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Top 10 NFL Quarterbacks of All Time — Vote for the GOAT

Who are the greatest NFL quarterbacks of all time? This fan-ranked list weighs Super Bowl wins, MVP awards, career passing stats, longevity, and cultural impact across every era — from Johnny Unitas and Joe Montana to Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes. Vote for the QB you believe is the GOAT and help shape the official Top10Grid ranking. Be the 1st to vote!

Location: US2026125 viewsMar 12, 2026 Updated Oct 3, 2026

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Current Rankings

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#1
Tom Brady
Tom Brady is the most decorated quarterback in NFL history, with seven Super Bowl rings and five Super Bowl MVPs. His journey from a 199th-overall pick to the apex of team sports is unmatched; he has thrown for over 89,000 regular-season passing yards and 649 touchdowns, more than any other player in league history.
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#2
Joe Montana
Joe Montana set the standard for playoff excellence, winning four Super Bowls with zero interceptions in those games. His postseason passer rating of 95.6 is higher than the average of 80.5 for Hall of Fame quarterbacks, and he threw for 5,772 yards and 45 touchdowns in 23 playoff games. Montana's clutch performances, including a game-winning drive in Super Bowl XXIII, cement him as the most efficient postseason quarterback, outperforming Peyton Manning's 14 playoff interceptions.
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#3
Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning revolutionized the quarterback position with his cerebral command of the no-huddle offense, winning a record five MVP awards. He threw for 71,940 yards and 539 touchdowns, with a 2013 season that saw him achieve 55 touchdown passes — the single-season record.
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#4
Johnny Unitas
Johnny Unitas forged the modern quarterback template with a 47-game touchdown streak from 1956 to 1960, a record that stood for over 50 years. He threw for 40,239 yards and 290 touchdowns, leading the Colts to three NFL championships during an era of physical defenses.
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#5
Patrick Mahomes
Patrick Mahomes has the strongest early-career résumé in NFL history: three Super Bowl titles and two MVPs before turning 30, a feat no other quarterback on this list—including Joe Montana—has matched. His no-look, sidearm, off-platform style revolutionized the position, and his 2022 season (5,250 passing yards) ranks as the third-highest single-season total ever. At just 29, he already holds a 0.74 playoff win percentage, the best among active quarterbacks with 10+ starts.
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#6
Dan Marino
Despite never winning a Super Bowl, his 1995 playoff performance (421 yards, 4 TDs) against the Bills remains one of the greatest single-game displays by a ringless quarterback.
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#7
John Elway
John Elway engineered the most iconic drive in NFL history—'The Drive,' a 98-yard march in the 1986 AFC Championship—and capped his career with back-to-back Super Bowl wins at age 37 and 38, older than any quarterback before him achieved that feat. His five Super Bowl appearances tie Patrick Mahomes for the most by a quarterback before turning 40.
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#8
Brett Favre
Brett Favre’s ironman streak of 297 consecutive starts stands 104 games longer than the next-closest quarterback on this list, John Elway (193), and his three consecutive MVP awards (1995–1997) make him the only player to win the award in three straight seasons since the NFL merger. He threw 508 touchdowns in his career—a record that stood for 15 years—and his 72.2% completion rate in 2009 at age 40 outperformed the average quarterback age 40+ by 10 percentage points.
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#9
Aaron Rodgers
His four MVP awards, tied for second-most all-time, underscore a statistical dominance that includes a league-best 66.5% completion rate over 18 seasons. Yet his lone Super Bowl ring, compared to Brees's one and the multiple titles of higher-ranked peers, reveals a glaring gap between peak personal performance and team success. Rodgers's 2011 championship season saw him throw 45 touchdowns against just 6 interceptions, a 7.5:1 ratio that remains the best in a single campaign for any quarterback on this list.
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#10
Drew Brees
Drew Brees held virtually every major passing record before Tom Brady surpassed him, finishing his career with 80,358 passing yards and 571 touchdowns, both second all-time behind Brady. His 67.7% career completion rate is the highest in NFL history among quarterbacks with 5,000+ attempts, a full 1.2 percentage points higher than Aaron Rodgers's 66.5%. Brees led the New Orleans Saints to their only Super Bowl title in 2009, throwing for 287 yards and 2 touchdowns in the game, while revitalizing the city after Hurricane Katrina. However, his pedestrian 1.7% interception rate, while better than many, trails Rodgers's 1.4%, a gap that costs him a higher rank.
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Frequently Asked Questions About the Greatest NFL Quarterbacks

## Frequently Asked Questions About the Greatest NFL Quarterbacks

Who is considered the greatest NFL quarterback of all time? Tom Brady is widely regarded as the GOAT thanks to his seven Super Bowl victories, five Super Bowl MVPs, and three NFL MVP awards. Joe Montana, with a perfect 4-0 Super Bowl record, is the most common alternative choice.

How many Super Bowls has Tom Brady won? Tom Brady won seven Super Bowls — six with the New England Patriots and one with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — more than any other player in NFL history at any position.

Are active quarterbacks on this list? Yes. Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers are active quarterbacks currently on this list, and their rankings will shift as their careers continue.

What stats matter most when ranking quarterbacks? The most-cited metrics are Super Bowl wins, MVP awards, career passing yards, career passing touchdowns, passer rating, and playoff winning percentage. Longevity and conference championship appearances are also common tiebreakers.

Why is Drew Brees ranked lower than his passing stats suggest? Drew Brees held the all-time passing yards and touchdowns records until Tom Brady surpassed them, but Brees won only one Super Bowl, which many fans weigh heavily in GOAT debates.

Can I vote for a quarterback who is not on the list? Yes — use the suggestion form to nominate a missing legend such as Otto Graham, Fran Tarkenton, or Steve Young.

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Frequently asked questions

Who is considered the best NFL quarterback of all time?

Tom Brady is widely regarded as the best NFL quarterback of all time, holding records for the most Super Bowl wins (7), most Super Bowl MVP awards (5), and most career passing touchdowns and yards.

What criteria are used to rank the top NFL quarterbacks of all time?

Rankings typically consider Super Bowl victories, individual awards (MVP, Super Bowl MVP), passing statistics, longevity, and impact on the game, while adjusting for different eras.

How do modern quarterbacks compare to legends from past eras?

Quarterbacks are compared across eras by accounting for rule changes, offensive schemes, and competition level, using statistical normalization and peak performance metrics.

Why is Joe Montana often ranked ahead of Peyton Manning in all-time lists?

Joe Montana is frequently ranked higher due to his perfect 4-0 Super Bowl record without an interception, 3 Super Bowl MVP awards, and reputation for clutch playoff performances, despite Manning having superior regular-season stats and 5 MVP awards.

Which NFL quarterbacks are typically included in the top 5 all-time?

The most common top 5 quarterbacks are Tom Brady, Joe Montana, Peyton Manning, Johnny Unitas, and either Dan Marino or Aaron Rodgers, though order varies by ranking criteria.