Best Quarterback Franchises: A Top 5 List

[pbmax]

For me the surprise are the 49ers. Of course you remember Montana and Young, but you think the franchise was not much to look at for half a century.

But Brodie was a former MVP and 3rd in all time passing yards when the two above him, Tarkenton and Unitas were Hall of Famers. That plus and end of career Y.A. Tittle makes the list far more interesting than just the Walsh QBs.

[vince]

Thanks for compiling those PB. Good stuff. I agree on SF.

Cecil Isbell for the Packers doesn't get much love because he only played 5 years I think. He's a sure-fire HoFer and probably moves up over Arnie Herber if he plays even a few years longer. He was at the top of the game, more prolific than Slingin' Sammy Baugh (the Redskins #1 all-time) as a QB when he retired out of the blue to coach at his alma mater Purdue.

[Smidgeon]

Good point, I should have labeled this as the work of the previous offseason. So for this list, Rodgers was starter for 3 years with a Super Bowl to his credit.

If you read the paragraph closely, it said that this is Rodgers' third year as starter, not that he just finished it. So for this list, it was either upcoming or in the middle of the third season. Without a Super Bowl to his credit. I didn't go to the original article to look at the date stamp, but that was my impression reading it.

[pbmax]

Good point. The article was actually written as part of a preview to the Super Bowl. In fact, the preview was the impetus for the rest of the series. So Rodgers might have moved up on the Packers list if he had redone the list over the summer.

[Smidgeon]

I certainly don't know enough about history to call myself anything like an expert. All I know is that I've been blessed as a fan to watch two great NFL QBs play for the entirety of me being an active fan.

I sincerely hope the cycle and tradition and expectation of a winning system that Wolf put into place and Thompson recovered remains in place for a long time. There may not be a Rodgers or Favre around next time, but with this system, there seems to be a shot to remain relevant indefinitely regardless.

[Cheesehead Craig]

Interesting the number of names that are on more than 1 team.

Rodgers will bolt past the other 2 names in front of him in no time. Hopefully some day it does become a hell of a conversation on who was the best out of him, Favre and Starr.

[channtheman]

I think we may be watching one of the best QB's of all time. If Rodgers maintains this level of play for 7 more seasons, I think no question he is.

[Guiness]

Very true and interesting that few teams have had multiple good QB's. I'm sure a good part of that is because of the longevity of good QB's. But it's still comical to see Vince Young listed, or Testaverde listed for three team. With the Jets - he was only their starter for 3 seasons, and started games in 3 others. He also makes the Raven's list pretty much for his work in one season!

[MadScientist]

I think we may be watching one of the best QB's of all time. If Rodgers maintains this level of play for 7 more seasons, I think no question he is.

Rodgers has been outstanding so far, but even with 7 more years at this rate, I'm not sure he will be considered at the top of the Packers' list (5 championships for Bart, every record under the sun for Brett). 1a, b, and c, I'd guess.

Very true and interesting that few teams have had multiple good QB's. I'm sure a good part of that is because of the longevity of good QB's. But it's still comical to see Vince Young listed, or Testaverde listed for three team. With the Jets - he was only their starter for 3 seasons, and started games in 3 others. He also makes the Raven's list pretty much for his work in one season!

Special QB's don't come around all that often. The Packers have been around forever, but there are only 2 better than the current QB (Herber wasn't a better QB, but was the best of that very different era)

[HarveyWallbangers]

Rodgers has been outstanding so far, but even with 7 more years at this rate, I'm not sure he will be considered at the top of the Packers' list (5 championships for Bart, every record under the sun for Brett). 1a, b, and c, I'd guess.

He won't necessarily have to win as many championships as Bart (different era with free agency) or pass Bert's records to be considered the best.

If he wins a another title or two (in the free agency era) and his passer rating continues to hover around 100 (with high yardage and TD totals and low pick totals) for several years, that may be enough.

[RashanGary]

Pretty sure this is Rodgers 4th year as a starter. 2008 (6-10), 2009 (11-5), 2010 (10-6), and now 2011 (4-0).

Yeah, haha. The jets year, the Viking good year, yup, this is 3.

[Fritz]

Couple of notes:

I've always been a huge Lynn Dickey fan. His stats (especially interceptions) aren't always stellar, but he got the hell knocked out of him and had gimpy knees. Had he been on a team that could consistently protect the QB, he'd have been golden.

I've enjoyed NFL history and so have done some reading. A couple of sites, including CHFF, rate YA Tittle as one of the best ever QB's, along with Otto Graham. So I think Tittle is too low on the list for the Giants. He should be above both Conerly and Manning. But guess who CHFF had as the best QB ever? And had stats - besides number of championships - to back it up with? Bart Starr.

I also recall Bert Jones as having a rocket for an arm with the Colts. I believe Ted Marchibroda coached him and the team to one very good year, but the rest of the time, not so much.

Finally, the Lions' list is one of the sorriest of them all. After Bobby Layne, your best is Bill Munson or Greg Landry? Neither could even beat the other out, and neither had much success. And Scott Mitchell and Gary Danielson? Wow. Journeymen. I think Tobin Rote played for the Leos in the 60's. He ought to be on their list. Hell, Matt Stafford should be on that list.

I don't agree with the Bears as top of anyone's list. After Luckman, you have only McMahon and Harbaugh? That's pretty damn unimpressive.

[pbmax]

Couple of notes:

I've enjoyed NFL history and so have done some reading. A couple of sites, including CHFF, rate YA Tittle as one of the best ever QB's, along with Otto Graham. So I think Tittle is too low on the list for the Giants. He should be above both Conerly and Manning. But guess who CHFF had as the best QB ever? And had stats - besides number of championships - to back it up with? Bart Starr.

This list took into consideration only the years spent with the team and Tittle was an older player with the Giants after his stint with the 49ers.

[channtheman]

Rodgers has been outstanding so far, but even with 7 more years at this rate, I'm not sure he will be considered at the top of the Packers' list (5 championships for Bart, every record under the sun for Brett). 1a, b, and c, I'd guess.

I'm assuming if Rodgers maintains this level of play, we should win 2 more Super Bowls in the next 7 years as well. Rodgers with 11 years of playing with a rating over 100 and 3 Super Bowl titles to his name I think would be hard to not list him above Brett for sure and maybe tie him with Starr. Then Starr and Rodgers are tied for the 2 best QB's of all time.

[MJZiggy]

I dunno, Chan...we always thought the same about Favre. We always figured with as great as he was, there was always a SB around the corner.