The debate of the “greatest of all-time” hasn’t been overly kind of Hall of Famer Dan Marino. The Miami Dolphins’ signal caller redefined the game throughout the mid-1980s and early 1990s as a player who slung the ball all over the field at an unparalleled level — he re-wrote the record books in 1984 and by the time Marino retired in 1999, he held nearly every major passing record in the NFL.
But over the last 20 years, more progressive and aggressive passing offenses have whittled down Marino’s place in the record books — he’s been passed by the likes of Brett Favre, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady on the career yardage list and the career touchdown list.
And with no championships to his credit — the historians of the game have begun to turn their nose up to Dan Marino on the all-time list of greats.
NFL.com released their rankings of the top-25 quarterback in NFL history, with Dan Marino coming in at number 7 overall. The quarterbacks he trails?
Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints – 2001 to present
Otto Graham, Cleveland Browns – 1946 to 1955
Johnny Unitas, Baltimore Colts – 1956 to 1973
Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts – 1998 to 2015
Joe Montana, San Francisco 49ers – 1979 to 1994
Tom Brady, New England Patriots – 2000 to present
The analysis of Marino’s peak features some impressive numbers. NFL Network Researcher Jack Andrade points out that Marino’s 1984 season, when adjusted to the modern era, projects to 5,668 yards and 58 touchdowns — both of which would be NFL records, beating the numbers put forth by Peyton Manning with the Broncos in 2013 (5,477 yards and 55 touchdowns).
