Who is the best quarterback to ever play the game of football? Since there’s no unanimous recipient of this title, let’s discuss the candidates and their arguments for being the best quarterback ever.
1. Tom Brady
Brady began his career as a backup for the Patriots, but when starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe went down due to injury, Brady took over as the starter and has not looked back. Winning five Super Bowl Championships over the course of his eighteen-year career, Brady has shown an ability to win that few other quarterbacks have displayed. With minimal support and a legendary head coach in Bill Belichick, Brady has molded himself into an ultimate winner.
Despite past allegations stating that Tom Brady and the entire Patriots organization deflated footballs in order to give them an advantage over their opponents, Brady has solidified himself upon the throne of greatness.
2. Joe Montana
Joe Montana is one of the few quarterbacks in NFL history that has had close to the amount of success that Tom Brady has had. Capturing four Super Bowls and winning three Super Bowl MVP awards, Montana was a pure champion, with a cannon for an arm and developing some of the best receivers ever.
Also considered a steal by the San Francisco 49ers coming out of Notre Dame, Montana produced a legacy that may not be tarnished, unlike Tom Brady.
3. Peyton Manning
Considered to be the best pocket passer in NFL history, Peyton Manning maintained a vision for the game of football that others have failed to replicate. An ability to stare down targets and make throws with precision and accuracy made Manning unique and ultimately transformed him into one of the best of all time.
The all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns, Manning accumulated multiple accolades over his illustrious career, including two Super Bowls.
4. Johnny Unitas
A ten-time Pro Bowl selection and four-time NFL champion, Unitas was a staple for the evolution of football during the 1960s. An uncanny consistency and knack for winning have Unitas sitting comfortably at the top of numerous people’s lists of best ever NFL players, and there’s definitely reason to believe this. Unitas held the record for most consecutive games played with a touchdown pass until this record was broken in 2012 by Drew Brees.
A likable guy with a strong arm, Unitas made his mark on the NFL and produced a solid case for being the best quarterback to ever play.
5. John Elway
Elway had much success during his NFL career, appearing in five Super Bowls for the Denver Broncos and capturing two championships for the team. Many people consider Elway a failure for only winning two out of the five Super Bowls he appeared in, but the statistics show otherwise. Elway dominated the opposition for a majority of his career and held the record for most Super Bowl appearances at the quarterback position until it was broken by Tom Brady in 2015.
A man who once threatened to play baseball for the New York Yankees instead of being in the NFL, it is now clear that Elway made the right decision by sticking to football and growing into one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game.
Obviously, different people have different opinions when it comes to determining the best quarterback to ever play football. Mentioned throughout this article are just five of a boatload of gunslingers that may be considered the best, and it's impossible to single out one man as ultimately being the greatest. Football fanatics will continue to argue this subject for decades to come, and some claim that we have yet to see the best of what football has to offer.
Who knows, maybe the best quarterback ever is not even born yet...
