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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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Baltimore Colts, Johnny Unitas
Baltimore Colts, Johnny Unitas (Photo By David Leeds/Getty Images) /

4. Best NFL quarterbacks of all time: Johnny Unitas

A four-time NFL MVP, Johnny Unitas went beyond the potential he showed at Louisville as he was just a ninth-round pick in 1955. In fact, he wasn’t even selected by the Baltimore Colts, the team he was able to win three championships and a Super Bowl with. Instead, he ended up in the same city he played high school ball to begin his NFL career as the Pittsburgh Steelers took him 102nd overall.

He then joined a semi-pro team called the Bloomfield Rams, where he played offense, defense, and was the punter. Working construction during the week to support his family, Unitas got another shot at the NFL in 1956 when the Baltimore Colts came calling.

After a rough start to his career, Unitas started to get things figured out. He led the team to the Championship game in 1958 against the New York Giants, a game dubbed “The Greatest Game Ever Played.” A 23-17 win gave the Colts a title and they followed it up with another NFL championship in 1959, which was also the first season Unitas won the NFL MVP.

Unitas is also credited for coming up with the way teams run a “two-minute drill” and had a streak of 47 consecutive games with a touchdown pass. To this day, that streak has not been broken even with the rules favoring passers much more than they did during his era.

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