Brett Favre? Joe Montana? Dan Marino? John Elway? Tom Brady? Peyton Manning? Which one of these guys is the best QB the NFL has ever seen? Do you have a definite answer? I’ve read through much of the articles on this site and others arguing for one or the other being the best ever, and I have yet to be convinced about any of them.

Then came the inevitable question: What makes a QB the greatest ever?

Is it Super Bowl wins? If that’s the case say bye-bye to Dan Marino, and hello to Trent Dilfer and Jeff Hostetler who join an illustrious company including the likes of Manning, Brady, Joe Montana, Joe Namath, Terry Bradshaw ... and the list goes on. Let’s agree that the best NFL QB ever had to have at least one season when he was able to lead the team to the ultimate glory, but in itself a SB win does not vault you into elite status. Montana and Bradshaw certainly have a strong case in this category, but do not forget guys like Tom Brady or Troy Aikman, who were/are also proven winners.

‘Let’s agree that the best NFL QB ever had to have at least one season when he was able to lead the team to the ultimate glory...’


Is it a steady dose of high pass percentages and low interception numbers? In that case scratch Terry Bradshaw or Brett Favre off your list. Guys who are fun to watch at this position are usually gunslingers who take big risks. Efficiency is a nice thing to have, but who would you rather watch? Brad Johnson or Brett Favre? Johnson, a Super Bowl-winning QB, is one of the most efficient players at his position, Favre has thrown more interceptions in three games than Johnson has in a full season, yet we all know who is regarded as the better player.

Is it gaudy statistics? Welcome to the land of Peyton Manning and Tom Brady (after his past season, you better include him on this list). You take one look at Manning’s passing stats, and you’ll be in awe. Better yet, take the time to watch one of his games, and you’ll be electrified. Brady this past season practically copied Manning’s best season, and bettered it by one step. Does all of this make them any better than the likes of Joe Montana or John Elway? I’ll let you decide.

Who do I think is the best QB the NFL has ever seen?

As of right now, I am leaning just that wee bit towards Tom Brady. The guy has done it all, or at least most of it. He has won multiple Super Bowls, with completely different supporting casts. He has shattered records that were thought to be untouchable. He has guided his team to the playoffs even when he had minimal talent surrounding him. He is the guy you would least want to face in a game where there’s only two minutes left and you’re leading by four points.

Next up I would have Joe Montana. He was always considered a winner. He would always be capable of bringing the best out of his teams. The only weakness I saw with him, was a set of injuries that hampered him while he was in his prime. "Joe Cool" had no real flaws in his game, though.

Following the top two are a bunch of legends, present and future hall of famers who have at least some minor questions surrounding their greatness. Favre could only win one Super Bowl and he lost some due to his mistakes. Peyton Manning is also getting the 'only one big win' treatment so far. Dan Marino could never win the big one, whilst Elway did win two titles, but he did so in the twilight of his career, when they were relying a bit less on him (although this truly is just a minor gripe). Terry Bradshaw won four titles, but he had nearly as many interceptions in his career as touchdowns. I’m probably leaving out a lot of deserving names, so let’s just say I cannot make such a list, and leave it at that.