In selecting the 25 greatest quarterbacks in the history of the NFL, I took into account QB stats, accolades (Pro Bowls, All-Pro selections, Offensive Player of the Year honors, MVP's, etc.), as well as regular season and postseason success--making note of the era the quarterback played in and how the game operated at that time. In this post, I rank QBs Nos. 25-21 in NFL history.
25. Ben Roethlisberger
25. Ben Roethlisberger
Pittsburgh Steelers, 2004-Present
*Active Player; This post was written before the 2014 season.
Roethlisberger
has thrived since entering the league in 2004, earning the NFL Rookie of the
Year honors and setting an NFL-record with 13 wins in his rookie campaign. He became
the first QB to start Conference Championship games in each of his first two
seasons in the NFL—losing at home in the AFC title game to the New England Patriots in 2004—then beating the visiting Denver Broncos for the Conference title in 2005. After defeating Denver,
the Steelers ousted the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL, making the
23-year-old “Big Ben” the youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl. He won
another championship three years later in Super Bowl XLIII versus the Arizona
Cardinals, engineering a come-from-behind eight-play, 88-yard drive capitalized
by a Santonio Holmes six-yard TD reception. Holmes’ TD gave the Steelers a
27-23 lead with 35 seconds remaining in what turned out to be one of the most
dramatic Super Bowl contests in league history. Big Ben guided the Steelers to
another Super Bowl game two years later, but fell short to the Aaron Rodgers-led
Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XLV...One of the most efficient passers in
league history, Big Ben ranks 9th
all-time in passer rating (92.6). Among QBs with at least 100 starts, Big Ben ranks sixth in
winning percentage (.710) all-time in regular season contests.
24. Dan Fouts
San Diego Chargers, 1973-1987
San Diego Chargers, 1973-1987
Spearheading
the “Air Coryell”, Fouts directed a dynamic passing attack for a decade-plus for
San Diego. The Chargers led the league in passing yards an NFL-record five consecutive
years (1979-1983) under Fout’s tutelage. They also led the league in total
yards in offense from 1978–83 and again in 1985. A six-time Pro Bowler, Fouts
became the first QB to surpass 4,000 passing yards in three consecutive seasons
(1979–81). He ranks 11th all-time in passing yards and 14th in TD passes with 254.
23. Warren Moon
After spending the first six years of his professional career north of the border in the Canadian Football League, Moon became the star quarterback of the Oilers for a decade. The highly athletic gunslinger threw for an Oilers franchise record 3,338 yards in his rookie season in 1984. He led the league in passing in 1990, earning him the NFL Offensive Player of the Year award, though he placed second in MVP voting behind Joe Montana. Moon led the NFL in passing the follow season as well. He made nine Pro Bowl appearances—six with the Oilers (1988-1993), twice with the Minnesota Vikings (1994,1995) and once with the Seattle Seahawks (1997). He ranks eighth in league history with 291 TDs and 11th overall in regular season wins with 102.
Houston
Oilers, 1984-1993; Minnesota Vikings, 1994-1996; Seattle Seahawks, 1997-1998;
Kansas City Chiefs, 1999-2000
After spending the first six years of his professional career north of the border in the Canadian Football League, Moon became the star quarterback of the Oilers for a decade. The highly athletic gunslinger threw for an Oilers franchise record 3,338 yards in his rookie season in 1984. He led the league in passing in 1990, earning him the NFL Offensive Player of the Year award, though he placed second in MVP voting behind Joe Montana. Moon led the NFL in passing the follow season as well. He made nine Pro Bowl appearances—six with the Oilers (1988-1993), twice with the Minnesota Vikings (1994,1995) and once with the Seattle Seahawks (1997). He ranks eighth in league history with 291 TDs and 11th overall in regular season wins with 102.
22. Jim Kelly
Buffalo
Bills, 1986–1996
After
being drafted in 1983 by the Buffalo Bills, he sat out for a season—before joining
the United States Football League’s Houston Gamblers for two years. Finally
joining the Bills in 1986, Kelly made an immediate impact, jumpstarting a
decade of dominance in Buffalo. He made the Pro Bowl five times in a six-year
span (1987-1988, 1990, 1991-1992) and earned an All-Pro selection in 1991. Kelly took the Bills to the Super Bowl four
straight years (1990-1993). Though he lost all four of those contests, he
remains the only QB in NFL history to lead a team to four consecutive Super
Bowls. The most painful loss for Kelly and the Bills was their first defeat
with the Lombardi Trophy on the line, falling to the New York Giants 20-19 in Super
Bowl XXV as kicker Scott Norwood missed a last-second 47-yard field goal
attempt wide right of the uprights. Kelly holds the Bills franchise record for passing yards with 35,467 (18th in NFL history). He tossed 237 TD passes in his career, placing him 19th all-time.
21. Sid Luckman
Chicago Bears, 1939-1950
Luckman registered 11 winning seasons in 12 years with the Chicago Bears. Overall, he won 83 % of his regular season contests. Luckman steered the Bears to five NFL championships contests, winning the title four times (1940, 1941, 1943 and 1946). In his career-year of 1943, he became the first QB to throw seven touchdown passes in one game—a feat that only six other QBs in league history have tied but still none have surpassed. That season, Luckman led the league in passing yards (for the third consecutive year), completing 110 of 202 passes for 2194 yards and 28 touchdowns. His 13.9% touchdown rate, 10.9 yards per completion rate, and his 19.9 yards per pass completion rate from 1943 all still rank No. 1 for a single season in NFL history. Luckman ranks second all-time in passing yards per attempt (8.4), trailing only Cleveland Browns legend Otto Graham (9.0). Luckman led the NFL in yards per attempt an NFL record seven times, including a record five consecutive years from 1939 to 1943. The four-time NFL Champion was also a five-time All-Pro selection.
