Who is the greatest NFL quarterback of all time?

@Whitetigress. Joe Montana might beg to differ. I’m not saying that I disagree with you, just that Joe probably would do so…

Joe Namath.

I’ve been a Broncos fan since 1987. I have a hard time saying anyone other than John Elway.

Joe Montana is my man.

I am a Raider fan, and I have to say Joe Montana. It was amazing to watch him work, even if he was across the Bay.

Ask again in a few years and I may say Peyton Manning. :)

Joe Montana. If the Niners were down with two minutes left and Joe got the ball, you knew the Niners would win. That;s why I never liked Steve Young- he was good but if they were behind halfway through the fourth quarter, the game was lost.

Elway never won a big game until much later in his career. Namath was a star, and most fun to hang out with, but his career was too short.

No one mentioned Terry Bradshaw, although he might disagree with these answers.

@zenvelo Elway never won a big game until much later in his career.

When a quarterback wins a big game determines who is the best?

@jonsblond No, but he lost three Super Bowls, he never took Stanford to a Rose Bowl. Having read about him in the local paper for years, he always seemed way overblown. And while he ended up being a two Super Bowl winning QB, he is no way the best.

Sonny Jurgenson (I was going to say Namath but @chyna beat me to it)

Johnny Unitas

Troy Aikman.

I would give a slight edge to Montana over Terry Bradshaw.

They both quarterbacked their teams to 4 Lombardis.

In his earlier years, Bradshaw still needed work in looking off the pass defenders and picking up receivers if his primaries were covered, whereas I think Montana developed those skills at earlier points in his career.

However, Bradshaw was more physically gifted in areas that were more applicable to football players in general, as opposed to quarterbacks specifically.

E.g.: Bradshaw was fast. He was probably better at avoiding sacks and running the ball. He was also one of the toughest and most courageous QB’s that I’ve ever seen. In Superbowl 10, he threw a 65-yards TD pass, just before he was knocked out by Jethro Pugh of the Cowboys. When durability is considered, what other quarterback could survive a tackle this brutal, let alone go on to win 2 more Superbowls?

I’d say that when their pass protections broke down, Bradshaw could run around without getting sacked for a greater length of time. If he chose to run, he generally would have gained more yards than Montana, but there was a greater chance of Bradshaw throwing an incompletion or an interception if he decided to pass instead of run in those situations.

Without any doubts, Bart Starr. Look at his stats and tell me differently.

Al Bundy.

Bart Starr, Namath, Unitas, Montana, would all be in the mix. Montana had the best vision ever, although not the most physically imposing. Elway always had happy feet. He had the best arm, but his brain let him down.

Johnny Unitas was among the best. He was a clutch passer. Of course, you have to be over 65 to fully appreciate my selection. ;-)

I can’t claim to be a deep student of the art, but Joe Montana could surprise you like nobody else I’ve seen in the sport. They say he was a real thinking man’s quarterback. He had a very deep playbook, could read the defense well, and could put a plan together in a moment.

In the clutch he might rifle a pass right through the merest gap in the defenders.
Or while pretending to be in distress dancing side to side, lob a beauty to that open guy (often Rice) two yards from the end zone.

When things were going smoothly he might call something peculiar that just catches the defense off guard completely, and rack up another touchdown of course.

Chicago’s Bobby Douglas

Yes, Unitas, Starr, Namath were all great Quarter backs. But only Joe Montana was the Best!

As much as I HATE Green Bay…Aaron Rogers is a real treat to watch get sacked by the Bears!

I can’t stand the game myself, rugby for pussies, but as an impressionable early teen I liked the Miami Dolphins, so it’s got to be Dan Marino for me, retrospectively at least.

@Whitetigress If you had said that Tom Brady is the best-looking NFL quarterback of all time, I doubt that anyone would disagree.

joe montana

Oh, hey, there was Jim Plunkett who led the Oakland-displaced-to-LA Raiders to Superbowl victory the year they moved to LA. Actually that whole Raiders team that year just blew everyone away.

I am a Raider fan, and I have to say Jim Plunkett is overrated. Kenny Stabler was their best quarterback, but he just wasn’t as good as Joe.

I think the Giants lost Sunday because I changed my avatar from the Super Bowl ring I’ve been using. I’m sorry Eli.

Is someone keeping track of all this?

This thread has a Jim Plunkett-Tom Brady theme. I’d just like to point out that both guys quarterback(ed) for the Boston Patriots.

Yes, I refuse to call them the “New England Patriots.” I’m a proud New England native, and I know that New England isn’t a city or a state.

Sorry, @PaulSadieMartin , the consensus is Joe Montana.