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The debate over who is the best quarterback of all time is complex, with various statistics and factors to consider. Some of the top contenders include Johnny Unitas, Steve Young, Joe Montana, Fran Tarkenton, Bart Starr, Roger Staubach, Dan Marino, Brett Favre, and Tom Brady. Super Bowl victories are often used as a criterion, with Montana and Terry Bradshaw being the top two in that regard. However, other factors such as passing records, rushing ability, and team performance must also be considered. Ultimately, the debate is ongoing and subject to change as new players emerge and records are broken.
Answering who is the best quarterback of all time will likely spark a great deal of debate as the criterion that determines who is the best varies considerably. Some people look at specific stats, such as average pass completions, ability to run the ball, ability to come from behind, average touchdown-to-interception ratio, or quick release. However, not everyone agrees on which of these statistics is the most important. Also, many believe that since a quarterback should inspire a team, the most important factor should simply be winning the Super Bowl.
There is usually a short list of players vying for the best quarterback title, including Johnny Unitas, Steve Young, Joe Montana, Fran Tarkenton, Bart Starr, Roger Staubach and Dan Marino. While their careers are still in full swing, Brett Favre and Tom Brady are also considered by many football fans to be among the best. Looking only at Super Bowl victories, Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw are the two best. Bradshaw probably wouldn’t make the list from many other perspectives, but he and Montana are tied with four Super Bowl wins.
Bart Starr must also be considered, even though he has only won two Super Bowls, in fact, the first two Super Bowls in 1967 and 1968. However, he won three NFL championships before the Super Bowl began.
On the other hand, some great players have never won a Super Bowl. Such is the case with Dan Marino, who is generally regarded as one of the fastest releases and currently holds an impressive number of football records. These include lowest interception percentage in a season, most consecutive seasons with 20 or more touchdown passes, and most games with four or more touchdown passes in a season. He also has the second-highest comeback mark in the fourth quarter. However, he wasn’t a great runner. In his career he averaged just one yard per run with the ball.
Many believe that Johnny Unitas is the best ever to play the game. He holds three NFL championships, one of which is the Super Bowl. Also, when he retired, he had many records, such as most pass completions, most touchdowns, and most consecutive games with touchdown passes.
Fran Tarkenton’s regular season record is amazing, but many dismiss her performance because her team hasn’t won any of the three Super Bowls it has played in. However, he held virtually all passing records at the time of his retirement. In addition, he had great rushing ability, amassing over 3,500 rushing yards and 32 touchdowns. He is fourth on the list in rushing yards.
Many argue that Joe Montana is the best quarterback ever because he combined his Super Bowl wins with awesome stats. He holds the second-highest single-season passing record, most consecutive games with 300 or more passing yards, most Super Bowl touchdowns, and most pass completions in Super Bowl history. He also holds the second-highest career pass completion record, third-highest seasons with 3,000+ passes, and third-lowest interception record.
From a statistical point of view, however, Steve Young often beats Montana. Montana had a much quicker release than Young, one of the quickest in NFL history. Many believe Young could have had a better Super Bowl record with a better offensive line and better defense than was available on the 1949 1990ers team.
Brett Favre should also be considered, especially in light of his late career upswing. After mostly unremarkable years in 2005 and 2006, Favre returned with one of his best seasons ever in 2007, and now holds the all-time records for passing yards and touchdowns. Favre won a Super Bowl and three MVP awards and started more consecutive games at quarterback than any other player.
Tom Brady must now be included in any debate about the best QBs of all time. Brady had already won three Super Bowls by age 30 and two MVP awards. In 2007, Brady had a great season, breaking the all-time record for touchdown passes in a season with 50 and leading the New England Patriots to their first perfect regular season record of 16-0 in NFL history. He was ranked the league’s Most Valuable Player after the 2010 season and was the first player to be named MVP by unanimous decision.
There are a myriad of considerations to take into account when naming the best quarterback. He has to inspire the team, but he has to have good receivers, good protection from his offensive line and he has to play on a team with a defense that gives him opportunities to play. As part of a team, his stats can go up or down given the skill of the other team members. As a result, it might be more valid to assess which football clubs were the greatest ever, although even then the debate would be substantial.
Additionally, all statistics and career records are subject to change. Many look to Peyton Manning’s impressive stats and skills, for example, and believe that many records now held by other players are within Manning’s reach.
