The 30 best quarterbacks in NFL history
By Randy Gurzi
3. Best NFL quarterbacks of all time: Peyton Manning
It’s crazy to think about now, but there was a time when the Indianapolis Colts were actually trying to decide between Ryan Leaf and Peyton Manning. Owners of the No. 1 overall pick, the Colts liked the arm strength of Leaf and were concerned about Manning’s lack of mobility. In the end, Manning’s character was the difference as the team felt he was a guy who would bring them some wins. Which is exactly what he did.
Manning started out throwing for the Colts, netting 3,739 yards passing and setting the record for most touchdown passes by a rookie with 26 — although that was later tied by Russell Wilson and then topped by Baker Mayfield. However, he struggled with ball security as he had 28 interceptions as well.
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Eventually, he got that under control and started to put up some insane stat lines, such as the 2004 season when he had 4,557 yards with 49 touchdowns and just 10 picks. That was also the second of five NFL MVP awards for Manning, who was one of the most dominant passers of his time.
The one knock on him during his time in Indy was that he only won one Super Bowl. He did alleviate some of that criticism after a late-career resurgence. After missing the entire 2011 season due to neck surgery, Manning joined the Denver Broncos after the Colts went with Andrew Luck as the face of their franchise.
Manning ended up breaking the record for most passing yards in a season by one yard in 2013 as he topped Drew Brees with a 5,477-yard performance. He also set the record for the most touchdowns in a year with 55 — while again throwing just 10 picks.
Oddly enough, his final season ended up being his second title as a 39-year old Manning helped the Broncos win Super Bowl 50. He wasn’t at his best that year, playing just nine games due to injury and having a 9-to-17 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Even with that stat line, he walked away a champion and one of the best to ever play the game.