I’m already regretting not ranking Rodgers higher in this countdown. The dude might be the best Jeopardy! host besides the great Alex Trebek. What an accomplishment to add to his legacy. Anyways, this is the second-to-last article before I reveal the GOAT – the greatest NFL quarterback of all time – so let’s jump right back into it.
Who’s The Greatest NFL Quarterback Of All Time? – Part IV
4. Joe Montana
“Winners, I am convinced, imagine their dreams first. They want it with all their heart and expect it to come true. There is, I believe, no other way to live.” – Joe Montana
Golden Joe, The Comeback Kid, Joe Cool – call him whatever you want, he’s one of the best quarterbacks to ever play. Montana was best known for having ice in his veins during high-pressure situations. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the privilege of watching him play under center. But the thing about great athletes like Montana is, you didn’t have to watch him play to know how great he was. His ability to mount incredible comeback drives is still a talking point between NFL fans. He was one of the most clutch quarterbacks to ever play. Montana played most of his career with the 49ers and is hands down one of the most prolific players of all time. Let’s take a look at his career.
Montana was drafted by San Francisco at the end of the third round with the 82nd pick. What a bargain for the Hall of Famer. Like most rookies, Montana didn’t have much of a role his first year in the league. But during his first game, he showed the world why he would earn the nickname The Comeback Kid. Montana led the 49ers back from a huge deficit and eventually defeated New Orleans. This showing by Montana was the first glimpse of his greatness.
The Catch
It wasn’t until 1981 when Montana’s career really took off. That year, he led the 49ers to a 13-3 record and won the Super Bowl. During this season, the play dubbed “The Catch” was born. Regarded as one of the most memorable football plays in NFL history, Montana led the 49ers on an 83-yard drive and won the NFC Championship game with a touchdown pass to Dwight Clark, with just 58 seconds left. This play signified the passing of the torch from the recently dominant Dallas team to the 49ers.
Montana would go on to win four Super Bowls with the 49ers. He would be the first player in history to be named the Super Bowl MVP three times. And he straight up dominated in postseason stats. He holds the record for most games with a passing rating over 100. To top it all off, he also held the record for most postseason career touchdowns before Tom Brady surpassed him in 2015.
There’s no denying how great Montana is but is he the GOAT? Not quite. There are just a handful of quarterbacks in front of him. I do know one thing – he didn’t do himself any favors beating my Broncos in the 1989 Super Bowl.
3. Peyton Manning
OMAHA! It’s impossible to reminisce about Peyton Manning without the image of the signal-caller frantically calling dozens of audibles before each play. Manning wasn’t just a great quarterback – he was the field general. He was the master and the opposing defense was his puppet. Let’s revisit this Hall Of Famer’s extraordinary career.
Manning was drafted by the Colts in 1998 and was with the franchise for a whopping 14 years. His rookie season didn’t start out as great. He led the league in most passing attempts and most interceptions – not the combination a quarterback typically strives for. It wasn’t until 2003 when he really started to come into his own. This was the first year he won the AP MVP award. He led the league in passing completions with 379. Although Manning lost to the Patriots back-to-back in the playoffs, he would go on to be crowned the AP MVP for the second time in a row. It wasn’t until the middle of Manning’s career when he won his first Super Bowl and Super Bowl MVP award. In 2006, the Colts were finally able to raise the Lombardi trophy after flirting with it for so long.
The Denver Broncos
The 14 years with the Colts took its toll on Manning. The Colts eventually released him due to injuries and salary cap issues. How does that saying go? “One man’s garbage is another man’s treasure?” This was especially true for John Elway and the Broncos. After signing with the Broncos in 2012, it became apparent that he still had a lot left in the tank.
During the first year with the Broncos, he led them to a divisional game. The next season, Manning won his fifth MVP and led the Broncos to the Super Bowl. The next year, Manning set the NFL record for all-time passing touchdowns and would become the second player in history to beat all 32 teams. Finally, in 2015, the Broncos broke through and won the Super Bowl. It was obvious Manning was nearing the end of his career as his arm looked weak and he routinely threw ducks. Some might even say that it was Denver’s incredible defense that won the Super Bowl that year. Even if that’s true, it doesn’t take away from what he did during that stretch of four years.
I don’t think I met anyone that didn’t like Peyton Manning. Manning will be inducted into the Hall of Fame later this year – much deserved for the sheriff. As a Broncos fan that has been subjected to subpar quarterbacks like Brock Osweiler, I miss you, Peyton. Cue the extremely large teardrops of Knowshon Moreno.
Our next article will be the last. I’m quite upset about this because I enjoyed forcing my NFL opinion on you readers. If you’ve stomached this disaster so far, I hope you join me for my last installment. I will finally reveal who the greatest NFL quarterback of all time is.
