Mahomes and Jalen
Elway was a physical wonder, earned an MVP and earned three second-team All-Pro nods during his career (1983-1998), but his passing numbers (3,217 passing yards, 19 touchdowns and 14 picks a year), even adjusted for its era, doesn’t stack up with the rest of the top nine. If that sounds high for Mahomes, consider he’s been the NFL’s best player for the past five seasons overall. He’s already an all-time great and will likely win his second MVP at NFL Honors a few days before Super Bowl LVII. Few people on this list could have claimed that level of dominance. I kick him so much because of his lack of longevity. Staubach is an excellent “What if?” player, as he only became a full-time starter at the age of 29. He’s still the consensus best quarterback of the 1970s and led the league in passer rating four times. He’s probably too demoted for the era he played. Starr, who has a reputation for being a “winner” of the ’60s and early Super Bowl era without generating great stats, actually has…pretty good stats. Brees too. He only got one first-team All-Pro nod because he was behind Brady, Manning and Rodgers so often, but his longevity and consistency were remarkable. He has almost always been a top-five quarterback at New Orleans.
