If you are a fan of the NFL, you must know just how much the league likes to turn quarterbacks into legends. This is especially true if the athletes have earned a decent amount of longevity and success. This reputation is mostly earned, although there have been cases in which their greatness has simply been exaggerated due to a memorable clutch pass play or comeback drive. If you take a good look at their career, you will realize just how overrated they truly are. This list is all about passers with a solid NFL career whose greatness has been overstated one way or another through salary, accolade, or opportunities. To be clear, we are not saying that they are bad athletes. Not at all! All we are saying is that it might be time to re-examine whether they deserve all the acclaim that people shower upon them. Do you want to find out whether your favorite QB is on the list? If so, read on!
These NFL Quarterbacks Might Be The Most Overrated In The History Of The League
Mark Brunell (1994-2011)
Nobody is saying that Mark Brunell is the best quarterback that the NFL has ever seen. Even if this were the case, anyone who spends 17 seasons in this position has clearly received a lot of love and support during his time on the green. The majority of his career was spent with the Jacksonville Jaguars when the franchise just started out. He led the team to a 63-54 record with four consecutive appearances at the playoffs. Even so, there are ugly numbers linked to his career. His 59.5 career passing percentage is not great, but it started to go down in the ten playoff games that he started. It went down to 50.8 and was accompanied by a 66.3 playoff passer rating.
Mark Brunell (1994-2011)
Joe Flacco (2008-Present)
Once known as a top quarterback, Joe Flacco lost this reputation after his Super Bowl run with the Baltimore Ravens back in 2012. This playoff run, in which he was pretty much perfect for four games, helped him land a salary deal of $66.4 million over three years and a signing bonus of $40 million. His career numbers might be better than most QBs out there, but that amount of money earned him the “overrated” tag since his production took a nosedive pretty much right after the contract was signed.
Joe Flacco (2008-Present)
Matthew Stafford (2009-Present)
We are sure that people will continue to talk about the quarterback legacy of Matthew Stafford for a very long time. In 2009, he joined the league and went on to put out ridiculous numbers. This includes a career passer rating close to 90 and 256 passing touchdowns. While this is all quite impressive, his talents have not translated to a lot of victories. As a starter, his record was 69-79-1. This does not include his 0-3 mark in the playoffs just yet either. What makes the lack of success even more confounding is the fact that he threw to the very talented Calvin Johnson for seven seasons. How is that even possible?
Matthew Stafford (2009-Present)
Dave Krieg (1980-1998)
It is hard for us to add Dave Krieg to this list. After all, we can’t deny that he had great stats and led teams to a ton of wins in the past. Even so, we have to admit that he was a bit overrated. He made a name for himself with the Seattle Seahawks due to his 70-49 record with them as a starter. In twelve seasons, he also threw 194 touchdowns. He would not have been here if it were not for his turnovers. Can you believe that he threw 199 interceptions and fumbled 153 times over the course of his career?
Dave Krieg (1980-1998)
Bernie Kosar (1985-1996)
If you ask the fans of the Cleveland Browns, they are probably going to tell you that Bernie Kosar is among the best passers in the history of the sport. This might be evidence that they have been starved of a talented QB ever since he left in 1993. To be fair, he knew how to look after the ball with his 81.8 career passer rating. Still, he was not the type of QB that could carry a lot of games by himself. In a span of twelve seasons, he only had 23,301 passing yards and 124 touchdown passes. His completion percentage is also only 59.3.
Bernie Kosar (1985-1996)
Boomer Esiason (1984-1997)
Just like Kosar with the Browns, Boomer Esiason has a great reputation among the fans of the Cincinnati Bengals. However, his career is actually pretty average all in all. In 1988, he completed his MVP season with a 45.3 percent passing completion rate. He also had a 48.0 passer rating in the three playoff games. His career saw him turn the ball over above 300 times. It does not help that as a starter, he closed his career with an 80-93 record and completed only 57 percent of his passes. On the bright side, his broadcaster career has helped improve his reputation when he finally left the green.
Boomer Esiason (1984-1997)
Jim McMahon (1982-1996)
Like other guys on the list, Jim McMahon had the privilege of serving as quarterback for one of the best NFL teams ever. In fact, you can even argue that it was the best. He had been in the right place at the right time, but his career stats are not as flawless as his performance at the popular “The Super Bowl Shuffle.” This “Punky QB” had meager numbers such as passing only for a hundred touchdowns and the completion of only 58 percent of his passes. At any rate, he will always be held in high regard by fans of the Bears.
