Some of the names are obvious, while others are open to debate. What quarterbacks are the defining players for their teams in the era since the Super Bowl?
Arizona Cardinals: Kurt Warner
Kurt Warner came so close to bringing the Cardinals a Super Bowl championship. His remarkable story added another chapter with a stellar run.
Atlanta Falcons: Matt Ryan
Matt Ryan may have wound up on the down side of the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots. That’s a blotch on what otherwise has been a brilliant career in the ATL. Ryan lights it up in so many games and keeps the Falcons soaring.
Baltimore Ravens: Joe Flacco
His career will continue in Denver. Joe Flacco needs to be appreciated for everything he did in Baltimore after being drafted out of the University of Delaware. He earned a ring and brought the franchise its second crown.
Buffalo Bills: Jim Kelly
Four Super Bowl losses will not diminish what Jim Kelly means to Buffalo and the Bills. He continues to show courage in his battle with cancer. After arriving as a Bill from Miami via the USFL, Kelly became the heart and leader of the offense and franchise.
Carolina Panthers: Cam Newton
While there was a flirtation to go with Jake Delomme, the overall body of work by Cam Newton earns the nod for Carolina. The big quarterback hasn’t delivered a Super Bowl title … yet.
Chicago Bears: Jim McMahon
Talk about a perfect leader for a team that almost was perfect, Jim McMahon fit in splendidly with the Monsters of the Midway. His career was not as long as it should have been due to a variety of injuries, but he remains light years ahead of the other Chicago QBs.
Cincinnati Bengals: Ken Anderson
A two-horse race between Ken Anderson and Boomer Esiason. Anderson gets the overall edge but by a thin margin. The numbers are comparable. Anderson simply has more history with Cincinnati.
Cleveland Browns: Baker Mayfield
No joke. That’s how awful the quarterbacks have been in Cleveland since the rebirth of the franchise. If Baker Mayfield remains healthy, this will prove to be an absolute layup.
Dallas Cowboys: Troy Aikman
You can’t go wrong with either Roger Staubach or Troy Aikman. Both were six-time Pro Bowlers. Gonna give the nod in a photo finish here to the former UCLA star. There would be absolutely no argument with people who opt for Staubach. Both are legends.
Denver Broncos: John Elway
There’s no dispute in the Mile High City as to who is the best and likely will be the best for the foreseeable future: John Elway.
Detroit Lions: Matt Stafford
There aren’t many postseason wins or success for anyone in Motown. There’s a recency bias to Matt Stafford. However, when you dig through the numbers he has opened a sizable margin over his fellow Detroit Lions quarterbacks.
Green Bay Packers: Bart Starr
This was the toughest call of them all. Bart Starr, Brett Favre or Aaron Rodgers. Any team would be lucky to have one of them, let alone two or three. Able to push Starr here because of his incredible run and it is no way to diminish the other two.
Houston Texans: Deshaun Watson
A fairly new franchise with a star on the rise in Deshaun Watson. The former Clemson quarterback can throw, run and lead. All he has to do is remain healthy to become one of the top quarterbacks of this generation.
Indianapolis Colts: Peyton Manning
There’s no contest here.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Mark Brunell
Mark Brunell played with the Jags from 1995-2003. He was a three-time Pro Bowler in Jacksonville and great leader. Brunell is a member of the Pride of the Jaguars since 2013.
Kansas City Chiefs: Len Dawson
Len Dawson was the face and voice of the Kansas City Chiefs for decades. He led them over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV. There is a temptation to think about Patrick Mahomes. However, he’s started for one season and been a Chief for two. That doesn’t stack up with the resume Dawson built in KC.
Los Angeles Chargers: Philip Rivers
A powerful force who leads a dynamic offense, Philip Rivers is the man whether the team is in San Diego or Los Angeles. The missing line on the resume is Super Bowl champ. Time is running out, but it could happen in 2019 given the way the Chargers are rising.
Los Angeles Rams: Kurt Warner
Kurt Warner appears twice on this list. He helped turned the St. Louis Rams into the “Greatest Show on Turf.” They won a Super Bowl — by a yard — and Warner was the man at the controls of one of the great offenses in NFL history.
Miami Dolphins: Dan Marino
No Super Bowl ring, but Dan Marino has everything else in a Hall of Fame career with the Dolphins.
Minnesota Vikings: Fran Tarkenton
Another quarterback who did everything but win a Super Bowl. Fran Tarkenton was the ultimate rambling, scrambling man for the Purple People. He was as exciting as it gets when dropping back and buying time to look for receivers.
New England Patriots: Tom Brady
Six Super Bowls. Tom Brady will never be surpassed in New England.
New Orleans Saints: Drew Brees
Drew Brees has a Super Bowl and incredible numbers in New Orleans. It would be no shock if he added another trophy to the Saints’ showcase.
New York Giants: Phil Simms
This is not mentioned as a knock at Eli Manning. Yes, he has two Super Bowls. However, overall his percentage has dropped below .500 as a starter. Phil Simms brought pride and glory to Big Blue out of Morehead State. His 22-of-25 performance in the Super Bowl win over the Broncos is the stuff of legend.
New York Jets: Joe Namath
This is because Broadway Joe is a legend … and the Jets have had incredibly little success since their Super Bowl III win. Without Joe Namath, futility would be the face of the franchise.
Oakland Raiders: Ken Stabler
Hard to believe Ken Stabler was the second quarterback drafted by the Raiders in 1968. Eldridge Dickey was the first-round pick. “The Snake” was a Super Bowl champ, NFL MVP and four-time Pro Bowler.
Philadelphia Eagles: Donovan McNabb
Should be Nick Foles — kidding. Donovan McNabb had a long and storied career in Philly. The Super Bowl loss not withstanding, McNabb enjoyed many highlights and brought plenty of cheers to a rough crowd.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Terry Bradshaw
Terry Bradshaw gets a clean, unanimous decision over Ben Roethlisberger. His numbers may not be as gaudy — the times they have changed. However, Bradshaw won four Super Bowls and was part of a group that changed a franchise from laughingstocks to perennial threats to win it all.
San Francisco 49ers: Joe Montana
By a four-time Super Bowl champion to three-time Super Bowl champ, Joe Montana barely edges Steve Young. Another team that boasts riches at the quarterback spot in its history with that duo.
Seattle Seahawks: Russell Wilson
Russell Wilson is on his way to Canton. If he keeps playing the way he has, there will be no question that Wilson belongs in the Hall of Fame. He wins by open lengths over Jim Zorn, another Seattle favorite.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Brad Johnson
This is a tough one. Not for good reasons. No one leaps off the page in Tampa Bay. Jameis Winston currently is mired in mediocrity. Johnson did lead the Bucs to a championship and that’s more than anyone else.
Tennessee Titans: Warren Moon
A legend in the CFL and NFL. Warren Moon has pinball numbers in both leagues. Can’t imagine what they would be if he had spent his entire career South of the border.
Washington Redskins: Mark Rypien
A difficult choice. Billy Kilmer. Doug Williams had one of the great quarters of all-time in a Super Bowl. Overall, the thinnest of edges goes to Rypien. Joe Theismann deserves consideration, too. These aren’t recent quarterbacks, which tells you how the team has not thrived in recent years.
