Greatest NFL QB of all time - Poll

[Alan]

I'm Sure I left some out by accident and on purpose. It's a tough choice, for me it's between Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montanta, your thoughts? Someone I missed... Like Fran?

Alan

 

[dun]

Since Don Meridith isn;t on the list I would have to go with Johnny U

 

[VanC]

Here's a few more that I think deserve consideration, although it's off the top of my head and I didn't include anyone that I didn't see play: Steve Young, Troy Aikman, Tom Brady, Len Dawson, Kenny Stabler, Jim Kelly, Kurt Warner.

I voted for Montana with Unitas a close second. If he gets a couple more rings, I might have to go with Peyton Manning.

All that aside, it's an impossible task to choose one above the rest. Everyone will have an opinion, but that's all it is......an opinion. How can you compare different QBs that played in different eras, for different teams, against different teams, under different rules, under different systems, with different coaches, in different weather conditions, etc? Same holds true of any player in any position in any team sport. It's fun to try, though.

P.S. Don't forget Jay Cutler. :lol2:

 

[Oldtimer]

One top one you didn't mention was George Blanda- who played 30 years in pro ball- both as QB and a place kicker- was the oldest player to play pro ball- and even had many tackles to his credit...

I'm a big Bret Farve fan-and liked Joe Montana- but I had to vote for Bart Starr who was my favorite from about the time we got our first tv....He played for Green Bay for 16 seasons- then went on to coach them for 9 more- was QB when they won 5 NFL championships and was the MVP of the first two Super Bowls...

 

[dun]

One top one you didn't mention was George Blanda

More commonly known as "Aging George"

 

[LazyARanch]

I'm not a HUGE football fan but I do watch the Vikings! I like most of the QB's on that list with the
exception of Terry Bradshaw.

I USED to be a fan of his, thought he was a down-home, friendly and funny man based on what I had seen of him
on TV.

Unfortunately, I met him at the World Quarter Horse sale a few years ago. He was a complete and utter A$$....

I was shocked and disappointed that his TV persona is sooooo different from his actual in-public persona.
What a FAKE and a JERK, he might know his football but he doesn't know JACK about treating fans politely.

(and for the record, he had come up into the stands and sat by chance by ME, I would never and have NEVER been a star-struck fan of anyone and I sure didn't chase him around) I was there to buy a horse and he was there to buy and sell.

didn't mean to hijack the thread, but even his name in print makes me angry!!

ahhhhhhhhhhh... I feel so much better now!!! :lol: :banana:

 

[john250]

As a Quarterback, Bradshaw has some rings.
Darrel (?) Henderson of the Cowboys was quoted as saying "Bradshaw couldn't spell CAT if you spotted him C-A".
Steelers won the game.

 

[TexasBred]

As a Quarterback, Bradshaw has some rings.
Darrel (?) Henderson of the Cowboys was quoted as saying "Bradshaw couldn't spell CAT if you spotted him C-A".
Steelers won the game.

Bradshaw is a good "man"..i Likehim....never cared for him as a QBack as I felt like his receivers made him look much better than he really was....Bradshaw threw it into the neighborhood and his receivers went and got it. My favorite has always been Jim Kelly of the Buffalo Bills (and Houston Gamblers). Never won a super bowl but a great guy and a pretty good QBack.

 

[VanC]

I'm not a HUGE football fan but I do watch the Vikings! I like most of the QB's on that list with the
exception of Terry Bradshaw.

I USED to be a fan of his, thought he was a down-home, friendly and funny man based on what I had seen of him
on TV.

Unfortunately, I met him at the World Quarter Horse sale a few years ago. He was a complete and utter A$$....

I was shocked and disappointed that his TV persona is sooooo different from his actual in-public persona.
What a FAKE and a JERK, he might know his football but he doesn't know JACK about treating fans politely.

(and for the record, he had come up into the stands and sat by chance by ME, I would never and have NEVER been a star-struck fan of anyone and I sure didn't chase him around) I was there to buy a horse and he was there to buy and sell.

didn't mean to hijack the thread, but even his name in print makes me angry!!

ahhhhhhhhhhh... I feel so much better now!!! :lol: :banana:

In Bradshaw' defense:

After his NFL career ended, Bradshaw disclosed that he had frequently experienced anxiety attacks after games. The problem worsened in the late 1990s after his third divorce, when he said he "could not bounce back" as he had after the previous divorces or after a bad game. In addition to anxiety attacks, his symptoms included weight loss, frequent crying, and sleeplessness. He was diagnosed with clinical depression. Since then he has taken Paxil regularly. He chose to speak out about his depression to overcome the stigma associated with it and to urge others to seek help.

Depression is a serious issue. People that haven't dealt with it first hand can't understand how it can affect people and those around them. Could be this was part of Bradshaw's problem the day you met him. Of course it could be, as you said, that the guy's an ahole in real life. I just don't know. Just throwing something out there to think about.

 

[Alan]

I agree with Van, I had heard numerous reports on Bradshaw's battle with depression and the toll it took on his personal life. I always enjoyed him playing with the Steelers, at the time I thought he was the toughest QB in the leauge....whats he got 4 rings?

Looks like Joe Montana is the clear leader at this point, I have to agree I went with him over Bradshaw, although I happy to see some Starr fans out there, loved Green Bay in those days.... weather is sub zero and loving it, that was the Pack of that day.

In hindsight I may have left Broadway Joe off the list and put in some one else, Maybe the Snake (Ken Stabler for any youngsters that need help ) No one played better hung over, Jim Kelly could have made the list, or ?