Jim McMahon (1982-1996)
Phil Simms (1979-1993)
There are two reasons they overstate the talent of Phil Simms when he was a quarterback. First, he has been doing well as a high-profile broadcaster. Second, he brought home two Super Bowls during his time in the league. He spent his whole career playing for the New York Giants, which turned him into an icon among the fans of the team. If he were playing in a smaller place, he would be nothing more than a starter with okay numbers. Simms threw for 199 touchdowns, which has landed him in the top 50. Even if this were the case, his career completion percentage of 55.4 is nothing to write home about.
Phil Simms (1979-1993)
Sam Bradford (2010-2018)
When he first joined the league, Sam Bradford set the record for rookie contracts. His deal paid him $78 million over six years. All in all, he earned over $129 million during his time in the NFL. He ended his career with a 34-48-1 record as a starter. We have to admit that he has an impressive passer rating and accuracy. Can you believe that failed to take any franchise to the playoffs? On top of that, he could barely finish a season with no injuries. We do not know about you, but his contract was way too high.
Sam Bradford (2010-2018)
John Hadl (1962-1977)
The Chargers team likes to stick with overrated QBs for extended periods of time. John Hadl would be the first on that list. The six-time Pro Bowler gave the team an AFL championship and even earned a spot on the Hall of Fame of the franchise. Even so, his figures would not blow away an analytics fan. While his 244 career touchdown passes are commendable, they have been overshadowed by his 268 interceptions. This is the third highest in the history of the NFL. The wild slinging earned him a 67.4 career passer rating, as well as a poor 50.4 completion percentage. At any rate, his playing card below is sought-after among fans of the team. This photo came from @toysinternational on Instagram.
John Hadl (1962-1977)
Eli Manning (2004-Present)
Well, it is only natural to be at least a little overrated when you are playing in the biggest market, win two Super Bowls, and have a legendary football name on your jersey. All right, Eli Manning had amazing career stats. He threw for 362 touchdowns and has an 84.1 career passing rating, after all. But does he really deserve the amount of money that he has made during his career? By 2019, he has earned over $235 million as the second-highest paid NFL player. His 116-116 career record speaks for itself. It is not exactly hard to understand why some Giants fans are furious about the salary that he brings home.
Eli Manning (2004-Present)
Troy Aikman (1989-2000)
If you look at his career stats, none of them will come off as awful at all. Even so, it is hard to choose one that looks super great. Apart from his three Super Bowl wins with the Dallas Cowboys, his career figures are full of mediocrity. He threw for 165 passing touchdowns, as well as 141 interceptions over the course of his career. Neither of those sounds terrible, but they do not justify why he made it to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in our books. We doubt that he would have earned this level of fame as a QB if he did not play with Michael Irving and Emmett Smith.
Troy Aikman (1989-2000)
Vinny Testaverde (1987-2007)
How many players have started over 200 games in the NFL? There are less than a hundred people who have achieved that, and even fewer QBs. Vinny Testaverde made it happen, however. He also holds the distinction of the only QB to throw a touchdown pass in a total of 21 consecutive seasons. Despite this, he was not an elite passer. This explains how he did not have the honor of being an All-Pro selection. He ended his career with a starting record of 90-123-1 and a 2-3 playoff record. He only had four victorious seasons in the 21 years that he played as a starter.
Vinny Testaverde (1987-2007)
Ron Jaworski (1974-1989)
In Philly, Ron Jaworski is a big deal due to the ten seasons that he spent with the Eagles. However, he had given them a winning record only four times. Also known as Jaws, he also became pretty overrated as a player thanks to this ESPN broadcasting career after he left the green. If you check out his stats, you will see that he was a decent player and even borderline bad in the biggest games of the team. His 53.1 career completion percentage goes down to 46.5 in playoff games. On the other hand, his passer rating of 72.8 decreased to 63.4 in those same games. Despite this, he made it to the Eagles Hall of Fame.
Ron Jaworski (1974-1989)
Jim Hart (1966-1984)
We doubt that Jim Hart comes up a lot when people talk about elite passers. Despite this, he did make waves in St. Louis. He led the Cardinals for over fifteen seasons under center and has made it to the Hall of Fame. In reality, his stats are not the best whatsoever. He has a ratio of 209 passing touchdowns to 247 interceptions. His 51.1 career completion percentage does not satisfy us either. This lack of accuracy resulted in an 87-88-5 career record, as well as a 0-2 playoff record as a starter.
Jim Hart (1966-1984)
Dan Fouts (1973-1987)
If you kept up with the NFL in the ‘80s, you probably think that Dan Fouts is a very talented QB. You must be a Chargers fan if this were the case. It is true that he was prolific with over 43,000 rushing yards and 254 touchdown passes. However, current passers can do the same thing regularly in this day and age. The accuracy tends to be better as well, based on the 58.8 completion percentage that he has to his name. He threw 242 interceptions and had an 86-84-1 career record as a starter and a 3-4 playoff record.
