NFL QB All-Time Hierarchy List (Thoughts?)

[King P]

Quote

 

Best Quarterbacks Ever Hierarchy

These are the best Quarterbacks ever ranked according to tiers. This list is based off the overall talent and career accomplishments. To no surprise the first 3 tiers include the players that I include on my top 10 Quarterbacks ever list. Every tier includes a player with the Quarterback seasons of all-time.

Tier 1:

From left to right: Joe Montana, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.
I think you can make a case for any of these players being the #1 guy with Tom Brady being the GOAT in my mind.

Tier 2:

From left to right: Drew Brees, Johnny Unitas and Dan Marino.
Drew Brees continues to climb higher and higher in the record books. Johnny Unitas is a pioneer to the position. Dan Marino is the best player to never win a Super Bowl.

Tier 3:

From left to right: Brett Favre, Otto Graham, John Elway and Roger Staubach.
This is where cutoffs begin for the top 10 and I feel like each of these guys deserve a spot. Otto Graham is too slept on as one of the most winning QBs ever.

Tier 4:

From left to right: Kurt Warner, Terry Bradshaw, Bart Starr, Aaron Rodgers and Steve Young.
A lot of championships in this tier. Again, you can make a case for any of these guys being in the top 10. Aaron Rodgers to me was on pace to become a top 5 QB ever, but has cooled down these past couple of seasons.

Tier 5:

From left to right: Jim Kelly, Fran Tarkenton, Russell Wilson, Troy Aikman, Warren Moon and Ben Roethlisberger.
I wouldn’t include any of these players in my top 10, but Russell Wilson continues to climb. Fran Tarkenton and Warren Moon are both top 10 running Quarterbacks ever. Big Ben would have to dominate in the final years of his career to make a case.

 

https://www.sogsports.com/best-quarterbacks-ever-hierarchy/?fbclid=IwAR0bHQt95QcnpZoUHrhGOo4xejEGoSvzvF59k1adhBKnTr60He0RZMukH6c

[Jetlife33]

That’s pretty cool. A lot of it comes down to personal preference. I was never a big Kurt Warner guy, I don’t even think he should be in any tier here. I’d probably rank Brett Favre with the tier 2 guys. I also think Russel Wilson has the potential to shoot way up this ladder as his career continues. Rodgers is a guy at one point you’d think would be at least with the tier 2 guys but I think he’s ranked fairly here. Thanks for sharing @King P

[rangerous]

i guess i don't have many complaints about the ranking.  about the only thing to say is these guys are all very close in overall talent so if they were on different teams they'd have good success.  4 active players are on the list.  one issue is that it spans about 4 eras so these guys can't be easily compared.

[nycdan]

There is no objective answer to this.  But Brees has done everything Peyton and Brady have done in the same or less time except he won one less SB than Peyton (who didn't really 'win' his last one with DEN).  Putting him a tier below feels a bit arbitrary.  I can't help but think if Brees were 6'4" he would be in Tier 1 with the exact same stats.  Even then, I can't argue it's wrong, just questionable.

I also think Rodgers should be a notch higher, but I can see the counterpoint.  But if you have one game to win, and could have Rodgers or Favre in their prime, which would you pick and how close would it be?

Otherwise, it's about as good as you can come up with and a good starting point for the raging debates sure to follow.  

[Jetsfan80]

25 minutes ago, Jetlife33 said:

That’s pretty cool. A lot of it comes down to personal preference. I was never a big Kurt Warner guy, I don’t even think he should be in any tier here. 

Taking 2 different franchises to a Super Bowl is pretty damn impressive, and a very rare feat.  A career 183/43 TD:INT ratio is pretty insane too.  

[Warfish]

Seems fine, but does Kurt Warner belong up there really?  Maybe he does I guess.

No real complaint.  

[Wonderboy]

Where is Joe Namath? I don't care about his lopsided numbers. He changed the spectrum in the NFL.  Tarkenton/Kelly over Namath? Both 3x 4x  losers respectively in SB. Pulllease.

