San Diego Chargers: Top 5 Quarterbacks of All-Time

Jan 22, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) at Team Carter practice for the 2015 Pro Bowl at Luke Air Force Base. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The quarterback position is one of the most coveted positions in all of football. He is essentially the leader of the offense and is ultimately the one who calls the plays from the line of scrimmage.

In San Diego Chargers history, many quarterbacks have come and gone. From Doug Flutie to Ryan Leaf to Dan Fouts, the Chargers have seen a lot of great and a lot of not-so-great players at the position. This is a list of five of the greatest quarterbacks in San Diego Chargers history, taking into consideration stats, playoff performance and overall legacy.

Drew Brees, 2001-2005

While he is known for his dominating play on the New Orleans Saints, Drew Brees started out his NFL career with the Chargers. During his time in San Diego, Brees threw for 12,348 yards and 80 touchdowns with a 62.2% completion percentage. Had Brees not gone to New Orleans, who knows what type of success he would have seen with a Chargers team that had LaDainian Tomlinson in his prime and a defense that had a ball-hawking secondary. In the end, it worked out for the Bolts as the next season Philip Rivers lead the Chargers to a 14-2 record and a playoff berth.

Regardless though, Brees ranks fifth all-time in team history in passing yards and touchdowns just below the great Stan Humphries. He helped the Bolts to a 30-28 record as a starter. Not to mention, while reaching the playoffs in 2004 with a 12-4 record and an AFC West title, Brees won the Comeback Player of the Year Award. And even though he doesn’t have the experience or legacy points that the other quarterbacks have, Brees was still the best QB for the Bolts in the early 2000s.

Next: Number Four: Blast From The Past