Dan Fouts (1973-1987)
Terry Bradshaw (1970-1983)
Well, isn’t it telling that the best-known pass of his career was thrown to a defender before it was caught by a teammate? There might be no NFL quarterback who has had such an average performance become a legacy. Bradshaw can thank his teammates for helping the Steelers bring home four Super Bowl wins. The “Steel Curtain” teams were full of talent, so this QB gets a pass even though he only completed 51.9 percent of his passes and had a 70.9 passer rating. This was enough to land him a spot in the Hall of Fame. He threw for 212 touchdowns against 210 interceptions, so we can safely say that he was not the most effective quarterback in the world as some people make him out to be.
Terry Bradshaw (1970-1983)
Ken Stabler (1970-1984)
This Raiders legend basically won one game after another. However, the truth is that Ken Stabler was a bit reckless every now and then. As a starter, he has a 96-49-1 career record and a Super Bowl to his name. This is why he is now in the Hall of Fame. You might feel less enthused if you take a closer look at his stats. He completed not even 60 percent of his passes. He also threw 222 picks against 194 touchdowns, earning him a 75.3 passer rating. His completion percentage even went down to 57.8 in the playoffs, although he was at least 7-5 in these games.
Ken Stabler (1970-1984)
Bob Griese (1967-1980)
Can you believe that Bob Griese of the Dolphins has a spot in the Hall of Fame even though he threw fewer than 200 touchdowns and completed only 56.2 percent of his passes? We doubt that these stats will impress anyone now. However, he did cement his legacy by bringing home two Super Bowls and ending his career with a record of 92-56-3 as a starter. The truth was that his career passing yards only makes him the 75th best in history. He also has a lower passing rating than Jon Kitna. Due to an injury, Griese played only six games in the undefeated season enjoyed by the Dolphins in 1972.
Bob Griese (1967-1980)
Norm Van Brocklin (1949-1960)
In the ‘50s, Norm Van Brocklin was deemed an iconic QB with the arms to match, but he might just be a journeyman if he played in this day and age. The two-time NFL champ with the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams has earned a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame even though he had a short career. He threw for 173 touchdowns against 178 interceptions. His passing completion is also only 54 percent.
Norm Van Brocklin (1949-1960)
Archie Manning (1971-1984)
If we only based it on career production, we might not even have heard of Archie Manning. Somehow, he got inducted into the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame even though he did not lead the team to victory during the course of his tenure in the league. He finished his career with a 35-101-3 record, which might shock you. In all the games that he played in, this QB threw 173 interceptions against only 125 touchdowns. His passing completion rate is only 55.2 percent, which is far from impressive. Eli, his son, takes after him in the sense that his legacy has also been overinflated.
Archie Manning (1971-1984)
Jim Plunkett (1971-1986)
We have yet another Raiders quarterback on the list. We daresay that the legacy of Jim Plunkett has also been overstated. It is true that he has two Super Bowls to his name, as well as a marvelous 8-2 record as a starter in playoff games. He was mediocre outside of the postseason, however. As a starter, his 72-72 record and 52.5 completion percentage rate are both lower than expected. If you ask us, the worst part of his tenure is that he only threw 164 touchdowns against 198 interceptions.
Jim Plunkett (1971-1986)
Bobby Layne (1948-1962)
Passing was not yet the art form that it now is when Bobby Layne was playing in the NFL. The oldest player on our list is not excused for his poor stats because of this. He was on the vaunted ‘50s All-Decade Team and even got inducted into the Hall of Fame even though his completion percentage rate did not ever make it past the halfway mark. While his 63.4 passer rating is not the best, it makes sense once you learn that he threw almost fifty more interceptions than touchdowns. We have no idea what throwing style he is using in this trading card from 1954. Maybe we can blame it for his lack of accuracy.
Bobby Layne (1948-1962)
George Blanda (1949-1975)
This NFL Legend has also earned a spot on the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This three-time AFL champ used to hold the record for the number of career games back in the day. His twenty-six seasons in the league are still considered high even by our current standards. After spending such a long time in the big leagues, however, we find his career numbers rather average. This includes a poor completion percentage of only 47.7. He threw 277 interceptions against 236 touchdowns, which is dreadful enough to be the second highest in the history of the league. He joined four teams during his tenure. As you can see in this 1963 Fleer card, he used to play for the Houston Oilers.
George Blanda (1949-1975)
Joe Namath (1965-1977)
We really doubt that Joe Namath would have made it to the Hall of Fame if he did not play in New York and had such great charisma. If you ever check out his stats, we doubt that his legacy will blow your socks off anymore. As a starter, he has a career record of 62-63-4. He also threw 173 touchdowns but 220 interceptions. We are not exactly jumping for joy at the fact that he completed 50.1 percent of his passes. His completion percentage went down to 42.7 percent in the playoffs even though he led the Jets to its only Super Bowl thus far. In any case, his 65.5 career passer rating is worse than that of Trent Dilfer. That should be everything you need to know about his inclusion on this list of ours.
