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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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Dallas Cowboys, Troy Aikman
Dallas Cowboys, Troy Aikman (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Allsport/Getty Images) /

12. Best NFL quarterbacks of all time: Troy Aikman

Troy Aikman was taken first overall out of UCLA in 1989 and joined a downtrodden Dallas Cowboys. He was 0-11 as a starter and the team finished 1-15 overall. It was a rough season but one that started a dynasty.

Jerry Jones had just purchased the team and Jimmy Johnson was a first-year coach. Along with their rookie quarterback, they all took their lumps that season but came out looking good in the end.

Aikman was eventually given a lot of help in the form of Emmitt Smith, who went on to become the NFL’s all-time leading rusher. Smith, Aikman, and wide receiver Michael Irvin formed what would be known as the “triplets,” and were considered nearly unstoppable on offense. To this day, Cowboys fans are looking for the next trio of stars to emulate the success these three had.

While Irvin was a huge personality and Smith broke records for his position, Aikman was the steadying force of the franchise. He would end up making six Pro Bowls during his 12-year career and led the Cowboys to their first Super Bowl appearance since 1979.

They ended up winning that Super Bowl over the Buffalo Bills by a landslide thanks to four touchdown passes by Aikman who was named Super Bowl MVP. They repeated the following season, again beating the Bills in Super Bowl XXVIII. They were back for Super Bowl XXX, which saw them win their fifth Lombardi Trophy.

Overall, Aikman was 94-71 as a starter and 11-4 in the playoffs. He stands out on a team with many stars at quarterbacks due to the amount of winning he was a part of, as well as his strong leadership on a team full of superstars.

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