Ranking the NFL's Top Quarterbacks from Each Decade

Throughout the history of the NFL, the quarterback position has been probably the hardest and craziest position on the field.

The pre-1950s was a time when the league was based on ball control; very few quarterbacks actually evolved into what a quarterback should be.

After the 1950s, a new breed of signal callers were left for the wolves. Guts and glory seemed like the motto to become the prototypical field general.

Times started to change, and so did the rules, and the offense finally had the boost it was looking for.

Protecting the quarterback started to become an essential key in how the game is played today. Stats caught fire, and records seemed to get broken and set every time you turned the tube on.

The West Coast system was the new look in the '80s. Defensive units had their hands full of hair trying to deal with the intelligence of Bill Walsh’s new system for quarterbacks. Roger Craig was the first to rush for 1,000 yards and have 1,000 yards receiving in a single year.

The West Coast brought a whole new set of cards to the table and opened up the modern style run and gun we see today.

In the 1990s, the West Coast system boomed, and more teams started to use Walsh’s system and even modified it to fit their teams. The '90s was a time when offensive points started to fill the boards and stats started to jump from state to state.

Mobility in the 2000s became quite popular with quarterbacks like Michael Vick, Donovan McNabb, and Daunte Culpepper. Defensive schemes are getting more praise these days to take out the quarterback and set new standards for sacks in a year.

Quarterback of the Pre-1950s—Sammy Baugh, Washington (1937-52)
He was known as "Slingin' Sammy.”

It was during his time as a baseball player that he earned the nickname "Slingin' Sammy."

He is credited for making the forward pass an integral part of the offensive play in the NFL.

He was the first to play the position of quarterback as it is played today and the first to make the forward pass an effective weapon rather than an "act of desperation.”
Quarterback of the Decade 1950s—Otto Graham, Cleveland (1946-55)
“Otto Graham, No. 14,is the best quarterback of all time (echo) time.”

Graham, nicknamed "Automatic Otto" for his precision passing, led the league in completion percentage once and quarterback rating four times.Throughout his career, Graham posted a record of 105-17-4 and led the Browns to 10 straight championship berths, winning seven of those. He also went 14-0 in 1948, a perfect season!

At the time of his retirement, Graham's 86.6 career pass rating (combined AAFC and NFL) served as one of the best of all time, tossing 188 touchdowns in 10 seasons of play.

Quarterback of the Decade 1960s—Johnny Unitas, Baltimore (1956-72)
Without a doubt, it was his last-second heroics in the 1958 NFL title game, often called "the greatest game ever played," that turned Unitas into a household name.

The New York Giants, with two minutes to play, were leading 17-14 when the Colts started a last-gasp drive at their own 14-yard line. “Mr. Clutch” then went to work, with seven straight passes that set up a game-tying field goal with seven seconds left. Unitas then engineered a textbook-perfect 80-yard march to win the game in overtime.

The game, played before a national television audience, gave Unitas the chance to demonstrate all of his marvelous attributes—confidence, courage, leadership, play-calling genius, and passing skill.

His record of at least one touchdown pass in 47 consecutive games may stand forever. A genuine team player, Unitas was selected the NFL Player of the Year three times (1959, 1964, 1967), and named to 10 Pro Bowls (1957-1964, 1966, and 1967).

Quarterback of the Decade 1970s—Roger Staubach, Dallas (1969-79)
Staubach was a key part in the development of the Cowboys and helped them become America's Team. He led the team to nine of the Cowboys' record-setting 20 consecutive winning seasons. Staubach led the Cowboys to their first Super Bowl victory, and as a result, he was named MVP in Super Bowl VI.

Roger served in the Navy for a four-year term, which stalled him from playing in the NFL until he was 27. I think Roger should have had the nod over Craig Morton from the start.

Legendary coach Tom Landry described Staubach as "possibly the best combination of a passer, an athlete, and a leader to ever play in the NFL."

Quarterback of the Decade 1980s—Joe Montana, San Francisco (1979-92)
Joe Montana had a stellar career with the 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs. A master of late-game comebacks, Montana directed his teams to 31 fourth quarter, come-from-behind wins during his illustrious career, including a 92-yard drive in the closing seconds of Super Bowl XXIII.

Montana won the NFL’s passing title in both 1987 and 1989. He topped the NFC in passing five times (1981, 1984, 1985, 1987, and 1989).

Quarterback of the Decade 1990s—Steve Young, San Francisco (1987-99)
Young was named the Most Valuable Player of the NFL in 1992 and 1994 and the MVP of Super Bowl XXIX. Young holds the NFL record for highest career passer rating (96.8), and he won six NFL passing titles, a record he shares with Sammy Baugh.

Throughout the 1990s, Steve went to the Pro Bowl seven times (1992-1998), and he was the first quarterback ever to record a triple-digit passer rating in consecutive seasons.

Quarterback of the Decade 2000s—Peyton Manning, Indianapolis (1998-)
Peyton Manning is considered one of the best quarterbacks of all time. He has the record for most NFL MVP awards with four.

The Colts drafted him as the first overall pick in 1998. In his rookie season, he passed for 3,739 yards with 26 touchdowns and set five different NFL rookie records, including most touchdown passes in a season, and was named to the NFL All-Rookie First Team.

Manning holds NFL records for consecutive seasons with over 4,000 yards passing and the most total seasons with 4,000 or more yards passing in a career. Manning holds the fourth-highest career passer rating (95.2) behind only Steve Young (96.8), Philip Rivers (95.8), and Tony Romo (95.6).