What should qualify and disqualify each candidate from consideration?
90's-current
- Peyton Manning (1998-2010)
- 10 of 12 years with 4000+ yds
- Numerous single-season records
- On pace to set all significant career passing records
- Heady quarterback, but with limited physical abilities
- Brett Favre (1991-2010)
- 309 consecutive starts (including playoffs) which is 100 more than Peyton Manning (2nd all-time)
- Numerous career passing records
- Most Pro Bowl appearances in a career
- 317 Ints
- Threw an Int on the last pass he threw with Packers, Jets, and Vikings. With Packers and Vikings Ints leading to a loss in the NFC Championship both times.
- Kurt Warner (1998-2010)
- 12 seasons - played all 16 games 3 seasons
- 5 great seasons - 5 average seasons - 2 seasons of 2 games or less
- Tom Brady (2000-2010)
- 14-3 career playoff record
- 8 full seasons played - 7 average to above average seasons - 1 record breaking season
- Very good TD/Int ratio
- Some consider him a system QB (see Matt Cassel's success)
- Troy Aikman (1989-2000)
- Poor TD/Int ratio for his career
- 12 seasons - played all 16 games 3 seasons
- 7 seasons with less than 3000 yds and 7 seasons with less than 15 TDs
- Joe Montana (1979-1994)
- Played his best in the biggest games
- 31 career 4th qtr comebacks
- Propensity for injury
- Steve Young (1985-1999)
- Career QB rating of 96.8 is best all-time
- 8-6 career postseason record
- 6 NFL passing crowns
- Small sample size with only 7.5 seasons as full time starter
- Elite running QB - averaged 5.9 yds/car for career
- Dan Marino (1983-1999)
- Couldn't win the big game
- 1 of 2 QBs to throw for 5000+yds in a season
- When he retired he held the majority of all the significant career passing records
- John Elway (1983-1998)
- Couldn't win the big game until he had the help of an elite running game
- Average Completion %
- All Time leader in 4th quarter game winning or tying drives with 47
- 12 seasons of 3000+yds
- Warren Moon (1984-2000)
- Couldn't win the big game in the NFL
- Completion % and TD/Int ratio dropped from CFL to NFL
- Combining his NFL and CFL stats, Moon's numbers are nearly unmatched in professional football history
- Jim Kelly (1986-1996)
- Couldn't win the big game
- Very bad numbers in Super Bowls
- Ran a no-huddle offense that was so successful that the NFL changed the rules to allow defenses time to change formations in a no-huddle situation.
- Roger Staubach (1969-1979)
- Average completion %
- Highest QB rating of all-time at time of retirement
- Reputation for making the big play
- "Creator" of the "Hail Mary" pass
- Small sample size with only 8 seasons as full-time starter
- Terry Bradshaw (1970-1983)
- Won 4 Super Bowls in 6 seasons
- TD to Int ratio nearly 1:1
- Strong, but erratic arm
- Played his best in the playoffs and in big games
- Ken Stabler (1970-1984)
- More Ints than TDs for his career
- Threw for more Ints than TDs in 5 seasons as full-time starter
- Uncanny ability to make the big play or lead the come from behind drive
- At the time was the quickest player to win 100 games, since surpassed by only Montana and Brady
- Fran Tarkenton (1961-1978)
- Good playoff QB, but couldn't win the big game
- Career passing yards leader at time of retirement (currently 6th)
- Elite running QB - averaged 5.4 yds/car for career
- Joe Namath (1965-1977)
- Threw nearly 50 more Ints than TDs for his career
- Threw more TDs than Ints in a season only twice in his career
- Average to Below Average Completion %
- Only QB to throw for 4000 yds in a 14 game season
- Credited with helping to evolve the NFL from a run oriented league to the open passing style league seen today
- Len Dawson (1957-1975)
- Career passer rating of 82.6 was the best all-time at time of retirement
- 7 above average to great seasons during 19 year career
- Excelled in the AFL, but struggled in the NFL
- Lead Chiefs to a surprise victory in Super Bowl IV
- Johnny Unitas (1956-1973)
- Held the record for most Pro Bowl appearances at time of retirement (since tied by Peyton Manning and passed by Brett Favre)
- At time of retirement his 118 wins was the standard and still remains 6th all-time
- Holds the NFL record for consecutive games with a TD pass at 47 games
- Career passing yards leader at time of retirment (currently 11th)
- Thrived under pressure, exceptional leader
- Bart Starr (1956-1971)
- Won 5 NFL Championships in 7 seasons
- Career record of 9-1 in playoffs, 2-0 in Super Bowl
- Career Completion % leader at time of retirement
- Did not play in a pass first offense, so statistical comparisons can be difficult
- May have been a "system quarterback" as his success came almost exclusively under Lombardi
- Otto Graham (1946-1955)
- Career record as starter an astounding 105-17-4
- Played 10 seasons of Pro Football and led his team to 10 Championship games, winning 7 of them
- Played QB out of the T-formation, which is obsolete in today's NFL making comparisons difficult
- Y.A. Tittle (1948-1964)
- Couldn't win the big game, losing 3 consecutive Championships
- The first and one of only 8 QBs to have consecutive 30+ TD passing seasons
- Threw more Ints than TDs in his career
- In 15 year career had only 4 great seasons
- Sammy Baugh (1937-1952)
- Turned the forward pass from something to be used with caution, into a primary offensive weapon
- One of the key influences to the offensive revolution
- Played Offense, Defense, and Special Teams throughout his career
- At the time of his retirement held the record for most career NFL passing titles, with 6
- More of a "Football Player" than a "Quarterback"
- Threw more Ints than TDs in his career
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