Quarterback is the highest-paid position in the NFL for a reason. Without a good leader guiding the offense, a team stands little chance of a Super Bowl run, let alone putting together a winning season.
Players like Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers represent the gold standard at the position in today’s NFL, while Tom Brady is in a league of his own, with a record seven Super Bowl titles earned with two different franchises.
As the quarterback goes, so does the team, but the man behind center was not always this crucial to his offense in the past.
Although the forward pass first became legal in 1906, NFL offenses mainly relied on the run until around the 1980s.
In 1984, Dan Marino became the first NFL quarterback to surpass 5,000 passing yards in a season. Since 2008, 11 more players have matched that feat, and nearly half of all starting NFL quarterbacks last season threw for at least 4,000 yards.
In the pass-happy era of the NFL, the quarterback is undoubtedly the most valuable part of the offense, so it should come as no surprise that signal callers have earned more Most Valuable Player awards than any other position.
AP NFL Most Valuable Player Award winners by position
| Postion | MVP Total |
|---|
Quarterback | 43 |
Running back | 16 |
Defensive tackle | 1 |
Linebacker | 1 |
Placekicker | 1 |
Since 2001, a quarterback has claimed NFL MVP every year but 2005, 2006, and 2012. As for Super Bowl MVP, wide receiver and linebacker have won a total of four times over the past decade, while a quarterback has taken home the honor on every other occasion.
AP NFL Most Valuable Player Award winners by position
| Postion | MVP Total |
|---|
Quarterback | 43 |
Running back | 16 |
Defensive tackle | 1 |
Linebacker | 1 |
Placekicker | 1 |
With so much talent at the quarterback position, debate is constantly brewing over which QB is best.
Up-and-comers like Kyler Murray and Josh Allen have seen their star power rise recently, but future Hall of Famers, like Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, and recently retired Drew Brees still dominate the conversation.
In YouBet.com's quarterback series, we take a look at each of these players and delve into the excellence they have brought to their respective franchises.
From Brady to Mahomes, Rodgers, and Russell Wilson, we break down each quarterback's individual record against every NFL team, while exploring some of their most significant career milestones.
All players are listed alphabetically.
One of the NFL's rising stars, Josh Allen ranked fourth in the NFL in completion percentage (69.2%) and passer rating (107.2), and was fifth in passing yards (4,544) and touchdown passes (37) in 2020.
Tom Brady (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Tom Brady cemented his status as the NFL's undisputed GOAT last season by winning his record seventh Super Bowl title and picking up his fifth Super Bowl MVP award. Not bad for a 43-year-old.
During his 20-year career in the NFL, future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees earned a win against every franchise in the league, including the New Orleans Saints.
Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals)
"Joey Franchise," "Joe Cool," "Joe Shiesty," and "Joe Thorough" are just a few of the many nicknames Joe Burrow has inherited as a result of his star-turning performance during his second season in the NFL.
Derek Carr (Las Vegas Raiders)
Derek Carr has set numerous Raiders franchise records, including most completions, passing yards, and touchdown passes. However, in his seven-year tenure with the Raiders, he has posted just one winning season.
Kirk Cousins (Minnesota Vikings)
Kirk Cousins isn't considered a top-tier quarterback by most, but the Minnesota Vikings signal caller has carved out a respectable career during his nine-year tenure in the NFL.
Sam Darnold (Carolina Panthers)
After a tumultuous three-year tenure with the New York Jets, quarterback Sam Darnold will seek a new start with the Carolina Panthers in the 2021 NFL season.
Ryan Fitzpatrick (Washington Football Team)
The path of NFL journeyman quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has made for one chaotic, yet fascinating ride. Let's look back at this famed franchise-hopper's complex career and examine his regular-season record against every NFL team.
Jimmy Garoppolo (San Francisco 49ers)
Jimmy G has endured a turbulent ride in the Bay Area. After a hot start in San Francisco, he missed most of the 2018 season with an ACL tear, only to return in 2019 and take the Niners to a Super Bowl.
The former first overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft, Jared Goff has found a new home with the Detroit Lions after enduring a volatile five-year tenure with the Los Angeles Rams.
Justin Herbert (Los Angeles Chargers)
Entering the 2020 NFL Draft, Justin Herbert drew far less attention and hype, compared to Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa. Yet, he not only ended up with the best season among the three, Herbert arguably played better than any rookie in NFL history.
Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens)
Only the second player to receive the NFL MVP award by unanimous vote, Jackson has helped revolutionize NFL offense and shifted the perception of the mobile quarterback.
Daniel Jones (New York Giants)
The legend of "Danny Dimes" began in the fall of 2019, when rookie quarterback Daniel Jones emerged as heir to Eli Manning's throne and became the starting quarterback of the New York Giants.
Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs)
The 2018 NFL MVP, Patrick Mahomes is the first player to throw for over 3,000 yards in his first 10 games, and is the fastest player to accumulate 4,000 passing yards and at least 40 touchdown passes.
Baker Mayfield (Cleveland Browns)
The 2018 No. 1 overall draft pick enjoyed the best season of his young career in 2020, and guided Cleveland to an 11-5 record and its first playoff win in 26 years.
Kyler Murray (Arizona Cardinals)
Kyler Murray saw a tremendous leap in production in 2020 with the addition of standout wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.
Dak Prescott has led the Cowboys to the postseason twice and ranked in the top five in passing yards and touchdown passes in 2019 — a year before he went down with a season-ending ankle injury.
Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers)
Aaron Rodgers won NFL MVP honors for the third time in his career in 2020, after leading the league with 48 touchdown passes, and a dazzling 121.5 rating.
Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers)
A two-time Super Bowl champion, Ben Roethlisberger holds franchise records for passing yards (60,348), touchdowns (396).
A four-time Pro Bowler and the 2016 NFL MVP, Matt Ryan owns the record for most passing yards (51,186) by a quarterback through 12 seasons.
Matthew Stafford (Los Angeles Rams)
Despite a 74-90-1 record as the Lions starter, Matthew Stafford enjoyed considerable individual success in Detroit, which made him a promising prospect for the Rams.
Ryan Tannehill (Tennessee Titans)
The 2019 AP Comeback Player of the Year, Titans QB Ryan Tannehill has overcome multiple obstacles throughout his career to become one of the best signal callers in the NFL.
Deshaun Watson (Houston Texans)
Deshaun Watson led the NFL in passing yards (4,823), and ranked second in passer rating (112.4) and third in completion percentage (70.2%) in 2020, despite playing without his former No. 1 target, DeAndre Hopkins.
Carson Wentz (Indianapolis Colts)
Can Carson Wentz revive his career and return to his former MVP form with a Frank Reich reunion? In 2021, we will get a glimpse of that answer, when the former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback begins a new chapter with the Indianapolis Colts.
Russell Wilson (Seattle Seahawks)
Since Russell Wilson became Seattle's starter as a rookie in 2012, the eight-time Pro Bowler has reached the postseason every year but one (2017), appeared in the Super Bowl twice, and won one title in 2014.