There are revered positions in each sport such as the pitcher in baseball, the goalie in hockey, and then there is the quarterback in football. The quarterback is seen as the catalyst to the failures or successes of a team. There are five who have done it better than just about anyone else.
- Tom Brady
The usurper. The man who overtook Montana at the summit. His resume almost seems too good to be real: three MVPs, 14 Pro Bowls, five All-Pro selections. But it is his success as a winner that matters most. An incredible six Super Bowl victories, four of which he was the MVP for. There is no doubt that he is the greatest to do it and he’s not done yet.
- Joe Montana
For many years, Montana was considered the greatest quarterback of all-time. A pair of MVPs stand out, but not like the four Super Bowl titles, three of which he earned MVP honors. He formed one of the legendary pairings in NFL history with receiver Jerry Rice and left with the highest quarterback rating of all-time.
- Peyton Manning
There is nothing Manning did not do. He left the game as the all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns. His seven First Team All-Pro selections are unprecedented. He also won five MVPs, two Offensive Player of the Year awards, and a pair of Super Bowl titles.
- Johnny Unitas
Perhaps the standard prior to the modern era. Winning three NFL titles, a Super Bowl, and a league MVP, Unitas went on to capture many of the league’s records as a passer when he hung up his cleats in 1973. He was the model for quarterbacks of the 1980s and 1990s.
- Otto Graham
Graham may have been the NFL’s first truly great winner. He won four AAFC titles and another three NFL crowns as quarterback of the Cleveland Browns. The four-time First-Team All-Pro left the game with the most passing yards as well as the highest passer rating in league history.