Photo by Wikimedia Commons
Sports are often defined by key characters but in American football and specifically in the NFL, the performance of a quarter back on any given day is integral for success.
With each and every play going through the hands of the quarter back, they are talisman for their teams and as a consequence, they make headlines when they play well or play badly.
The main character energy that comes with being a quarter back obviously carries plenty of pressure but some of the most notorious NFL players of all time have been able to step up in the quarter back role time and time again.
While the role of the quarter back has always been important, the advent of statistics and a booming sports betting industry that accompanies the NFL, has seen wider and deeper analysis of quarter backs develop.
Punters and American football betting sites are always searching for niches and angles when it comes to betting on a sport, which offers a vast array of in-play and ante-post gambling options.
Debating the best quarter backs of all time has been done in bars and pubs the world over, with plenty of household names able to put their hat in the ring.
Metrics are always hard when assessing the best players of all time in a competition as storied as the NFL, with statistics from individual games, often traded off against championships won on an individual level.
That said, picking the five greatest NFL quarter backs in history is no easy task and here is our countdown of the top 5 NFL QB’s of all time:
5. Brett Favre – Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers, New York Jets & Minnesota Vikings
1 x Superbowl Champion
Rightly or wrongly, quarter backs fit into a stereotype of having it ‘all’ and Brett Favre was the NFL pin up boy for the majority of the 1990’s.
Only having one Superbowl title to his name (with the Green Bay Packers in 1996) is often levelled against him but for a long period of time, it was Favre who propelled the Packers to a franchise beyond the limits of the NFL.
Originally a second round draft pick for the Atlanta Falcons, Favre’s inauspicious start to life in the NFL gave no indicator of the all-time great he would become.
A move to Green Bay the following year gave him on-field experience and game time, and Favre never looked back in the infamous green and gold jersey.
A hall of famer for both the Packers and in the NFL, Favre’s 15 year tenure at Green Bay etched him into NFL folklore, before he enjoyed a few more seasons at the New York Jets and his home state of Minnesota with the Vikings.
4. Patrick Mahomes – Kansas City Chiefs
3 x Superbowl Champion
Modern day players are often overlooked in all time countdowns, but Patrick Mahomes justifiably holds his own in the grand pantheon of NFL quarter backs.
Mahomes was always seemingly destined for greatness, having enjoyed a stellar college career with Texas Tech but his NFL suitability was sometimes brought into question.
The Kansas City Chiefs plumped for Mahomes as a first round pick back in 2017 and the decision to do so has transcended the franchise over the past decade.
With Mahomes in the pocket, the Chiefs have landed three Superbowl titles (2019, 2022 and 2023) and his passing accuracy and range stands him right up there alongside some of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history.
His legacy at the Chiefs remains untouchable and he will be looking to lead them into a new era, following a tricky 2025/26 season.
3. Peyton Manning – Indianapolis Colts & Denver Broncos
2 x Superbowl Champion
Unlike those below him on the list, Peyton Manning was a prodigy from college football, who steadily continued his rise to the very sharp end of the game.
A first overall pick for the Indianapolis Colts back in 1989, Manning came to the franchise with plenty of weight upon his shoulders and for the next two decades, he revolutionised both the quarterback position and the fortunes of the Colts.
Lifting the Superbowl in 2006 was the pinnacle of his 20+ year tenure in Indianapolis and his longevity and consistency in the NFL, is pretty much unrivalled in any position or in any team.
In true Manning style, he showed his fight and class upon leaving the Colts in 2011, as he returned to the fray with the Denver Broncos and proceeded to win his second Superbowl title – becoming the first man in NFL history to win the competition with two different franchises, as the starting quarter back.
2. Joe Montana – San Francisco 49ers & Kansas City Chiefs
4 x Superbowl Champion
Another man to have seen his role within the NFL transcend the sport is Joe Montana, who enjoyed a remarkable period of success with the San Francisco 49ers.
‘Joe Cool’ as he was affectionately known, came from relative obscurity as a third round pick from Notre Dame, to boss the NFL for the best part of a decade, with the next generation of NFL quarterbacks all desperate to emulate him.
Montana was at the helm for four remarkable 49ers Superbowl wins (1981, 1984, 1988 & 1989) and his ability to make remarkable plays when it mattered most, helped him stand out as one of the best quarter backs in NFL history.
1. Tom Brady – New England Patriots & Tampa Bay Buccaneers
7 x Superbowl Champion
While predictable in many senses, no NFL quarterback rundown is complete without the inclusion of Tom Brady.
A serial winner with the New England Patriots, Brady was the global face of the NFL between 2000 and 2022, and his reach goes far beyond that of American football itself.
His relatively obscure college career makes the Tom Brady story all the more incredible and he had to prove his worth the hard way on the biggest stage of all.
After being entrusted with the starting QB roll, Brady never looked back for the New England Patriots, as they romped to six NFL Superbowl titles between 2001 and 2018.
Brady’s relatively acrimonious departure from the Patriots in 2019 obviously got tongues wagging but he stepped up once again, joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and inspiring them to their second NFL title in 2020 – at the ripe old age of 42.
