There is a constant debate over who is the greatest NFL quarterback ever, in large part because many of the main candidates have played in the last ten years.  In many ways, the last ten to twenty years have been a golden age for watching quarterback play in the NFL.  There is a lot of passionate argument over not only which quarterback is “the best ever,” but also how do you actually measure such a thing?

Part of the problem is there are so many factors in looking at how to grade a quarterback, that depending on what you view as most important (wins, stats, dual threat, carrying a team by themselves, etc) you can make a major case for several quarterbacks.  A bigger problem is that we may very well have seen the #1, 2, 3, & 4 all time quarterbacks all play at the same time (what were the chances of that?)  So here are six quarterbacks, all of them “the best quarterback ever,” in one way or another.

So here is the best quarterback ever…all six of them!

Brett Favre: Favre wins as the toughest quarterback ever (just ask Levon Kirkland, Dwayne Rudd, or any of the dozens of pro bowlers put on their back by a Favre block), and currently has an impressive lead on career statistics.  He also wins as the quarterback who can do the most with absolutely no supporting cast.  With the recent rule changes, it’s not a big deal to have 4-5 quarterbacks throw 30 TD (even Manning only did this once before the rule change), but Favre did this seven times before that.  He by far and away has had weaker supporting casts than Dan Marino, Kurt Warner, Joe Montana, or Peyton Manning, making those numbers even more impressive.

The biggest reason he isn’t considered one of the greatest is because everyone assumes Peyton Manning and Tom Brady will surpass him—but Brady statistically doesn’t come close to Favre unless he has Randy Moss, and as Peyton Manning said: “It’s hard to catch up to him when he keeps throwing 28 TD.”  Every time the old man comes back for one more, he makes it that much harder for everyone else to catch up, and unlike the others on this list, he may end up the only offensive player on that team who ends up in the Hall of Fame from those 17 seasons.  Amazing.

Peyton Manning: Peyton Manning is one of the most impressive statistical quarterbacks ever, and there is no question he is the best system quarterback in the history of the NFL.  If you had a complex system for the QB to run, Manning would be your choice.  That spread offense just hums with Manning under center, and having weapons like WR Marvin Harrison, WR Reggie Wayne, and TE Dallas Clark helps, but it takes a top notch quarterback to keep it running at full capacity.

Manning consistently puts up major numbers, and seems to have put himself into position to break all the career records currently being held by Brett Favre.  If not for Manning, these records would appear virtually unbreakable, which just shows how talented Peyton Manning is as a quarterback.

Joe Montana: Wins the “big game” title, as he is only one of two quarterbacks in NFL history to win 4 Super Bowls, going a perfect 4-0, including handing John Elway the worst loss of his career.  Montana has four rings, matching Terry Bradshaw.  Montana was known for the last 49ers dynasty, and his career winning percentage was excellent, as was his statistics.  If the best quarterback is measured by most Super Bowls, no one can argue with Montana on this one.

Dan Marino: Best pure pocket passer in the history of the game.  The fact that Marino broke all of Tarkenton’s records, and set the standard for Brett Favre to break, and he did it with no mobility whatsoever, but a quick release that has never been matched.  Marino’s single season touchdown record stood for nearly twenty seasons, and his consistent excellence had the Dolphins competing year after year.  His statistics are second only to Favre, and his pocket passing  presence is unmatched.

John Elway: He just plain won.  Time after time John Elway would put the team on his shoulders with two minutes to go and deliver.  He has more 4^th quarter/Overtime comebacks in history, with Favre a full season’s worth of comebacks behind in 2^nd place.  John Elway is also second all time in wins, and one of only three quarterbacks to pass for over 50,000 yards.  And he has two Super Bowl rings, too.  The biggest argument against?  He only threw for more than 20 touchdowns six times, over 4,000 yards only once, and was part of the worst Super Bowl loss ever.  But in the regular season, he just won, and in the end, that’s all that matters.

Fran Tarkenton: Everyone forgets that it was Tarkenton’s records that Dan Marino broke.  In addition to the great statistics Tarkenton was hands down the best scrambling-keep-alive-the-play quarterback ever.  No one could keep a play alive like this guy, and he was good enough to lead his time to three Super Bowls, although unfortunately he didn’t win any of them.  As far as exciting, he was as exciting as they get, and the stats and winning prove he was one of the greats.

There you are.  Six quarterbacks who each have their own specific claim to being the best ever.  The debate will no doubt continue, but part of what makes football so great is that these guys aren’t the same type of quarterback, and so you can get a different treat each and every week watching the NFL!