[Jetlife33]

9 minutes ago, Jetsfan80 said:

Taking 2 different franchises to a Super Bowl is pretty damn impressive, and a very rare feat.  A career 183/43 TD:INT ratio is pretty insane too.  

That’s fair, like I said personal preference. He’s a hall of famer for a reason. But for me, of all QB’s listen above, I’ll take every one of them before Warner. 

[Arsis]

Warner and Roethlisberger wouldn't be on that list if I made it but everything else looks good for right now.

[Warfish]

8 minutes ago, Wonderboy said:

Where is Joe Namath?

Where he belongs, nowhere near this list.  

Quote

I don't care about his lopsided numbers. He changed the spectrum in the NFL.  Tarkenton/Kelly over Namath? Both 3x 4x  losers respectively in SB. Pulllease.

He was a media personality mostly famous for which league he signed to play for, his off-field advertising and bravado and the single moment of the "guarantee", which he was lucky to fulfill tbqh.  He was a short-term guy who clearly lacked long-term high-level success.  He barely belongs in the HOF tbqh, much less a GOAT conversation.  He may have changed the league along with the rest of the Jets, but thats not enough for GOAT talk, and yes, Tarkenton, Kelly and Big Ben are all materially better and more successful careers than Namaths.  His knees kept him from being a true all-time great.  if he played today, maybe this would be different, but now we're getting into Fantasy Football, not reality.

[Arsis]

16 minutes ago, Jetsfan80 said:

Taking 2 different franchises to a Super Bowl is pretty damn impressive, and a very rare feat.  A career 183/43 TD:INT ratio is pretty insane too.  

Does that make you top 15 all time?

 

Eli won twice and has only slightly worse stats and no one puts him top anything.

[Jetsfan80]

5 minutes ago, Arsis said:

Does that make you top 15 all time?

 

Eli won twice and has only slightly worse stats and no one puts him top anything.

Those 2 credentials combined sure do.  Eli's TD:INT ratio is 366:244 with a lot of very pedestrian seasons.  Warner had 2 or 3 of the best QB seasons the game has ever seen along with that playoff success and QB:INT ratio.

[jetstream23]

A few biases here....and we're all susceptible to them.  I never saw Otto Graham play.  I also saw Elway essentially dominate from the late 80's through mid-90's without ever getting over the hump until he had a true running back.  Montana was amazing but much of it was the system and that stretch of time where the WCO befuddled opponents.  Favre was a gunslinger and true magician at times.

With all that said, I think Elway and Favre feel a little low to me.  I'd probably have them in Tier 2.  Montana actually feels little bit high.

A question I'd submit would be, "If Montana played his career in Miami and Marino played in SF would all those Lombardi trophies still reside in San Franciso?"   I think they would.

[greenwichjetfan]

Cool. Fun thought exercise, but as always with QB rankings, the issue is too many variables. Here you’ve isolated for talent and accomplishments, but of course there’s very little correlation between the two.

Going by accomplishments: Brady belongs in his own category at the top, Favre, Elway, Graham, Bradshaw, Montana, Warner and Peyton should be their own second tier, then you’d have Eli and Stabler in tier 3, and Brees and Marino (a combined 1 MVP and 1 ring between them) would fall out of the top 10.

Going by talent: Mahomes is in his own tier on top, then you have a logjam of QBs who are all very talented in different ways depending on what you like: Wilson, Marino, Moon, Peyton, Elway, Staubach, Rodgers, Young, and Tarkenten are all tied somewhere in tier 2. Meanwhile, Brady, Bradshaw, Montana would drop out of the top 10. 

[Daddy Wang Doodle]

As crazy and dumb as this may sound, I'd probably put Mahomes on the list

[Jetlife33]

5 minutes ago, jetstream23 said:

A fewer biases here....and we're all susceptible to them.  I never saw Otto Graham play.  I also saw Elway essentially dominate from the late 80's through mid-90's without ever getting over the hump until he had a true running back.  Montana was amazing but much of it was the system and that stretch of time where the WCO befuddled opponents.  Favre was a gunslinger and true magician at times.

