Greatest QB of All Time.

[Brian Blankenship]

This talk of who is the best quarterback in the league right now is really irrelevant. In terms of history, who would you consider to be the greatest quarterback of all time.
Dan Marino
John Elway
Johnny Unitas
Joe Montana
Bret Favre
Peyton Manning
Tom Brady
Sammy Baugh
Someone else

[Wilson L. Deaton]

This talk of who is the best quarterback in the league right now is really irrelevant. In terms of history, who would you consider to be the greatest quarterback of all time.




Bret Favre





Well, let's see, who has the big "all time" records?

Wilson

[Dennis M. Scott]

My guess is that the greatest quarterback of all time hasn't even been born yet.

[Brian Blankenship]

My personal favorite is Dan Marino. He had the quickest release, and I loved watching him play. Those were they days of Mark Duper and Mark Clayton. But he probably was the greatest never to win a super bowl.

[Mark Bolerjack]

Several come to mind:
Roger Stabauch
Dan Marino
Joe Montana
Joe Namath
Bart Starr

Favre and Brady are close to that category, but not quite there yet.

[Mike Wooldridge]

Roger Staubach

[Brian Blankenship]

Yes, I would agree I left some off the list. Roger Staubach, and Bart Starr. That's all I could think of at the time.

[Mike Schutz]

Several come to mind:
Roger Stabauch
Dan Marino
Joe Montana
Joe Namath
Bart Starr

Favre and Brady are close to that category, but not quite there yet.

Mark,
Sorry, but I have to disagree with you about Namath.
He is not in the same class as the others you mentioned, as well as not comparable to Unitas. And Favre, Brady, and Manning have already passed him. Namath made his reputation by: (1) making one prediction - and not really playing great in that game, and (2) playing in NYC. I think of him as being comparable to Jim McMahon, although his stats are better, and Namath did have a great receiver to work with in Don Maynard.

[Scott Hilton]

Ryan Leaf anyone????

[Mark Bolerjack]

Mike, you are right. I hesitated putting Broadway Joe in, but decided to leave it there.

[Bruce Carriker]

It's very difficult to compare quarterbacks across eras.

Sammy Baugh played both ways.

Johnny Unitas, Bart Starr, Joe Namath could be blasted on every play and their receivers could be molested all the way down the field until the ball was in the air. The game was so much different then.

Manning, Brady, Marino get protected like porcelain dolls, and no one is allowed to lay a glove on a receiver downfield.

Those who don't think Namath belongs in this discussion are "stats slaves" and never saw the guy play. He was special. He did more on no knees than most quarterbacks do with two good ones, even in today's pass happy game. As for Maynard, did anyone notice that he really wasn't a great receiver until Joe Namath showed up? And don't forget George Sauer...he was pretty good, too.

My vote goes to Unitas. There's no way to do it, but I think that if you could somehow bring Johnny Unitas in his prime into the game today, he'd be amazing. The only one of today's QB's who I think would be comparable to what he is now (not in stats but in terms of impact) is Brett Favre, because he's just one tough hombre. He could play the game the way it was played forty years ago.

[Mike Schutz]

Those who don't think Namath belongs in this discussion are "stats slaves" and never saw the guy play. He was special. He did more on no knees than most quarterbacks do with two good ones, even in today's pass happy game. As for Maynard, did anyone notice that he really wasn't a great receiver until Joe Namath showed up? And don't forget George Sauer...he was pretty good, too.

My vote goes to Unitas. There's no way to do it, but I think that if you could somehow bring Johnny Unitas in his prime into the game today, he'd be amazing. The only one of today's QB's who I think would be comparable to what he is now (not in stats but in terms of impact) is Brett Favre, because he's just one tough hombre. He could play the game the way it was played forty years ago.

Bruce, amazing that I can so agree with you (Unitas) and disagree (Namath) at the same time. Being raised in Baltimore in the 1960s, I saw Unitas play every week. And since for some reason the Jets were the AFL team we saw, I saw Namath play many times - from Alabama through his pro career. I was never impressed. I thought Len Dawson was a better QB. So, while you may think me wrong - I do not fit into your description of "stat slaves who never saw him play."