But some of the responses makes me wonder about of the QB's mentioned, in both the poll and responses, which QB made the team better and which QB was made better by the team? For example I think Montana and Manning make their teams better by their talent. Staubach and Aikman may have been made better by other players on their team....? Although lets not forget Archie Manning, that guy is with out a doubt the best out there for producing great players!

Alan

 

[VanC]

I agree with Van, I had heard numerous reports on Bradshaw's battle with depression and the toll it took on his personal life. I always enjoyed him playing with the Steelers, at the time I thought he was the toughest QB in the leauge....whats he got 4 rings?

Looks like Joe Montana is the clear leader at this point, I have to agree I went with him over Bradshaw, although I happy to see some Starr fans out there, loved Green Bay in those days.... weather is sub zero and loving it, that was the Pack of that day.

In hindsight I may have left Broadway Joe off the list and put in some one else, Maybe the Snake (Ken Stabler for any youngsters that need help ) No one played better hung over, Jim Kelly could have made the list, or ?

Stabler was a carefree soul, in the vein of old pros like Bobby Layne and Joe Namath, he was known to study his playbook by the light of a jukebox and for his affinity for female fans. But, as Hall of Fame guard Gene Upshaw said, "When we were behind in the fourth quarter, with our backs to our end zone, no matter how he had played up to that point, we could look in his eyes and you knew, YOU KNEW, he was going to win it for us. That was an amazing feeling."

But some of the responses makes me wonder about of the QB's mentioned, in both the poll and responses, which QB made the team better and which QB was made better by the team? For example I think Montana and Manning make their teams better by their talent. Staubach and Aikman may have been made better by other players on their team....?

That's always something to consider. Take Jay Cutler, please. ;-) Now I'm not saying he'll ever be as good as Favre, but there's a lot of similarities between him now and where Favre was when he was 26. Put Cutler on this years Vikings and Favre on this year's Bears and things would have been a lot different for both. I've also wondered about Jerry Rice. Did Montana and Young make him better or did he make them better? A little of both, I suppose.

Although lets not forget Archie Manning, that guy is with out a doubt the best out there for producing great players!
Alan

Archie's like a good bull that outproduces himself. ;-) And let's not forget the oldest son, Cooper. He was a pretty darn good receiver till some kind of spinal disease ended his playing days. Actually, Archie was a pretty good QB in his day. He just played for some really, REALLY bad teams.

Another thing I thought of that makes it hard to compare different eras is the advances in medicine. In the old days, guys would pop a couple of pills, or even down a couple shots of whiskey, and get back in there. Not saying some guys don't play hurt now, but more and more of them are concerned with the long term now instead of the game at hand. Plus lots of things can be "fixed" now that couldn't back then. I was at the game in 1986 when Illinois retired Dick Bukus' number 50. The guy could hardly walk, and he was sill in his mid 40's then.

 

[dun]

Can;t believe nobody mentioned Jim Zorn

 

[iowa hawkeyes]

Another thing I thought of that makes it hard to compare different eras is the advances in medicine. In the old days, guys would pop a couple of pills, or even down a couple shots of whiskey, and get back in there. Not saying some guys don't play hurt now, but more and more of them are concerned with the long term now instead of the game at hand. Plus lots of things can be "fixed" now that couldn't back then. I was at the game in 1986 when Illinois retired Dick Bukus' number 50. The guy could hardly walk, and he was sill in his mid 40's then.

I think a big difference in sports now ( and I'm only 40) and years ago is the size and speed of the players, especially in bb and fb. I don't think we can imagine how hard they hit. It amazes me.

 

[VanC]

Another thing I thought of that makes it hard to compare different eras is the advances in medicine. In the old days, guys would pop a couple of pills, or even down a couple shots of whiskey, and get back in there. Not saying some guys don't play hurt now, but more and more of them are concerned with the long term now instead of the game at hand. Plus lots of things can be "fixed" now that couldn't back then. I was at the game in 1986 when Illinois retired Dick Bukus' number 50. The guy could hardly walk, and he was sill in his mid 40's then.

I think a big difference in sports now ( and I'm only 40) and years ago is the size and speed of the players, especially in bb and fb. I don't think we can imagine how hard they hit. It amazes me.

Yes. Athletes in every sport are constantly getting bigger, stronger, faster and probably smarter, too. That's why it's so hard to compare them if they played in different eras. When picking "the best" you have to look at them in the context of when they played, which is hard to do if you never saw them play. I can do it from the mid 60's on but before that I have to rely on what others have said and written.

 

[TexasBred]

Wonder when we will reach the "too big" weight for football players?? Seems to take little or nothing now to blow out a knee or an ankle or pull a muscle. Seems we're already pushing near the limit of the body to handle the weight under those conditions. Players can hardly run 3 plays in a row without being replaced and grabbing the oxygen mask.

 

[john250]

Wonder when we will reach the "too big" weight for football players?? Seems to take little or nothing now to blow out a knee or an ankle or pull a muscle. Seems we're already pushing near the limit of the body to handle the weight under those conditions. Players can hardly run 3 plays in a row without being replaced and grabbing the oxygen mask.

Too big? If "Refrigerator" Perry wasn't too big I don't know who is.

 

[TexasBred]

Wonder when we will reach the "too big" weight for football players?? Seems to take little or nothing now to blow out a knee or an ankle or pull a muscle. Seems we're already pushing near the limit of the body to handle the weight under those conditions. Players can hardly run 3 plays in a row without being replaced and grabbing the oxygen mask.

Too big? If "Refrigerator" Perry wasn't too big I don't know who is.

Remember when professional linemen weighted 240-250....backers around 200-220....Now you can't even be a safety unless you weigh 220 and run a 4.5 40 yard dash...and Q'backs weighing 270?? Guess this says something for big Macs and Quarter pounders.