With all that said, I think Elway and Favre feel a little low to me.  I'd probably have them in Tier 2.  Montana actually feels little bit high.

A question I'd submit would be, "If Montana played his career in Miami and Marino played in SF would the all those Lombardi trophies still reside in San Franciso?"   I think they would.

Agree on Favre. Definitely true about biases, like I mentioned never was a big Warner guy, but always loved Favre. I think he gets under rated so many times because of the interceptions and all of the retiring/unretiring that happened at the end of his career. I mean dude won 3 straight mvp awards. 

[#27TheDominator]

I get that it is cool to be down on Namath, but if Bradshaw is there why the **** not Namath?  I don't think a single GM in the history of the planet would select Bradshaw over Namath.  All the statistical bullsh*t that lets people select these compiling losers today isn't there for Bradshaw.    Their statistics were similar, Bradshaw's claim to fame is that he was a "winner."  Well, so is Namath's.  Bart Starr?   C'mon.  The guy threw for 120 ypg on a team of HOF'ers.

[SAR I]

How can Jim Kelly be a Tier 5 and Dan Marino be a Tier 2 when they played at the same time and Kelly was far more successful playing virtually the same schedule against the same defenses in the same division?  Hate 'em both, but that's not right.

SAR I

[Jetlife33]

Honestly give me Favre over Marino. More yards, more touchdowns, higher completion %. Played more games/ had the longer career. More pro bowls, more MVP’s, has the super bowl win. 

[slimjasi]

44 minutes ago, Jetsfan80 said:

Taking 2 different franchises to a Super Bowl is pretty damn impressive, and a very rare feat.  A career 183/43 TD:INT ratio is pretty insane too.  

Amazing at his peak, but didn't do it for nearly as long anyone else on that list. 

[jetstream23]

33 minutes ago, Jetlife33 said:

Agree on Favre. Definitely true about biases, like I mentioned never was a big Warner guy, but always loved Favre. I think he gets under rated so many times because of the interceptions and all of the retiring/unretiring that happened at the end of his career. I mean dude won 3 straight mvp awards. 

I have a Warner bias being here in Arizona.  Seeing him take not one but two different teams to the Super Bowl validated him in my opinion.  His career was just short.  Can't argue to put him up there on that pyramid simply due to longevity IMO.  Had he played a few more years at that high level, gotten to 4 Super Bowls instead of 3, etc. I'd make a case for Tier 5.

[PepPep]

I feel like Drew Brees could be elevated to top tier. Just depends how you value SBs and how much credit you give to TB and Joe Montana for all the SBs they won vs the coaching and system they were in. 

Also, I think Russ Wilson could be elevated to Tier 3 and probably will end up in tier 2. He probably has another 4-5 seasons of really good football left in him which will add to his overall stats and possibly give him another shot at a SB win. He's already on pace to match and overcome statistically what Brady and Brees did in their first 8 seasons (other than all the SBs Brady won). I'm talking about QBR, completion %, Yards, TDs, INTs. ALL are better than both Brady and Brees after their first 8 seasons. There's a small drop off in Wins for Russell at this point. But he leads statistically (8 years in) in the other categories, pretty considerably.  

The difference and what makes Brees and Brady so special is that they are freaks of nature and have played for a gazillion years at a high level (Brees 20 seasons, Brady in his 21st season). I don't think Wilson will be able to do that. This is in part why I think Brees should be elevated to the top tier.  

[TNJet]

Add Sammy Baugh and its a good list.

[PCP63]

Raise Brady, Elway, Favre, Rodgers, Brees, lower Ben and Warner. 

[Wonderboy]

1 hour ago, Warfish said:

Where he belongs, nowhere near this list.  