[Greg Farra]

If not winning a Super Bowl doesn't matter, how about:

Fran Tarkenton

Archie Manning

Jim Hart

Brian Sipe

Ken Anderson

Dan Fouts

Warren Moon

[Brian Blankenship]

I would add Dan Fouts, Warren Moon, Fran Tarkenton.

[Steven Martinez]

How about Terry Bradshaw? Four Superbowls in six years. Everyone forgets Bradshaw.

[Jim Franklin]

How about Y. A. Tittle?

[Brian Blankenship]

I would put Terry Bradshaw in there for sure. How about Troy Aikman?

[Jim Poteet]

How about Y. A. Tittle?

and Jim, What does Y.A. stand for.

[Jeremy D. Scott]

ESPN.com has a feature article on this right now:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs07/columns/story?columnist=sando_mike&id=3209882

I still say that Brady is the best ever. Already.

And if he doesn't suffer from a major injury in his career, it won't even be a question in 10 years.

[Kathy O'Connor]

Bart Starr gets my vote.

[Kathy O'Connor]

In this Sunday's Parade Magazine there is a very nice story about Bart Starr and the life impacting lessons he learned from Coach Lombardi. Today's professional athletes could learn quite a bit from this legend.

[Brian Hammons]

and Jim, What does Y.A. stand for.

I'm not Jim, but I can tell you without looking it up that the "A" is for Abraham. I don't remember what the "Y" is for, other than it struck me that if my name was that, I would use my initials too. I'll look it up in a little while.

[Dave McClung]

This talk of who is the best quarterback in the league right now is really irrelevant. In terms of history, who would you consider to be the greatest quarterback of all time.
Dan Marino
John Elway
Johnny Unitas
Joe Montana
Bret Favre
Peyton Manning
Tom Brady
Sammy Baugh
Someone else

Roger

[Gina Stevenson]

Roger

Dave, do you mean maybe Roger Staubach, or "Roger," as in radio-speak, agreeing that all those on the list belong there? :cool:

At least his name is well known; hey, I couldn't even tell you what position this dude played, but just recall hearing his name a lot over the years, so figure if you're answering, "Roger S," he must've been a QB. ;)

[Mike Schutz]

I'm not Jim, but I can tell you without looking it up that the "A" is for Abraham. I don't remember what the "Y" is for, other than it struck me that if my name was that, I would use my initials too. I'll look it up in a little while.

Yelberton

[Mike Wooldridge]

Roger Staubach - # 17
Troy Aikman - #8

http://www.sportsposterwarehouse.com/warehouse/cowboyslogo01sl-1.jpg

[Bruce Carriker]

I know this will come as a shock to Jeremy, but I want to say something on behalf of Tom Brady (who I still don't believe is the best QB ever):

Staubach threw to Drew Pearson and Tony Hill.
Montana threw to Dwight Clark, Jerry Rice, John Taylor and Russ Francis.
Bradshaw threw to Lynn Swann and John Stallworth.
Aikman threw to Michael Irvin and Jay Novacek.
Unitas threw to Raymond Berry and John Mackey and Lenny Moore.
Elway threw to Rod Smith and Sterling Sharpe.
Favre threw to Antonio Freeman, Mark Chmura, and Donald Driver.
Marino threw to Clayton and Duper.

Before this year, Brady threw to...? Basically nobody. Troy Brown? Deion Branch? David Givens? Daniel Graham? Ben Watson?

Those guys are all decent NFL receivers. That's not my point. But the other QB's in this dicsussion were throwing to All-Pros, and sometimes Hall of Famers. Until this year, that's a luxury Tom Brady has not had.

[Jeremy D. Scott]

Before this year, Brady threw to...? Basically nobody. Troy Brown? Deion Branch? David Givens? Daniel Graham? Ben Watson?

Those guys are all decent NFL receivers. That's not my point. But the other QB's in this dicsussion were throwing to All-Pros, and sometimes Hall of Famers. Until this year, that's a luxury Tom Brady has not had.

Yep.

And we all saw this year what happened when he did get great receivers.

He had the best statistical year ever for any QB.