NFL Quarterbacks: Who is the GOAT?

The quarterback is the NFL position that everyone looks to, the signal caller and the one who has the ability to make or break every game.

There have been some outstanding quarterbacks throughout NFL history, but which ones would make the top 5? Here's our take on the best five quarterbacks the NFL has ever seen, including the GOAT: Greatest of All Time.

A blast from the past, John Elway was gracing the field between 1983 and 1998. As a naturally gifted athlete, Elway started his sporting career in baseball with the New York Yankees before opting to move to the NFL. Drafting as the number 1 overall pick in 1983 by Baltimore Colts, he was traded to the Broncos after controversially refusing to play for the Colts. Elway clearly approved of the trade as he went on to spend all 16 seasons of his career there, taking the team to five Super Bowls and winning two. In the final game of his career, he won the Super Bowl XXXIII and was also named MVP. With three All-Pro selections, nine Pro Bowls and a previous MVP award in 1987, John Elway had a clutch of honours to his name. 

With outstanding skill as both a runner and a passer, Elway moved into the Hall of Fame in 2004.

Starting with San Diego Chargers, where he spent a fruitful five years, Drew Brees really began to shine when he moved to New Orleans Saints. Previously a second-round pick, Brees took the Saints to the single Super Bowl victory in 2009, picking up MVP recognition in the process. With 13 selections for the Pro Bowl to his name, Brees holds the record for all-time completion percentages passing yards, completions, passing yards per game and most consecutive games with a touchdown pass. Brees was also the fastest quarterback to reach the passing yard mark for 60,000 and 70,000 and is a respectable fourth on the list for regular season wins.

He finally hung up his helmet after the 2020 season and is expected to be a future entrant in the Hall of Fame. 

With a career that spanned 1979 to 1994, Joe Montana became one of the most legendary players ever to take to the field for the 49ers. Nicknamed The Comeback Kid, until the arrival of Tom Brady, Joe Montana was recognised as the greatest quarterback that ever played. A perfect 4-0 record for the Super Bowl plus the highest collective rating for a quarterback in the Super Bowl, plus the most passes thrown without an interception are just some of the stats which reflect his talent.

With two MVP honours, eight Pro Bowl selections and five All-Pro nominations, Montana was famed for his skill and his ability to remain calm under pressure. Finishing his career at Kansas City Chiefs, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000.

An outstanding quarterback and one that some would claim should be in the top spot, Peyton Manning was the first overall pick in the 1998 draft from the University of Tennessee. Throughout his 17 seasons at the Broncos and Colts, his achievements have dwarfed that of any other quarterback in history. With five MVP trophies, ten nominations for the All-Pro and participation in the Pro Bowl in all bar three of his seasons, his record speaks for itself.

Manning has 200 career wins and played in four Super Bowls, emerging victorious from two. Widely renowned for his meticulous preparation, he's a worthy contender for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Pipping Peyton Manning to the top spot is Tom Brady, the quarterback who had the most inauspicious of starts after being selected 199th overall by the Patriots in the sixth round pick in 2000. In his 18 seasons with New England, Brady took them to 17 division titles, six world championships and nine Super Bowls. With 10 Super Bowl starts and 7 Super Bowl wins, he far outstrips any other player in NFL history. But it's not just about his Super Bowl record; Brady has three MVP awards, 14 Pro Bowl invitations and five All-Pro selections. 

No other player in the league has thrown more touchdown passes, and he's second in career passing yards and what's more, as Brady is still going, these stats are set to climb even higher still. Considering all this, there's no other quarterback in the NFL betting that can rival Tom Brady for the title of Greatest of All Time.