The debate about who the best quarterback is in NFL history is one that could last forever depending on who you ask.
Old-time fans of the league may call Johnny Unitas the best QB ever, while fans who grew up through the 1970s and 80s may call Joe Montana, Dan Marino, John Elway or Terry Bradshaw the best. Modern fans have some pretty good options to argue about, as players like Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Brett Favre all could have a claim as one of the best of all-time.
The conversation is a matter of opinion and people sometimes can have some pretty strong opinions when it comes to quarterbacks. With the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl, many have looked at what a second championship could mean for Manning and his legacy and whether it gives him the extra step he needs to be the top quarterback of all-time.
Manning deserves mention in the conversation based on his career stats, but adding a second Super Bowl title on his way out the door could cement him as the best QB of the modern era. Manning has put up some amazing stats through his career while winning multiple MVPs and division championships, but even today some around the NFL criticize him for his mediocre playoff record, which sits at 13-13 heading into the Super Bowl.
But all the playoff losses for Manning can't be pegged on the quarterback, as his Colts teams in the past had some mediocre defenses. Manning getting a win with the Broncos here should quiet some of the critics about his playoff record and would put him in some rare territory as a quarterback with two Super Bowl wins.
Manning won't be able to catch Brady's Super Bowl titles, but his career stats, playoff appearances and two wins could put give him enough for some to consider Manning the best of all-time. The conversation is pretty subjective since different people but different weight into each category. If it's based on stats, Manning could have a claim as the best QB ever, but if you ask a Unitas fan about that, they might say that the modern NFL makes things too easy for quarterbacks.
If it's based on Super Bowl wins or appearances, Brady and Montana have that one over Manning, who has had a number of one and done appearances in the playoffs through his career. But it's hard to argue that Manning isn't one of the two or three best players in NFL history with what he has done on the field. Manning has over 530 career touchdowns passes and over 70,000 passing yards and he has won the AP MVP award five times in his career.
Either way, Manning has put together one of the best careers in NFL history and there is no doubt that he is one of the best quarterbacks of all-time....depending on who you ask about it.
