning touchdown pass to John Taylor that sealed the 49ers’ third Super Bowl win during the 1980s.\u00a0<\/p>\n Montana went 4-0 in Super Bowls while becoming the first three-time Super Bowl MVP. Of his 92 pass attempts in Super Bowls, Montana threw 11 touchdowns and zero interceptions. His 59 rushing yards in Super Bowl XIX served as the single game record for a quarterback for 15 years.\u00a0<\/p>\n 1. Tom Brady\u00a0<\/p>\n It’s hard to find anyone who would argue Brady’s standing as the greatest quarterback of all-time. Brady owns just about every significant NFL passing record, including the career marks for passing yards and touchdown passes.\u00a0<\/p>\n Brady also has three league MVP awards, a record five Super Bowl MVP trophies and has won more Super Bowls (seven) than any NFL franchise. He’s the oldest quarterback (at age 43) to win the Super Bowl and only the second starting quarterback (Peyton Manning being the other) to win Super Bowls with multiple franchises.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It didn’t take long this season for Lamar Jackson to make even more NFL history. During the Ravens’…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":148360,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[436],"tags":[1754,12660,1748,49,48,1735,1724,1721,1743,3163,12663,1730,1732,12483,2212,1727,2211,1736,1749,3150,1720,1726,1718,1734,1728,1723,514,2218,9220,1747,12662,949,948,79079,82,1733,1741,12486],"class_list":["post-148359","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nfl","tag-aaron-rodgers","tag-ben-roethlisberger","tag-buffalo-bills","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-chicago-bears","tag-cleveland-browns","tag-dallas-cowboys","tag-denver-broncos","tag-detroit-lions","tag-eli-manning","tag-green-bay-packers","tag-indianapolis-colts","tag-jalen-hurts","tag-josh-allen","tag-kansas-city-chiefs","tag-lamar-jackson","tag-las-vegas-raiders","tag-los-angeles-rams","tag-matthew-stafford","tag-miami-dolphins","tag-minnesota-vikings","tag-new-england-patriots","tag-new-orleans-saints","tag-new-york-giants","tag-new-york-jets","tag-nfl","tag-patrick-mahomes","tag-peyton-manning","tag-philadelphia-eagles","tag-philip-rivers","tag-pittsburgh-steelers","tag-san-francisco-49ers","tag-santonio-holmes","tag-sports","tag-tampa-bay-buccaneers","tag-tennessee-titans","tag-tom-brady"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148359","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=148359"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148359\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/148360"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=148359"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=148359"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=148359"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}