A debate that is never truly settled across the NFL landscape is who the 10 best quarterbacks in the history of the game are. It's a fun debate to have, and while there are a large handful that most of us can agree need to be on the list, the order is always debated.
With the 2026 NFL Offseason in a bit of a lull right now, it is the perfect time to try our hand at ranking the 10 best quarterbacks in the history of the NFL. When you make such a historical list like this, every part of a quarterback has to be considered: raw talent, statistics, overall accomplishments, and everything in between.
So, let's use that criteria to rank the 10 best quarterbacks in the history of the NFL.
Power-ranking the 10 best quarterbacks in the history of the NFL
10. Patrick Mahomes
Sure, you may argue recency bias, or whatever, but the talent cannot be disputed. Not only is Patrick Mahomes already one of the most accomplished quarterbacks of all-time, but he's displayed Hall of Fame talent as well.
The arm strength and talent are nearly perfect. He has elite off-schedule ability to create big-time plays, and his counting stats look marvelous as well. He's also only set to play in his age-31 season, but he's already a three-time Super Bowl champion and two-time MVP. He is the one player who could realistically catch Tom Brady, but his 30s would need to be even more successful than his 20s.
9. Brett Favre
Perhaps the poster boy for what it meant to be a gunslinger, Brett Favre comes in at No. 9 in our list. Primarily playing for the Green Bay Packers, Favre finished his Hall of Fame career with 11 Pro Bowls, three MVPs, a Super Bowl title, and much more.
He finished with just under 72,000 passing yards, a 186-112 regular season record, and 508 passing yards, but his 336 interceptions are the most in NFL history, which was the clear downside of his style of play.
8. Johnny Unitas
You simply have to have Johnny Unitas on this list. He kind of pioneered the quarterback play we see today, having taken the passing part of the job to a new level. Unitas finished with 188 regular season wins, leading the league in passing yards four time, and touchdown passes four times.
7. John Elway
John Elway may have been the first 'franchise quarterback' in NFL history. A two-time Super Bowl champion with the Denver Broncos, some still say that Elway's right arm was the most talented of all-time. Sure, Elway's counting stats weren't great, as he actually finished with a passer rating just below 80, but his talent and almost generational skill set have withstood the test of time, and I am not sure you can find a top-10 all-time quarterback list that does not have Elway on it.
6. Dan Marino
Dan Marino was definitely a player who was about one generation ahead of his peers. The nine-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro famously did not win a Super Bowl, but his other-worldly passing ability has landed him a spot in just about every single all-time quarterback ranking.
Marino led the NFL in passing yards five times, had six career 4,000-yard passing seasons, and also had four seasons with at least 30 passing touchdowns.
That kind of raw passing production just wasn't a thing back in his era. Marino finished with 420 passing touchdowns and over 61,000 passing yards.
Marino-led Dolphins' teams went 8-10 in the playoffs, and that's obviously where things went south.
5. Drew Brees
Drew Brees sits third all-time in completion percentage, but ahead of him are Tua Tagovailoa and Joe Burrow, who both have not played nearly the amount of football that Brees played.
It's not a stretch to say that Brees is still the most accurate quarterback of all-time with this proper context. Brees was a 13-time Pro Bowler, a Super Bowl champion, and finished with over 80,000 passing yards.
Even during his final seasons, Brees' production remained, despite the passing yardage total dropping. It was clear that Brees was able to adapt his game as he got into his late-30s and early-40s. He finished with a 172-114 record.
4. Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers, as of now, is the most physically gifted quarterback in NFL history, so he gets the No. 4 spot in our power rankings. While Rodgers "only" has one Super Bowl, his skill set withstood the test of time, as he had two MVP awards in his late-30s with the Green Bay Packers. He's a 10-time Pro Bowler, and while he's been an average quarterback for multiple years now, his prime was as good as any quarterback in history.
3. Joe Montana
We're now getting into the best of the best. Joe Montana was considered the best quarterback of all-time when his career ended, and some may still think that today. Montana was a four-time Super Bowl champion with 16 career playoff wins, elevating his game when the postseason rolled around.
Sure, his counting stats don't jump off the page compared to others on this list, but Montana squeezed the most out of his time in the NFL.
2. Peyton Manning
The smartest quarterback in NFL history, Peyton Manning is a two-time Super Bowl champion, winning one with the Indianapolis Colts in 2006 and the Denver Broncos in 2015. Manning was so smart that he definitely fit into the 'paralysis by analysis' category.
Despite that, and a ton of neck surgeries, Manning was able to latch on with the Broncos for four years, which led to the great passing season we have ever seen from a quarterback, which came in 2013. His passing yards and passing touchdowns record is still not broken today.
1. Tom Brady
This really isn't a debate. Tom Brady won seven Super Bowls and was legitimately able to 'beat' Father Time into his 40s. He has the most passing yards, passing touchdowns, playoff wins, and Super Bowl titles by a quarterback in NFL history, and Brady's greatness is at the point where there really does not appear to be a viable argument to rank someone above him at this point.