He was a media personality mostly famous for which league he signed to play for, his off-field advertising and bravado and the single moment of the "guarantee", which he was lucky to fulfill tbqh.  He was a short-term guy who clearly lacked long-term high-level success.  He barely belongs in the HOF tbqh, much less a GOAT conversation.  He may have changed the league along with the rest of the Jets, but thats not enough for GOAT talk, and yes, Tarkenton, Kelly and Big Ben are all materially better and more successful careers than Namaths.  His knees kept him from being a true all-time great.  if he played today, maybe this would be different, but now we're getting into Fantasy Football, not reality.

We're not talking stats. We're talking impact.  No other QB revolutionized the game like Namath.  Maybe Johnny Unitas. And not one other than Marino had a better arm. Not even close.  

[nyjunc]

Tier 1 is Brady all by himself, Montana is the closest but Brady passed him a long time ago.  Peyton doesn't belong in that discussion.

[nycdan]

55 minutes ago, PepPep said:

I feel like Drew Brees could be elevated to top tier. Just depends how you value SBs and how much credit you give to TB and Joe Montana for all the SBs they won vs the coaching and system they were in. 

Also, I think Russ Wilson could be elevated to Tier 3 and probably will end up in tier 2. He probably has another 4-5 seasons of really good football left in him which will add to his overall stats and possibly give him another shot at a SB win. He's already on pace to match and overcome statistically what Brady and Brees did in their first 8 seasons (other than all the SBs Brady won). I'm talking about QBR, completion %, Yards, TDs, INTs. ALL are better than both Brady and Brees after their first 8 seasons. There's a small drop off in Wins for Russell at this point. But he leads statistically (8 years in) in the other categories, pretty considerably.  

The difference and what makes Brees and Brady so special is that they are freaks of nature and have played for a gazillion years at a high level (Brees 20 seasons, Brady in his 21st season). I don't think Wilson will be able to do that. This is in part why I think Brees should be elevated to the top tier.  

If you go by stats, then Rodgers would be the king.  He has similar or better stats to Wilson in every category you mentioned.  Not to take away from Wilson, who has proven to be an amazing QB over a long period of time, but statistically Rodgers might be the best we've seen (well until now with Mahomes).

[King P]

33 minutes ago, nyjunc said:

Tier 1 is Brady all by himself, Montana is the closest but Brady passed him a long time ago.  Peyton doesn't belong in that discussion.

Can't agree at all

This isn't a ranking of numbers. Brady may be considered the GOAT, but he's not so far ahead of everyone else that he should be in a class all by himself.

That's like if this was a basketball hierarchy saying that Michael Jordan should be Tier 1 alone because he's the GOAT. Nope, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson should (and would) be there right along with him. Just like Montana and Manning should be there with Brady even if they're not better

 

 

[slimjasi]

To me, the top 2 are Brady and Montana, in that order. 

The rest of my top 10 would look something like (in no particular order): Unitas, Marino, Manning, Elway, Staubach, Brees, and probably Rodgers. 

But yeah, it all comes down to personal preference/bias. 

[PS17]

Russell Wilson has been better than Aaron Rodgers since he entered the league. He will be in at least tier 2 by the end of his career.

[The Crusher]

Where is Mark Sanchez? @SAR I

[Vader]

Tier Zero: Pat Mahomes

[Jetlife33]

I think manning without a doubt deserves to be in tier 1. Greatest regular season QB I’ve ever watched.

5x MVP 7x All Pro 14x Pro Bowler 

the passing stats speak for itself, on par with Brady if not better in some cases. 

[PS17]

1 minute ago, Vader said:

Tier Zero: Pat Mahomes

He won MVP with one of the best QB seasons in history in 2018 - without understanding NFL defenses yet. Mahomes with Reid the next ten years is just scary.

[SAR I]

7 minutes ago, The Crusher said:

Where is Mark Sanchez? @SAR I

Make a Jets version of that graphic, Sanchez is Tier 1 with Namath.  The rest?  Go straight to Tier 5.

SAR I