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The 30 best quarterbacks in NFL history

By Randy Gurzi

Joe Montana #16, Quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers prepares to throw a pass during the National Football Conference Championship game against the Los Angeles Rams on 14 January 1990 at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California, United States. The 49ers won the game 30 - 3. (Photo by Otto Gruele Jr/Allsport/Getty Images)
Joe Montana #16, Quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers prepares to throw a pass during the National Football Conference Championship game against the Los Angeles Rams on 14 January 1990 at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California, United States. The 49ers won the game 30 - 3. (Photo by Otto Gruele Jr/Allsport/Getty Images) /
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Washington Football Team, Sammy Baugh
Washington Football Team, Sammy Baugh (Photo by Nate Fine/Getty Images) /

16. Best NFL quarterbacks of all time: Sammy Baugh

Back in the 1930s when Sammy Baugh came into the NFL, the forward pass wasn’t a big part of NFL offenses. It was as crazy of a notion back then as the introduction of the Wildcat or Zone-Read concept was just a few years ago. Teams simply didn’t do it as they relied on the ground game to get things done.

Part of the reason is the rules weren’t as heavily geared toward the offense which made it harder for receivers to get the separation they do now. One of the pioneers who started to make the forward pass fun to watch was “Slinging” Sammy Baugh. The Washington Football Team quarterback was famous for his willingness to push the ball downfield and had a lot of success for that era.

A two-time NFL champion, Baugh led the NFL in passing four times and in touchdown passes twice. He finished his career with 187 touchdown passes and 203 interceptions, which was considered a good ratio at the time. However, he was also popular for his versatility.

Baugh was a star quarterback but he also spent time as a defensive back as well as a punter. He averaged 45.1 yards per punt in his career and was good for 51.4 yards per kick during his second season in the league. He also led the league in interceptions with 11 in 1943.

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