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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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Pittsburgh Steelers, Ben Roethlisberger
Pittsburgh Steelers, Ben Roethlisberger (Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/Getty Images) /

22. Best NFL quarterbacks of all time: Ben Roethlisberger

The 2004 NFL Draft was a historically good one for quarterbacks. Three franchise players were drafted in the top-15 as Eli Manning went first overall and Philip Rivers was fourth. They stole all the headlines thanks to Manning’s decision to spurn San Diego as well as the subsequent trade where the teams swapped Manning for Rivers. However, there was another guy drafted after them and he’s arguably been the best of the bunch.

Selected at No. 11 overall, Ben Roethlisberger went 13-0 as a rookie after taking over for Tommy Maddox in Week 3. He was 14-1 overall including the postseason and was instrumental in the team becoming the first AFC club to win 15 games in a season. By his second season, Big Ben was a Super Bowl champion after leading the Steelers to four-straight playoff wins including their title game win over the Seattle Seahawks.

That win was credited much more to the team around him as Roethlisberger was still young and learning the NFL. However, he guided the Steelers to their sixth Lombardi trophy following the 2008 season, which included a ferocious comeback in the final minutes and a beautiful touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes.

Roethlisberger continues to play strong late into his 30s and even recorded his first 5,000-yard passing season in 2018. Overall, he’s the Steelers’ all-time leader in passing yards (56,194) and touchdowns (363) and it’s not even close.

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