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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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San Francisco 49ers, Joe Montana
San Francisco 49ers, Joe Montana (Photo by Rick Stewart/Allsport/Getty Images) /

2. Best NFL quarterbacks of all time: Joe Montana

No player personified being cool under pressure like “Joe Cool” himself, Joe Montana. Legend has it that Montana walked into the huddle and said “hey, guys. It’s John Candy” as he attempted to calm the nerves of the players around him. Acting like what they were about to do was no big deal, Montana ended up leading his team right down the field and capped things off with a touchdown pass to John Taylor as they won Super Bowl XXIII.

By that time, we all knew Montana was the man. He already had two Super Bowl wins. One of those came in his first-ever playoff appearance in 1981 and they were back in 1984 for another. After a few years out of the title games, he was back for that famous “Montana Drive” and then won another the following year.

His greatness spanned many years as he won titles in his mid-20s as well as his early 30s, showing off his longevity. Montana was also incredibly famous for his ‘clutch gene’. One thing people love about him was the fact that he was 4-0 in Super Bowls and owned a great 14-5 record overall in the playoffs ‚— as well as a 117-47 record overall as a starter.

After 13 seasons with the 49ers, he was traded as the team went with the younger Steve Young. Montana played his final two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. They made the AFC Championship Game in his first season with the Chiefs but were knocked out in their first postseason game the following year. He’s one of the best to ever play the game and has an argument to be first overall, but just barely gets edged out on this list.

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