Joe Namath (1965-1977)
Carson Palmer (2003- 2017)
Some may argue that it’s a bit unfair to call Carson Palmer overrated because he’s going to garner serious consideration from the Hall of Fame. One thing is for sure, he does deserve major credit for being able to come back after numerous serious injuries. However, regardless of throwing for nearly 300 touchdowns and having over 100 more touchdowns than interceptions, Palmer only played in four playoff games. And, in of them, he only threw one pass before getting injured. So yes we all can admit that he is a little overrated.
Carson Palmer
Chad Pennington (2000-2010)
Next up we have another quarterback who was supposed to be the savior of New York (whilst with the Jets), Chad Pennington sadly never lived up to all the hype. Many times he arm strength was always questioned, and unfriendly he never became the superior quarterback many expected. His QB rating of 90.1 and completion percentage of 66% are incredible marks, however, and that’s what kept him from being ranked higher.
Chad Pennington
Peyton Hillis (2008-2014)
Poor Peyton Hillis. He will forever be listed among the league’s most overrated players, all because Cleveland’s fans loved him so much they voted him onto the cover of “Madden NFL 12.” Getting to be on the cover of that video game is one of the league’s highest honors and Hillis is unquestionably the worst player to ever get it (including Vince Young). For his career, Hillis averaged just 35.0 rushing yards per game and less than four rushing touchdowns per season. Even his two seasons with the Browns weren’t very good, when he ran for 14 touchdowns, fumbled 10 times and averaged less than 70 yards per game.
Peyton Hillis — (2008-2014)
Rich Gannon (1987 – 2004)
In theory, we could label Gannon as a late-bloomer, due to the fact that he ended up going to four straight Pro Bowls from 1999 to 2002 and winning league MVP in 2002. However he also only started his career in the NFL in 1987, so yes, it’s fair to label him as a little overrated. Mainly due to the fact that it took him a while to figure things out. In the first decade of his career, he was a below-average starter in Minnesota as well as a useful backup in Kansas City. Although many say Gannon deserves some respect for the success he had in his career. But compared to other MVPs, you can’t quite compare.
Rich Gannon (1987 – 2004)
Drew Bledsoe (1993 – 2006)
Drew Bledsoe’s legacy is forever tied to Tom Brady, as it was his injury that allowed Brady to take over as New England’s quarterback. As for Bledsoe, he will probably always be remembered in New England and a member of the team’s Hall of Fame after leading the Patriots to the playoffs several times. However, he still never won a Super Bowl as a starter and also didn’t do anything special after leaving New England. Bearing in mind that Bledsoe was once the top overall pick in the draft, it’s reasonable to call Bledsoe a little overrated. Don’t you agree?
Drew Bledsoe (1993 – 2006)
Daunte Culpepper (1999 – 2010)
There’s no denying that Daunte Culpepper had some awesome physical tools and truly could have been something special in the NFL. However, due to some injuries, this prevented him from truly succeeding in his career and ultimately making him one of the greatest football stars of all time. Culpepper only had about three stand-out seasons, including the 2004 season when he had over 5,000 total yards. After that season, sadly injuries affected his career. But even before that, Culpepper had seasons plagued by turnovers and conflicts, which is why he’s a little overrated.
Daunte Culpepper (1999 – 2010)
Jason Campbell (2005 – 2014)
Sadly for Jason Campbell, the performance was never really there. He is just one of those quarterbacks who was always expected to break out any season, but unfortunately it never ever happened. There were many occasions that he was on top of his game but had a career-low 75.8 QB rating in eight games. Just before he announced his retirement, Campbell says that he was approached by several teams but turned them down.
Jason Campbell (2005 – 2014)
Randall Cunningham (1985 – 2001)
We always give credit where credit is due so yes, Cunningham was a superb athlete and a bit of a pioneer as far as quarterbacks who were mobile and able to use their legs. Even though there were some remarkable highs, including that near-perfect season with the Vikings in 1998, there was still a lot of stopping and starting. After the 1990 season, Cunningham spent more than a decade in the NFL but was never the full-time starter two years in a row from that point onwards. Sadly consistency was not part of his vocabulary.
Randall Cunningham (1985 – 2001)
Kordell Stewart (1995 – 2005)
Kordell Stewart was very often called “Slash”, and even though he was a spectacular athlete, this quarterback had very limited success. In 1997, he committed four turnovers in the AFC Championship Game. The only other time he did anything special was when the Steelers went 13-3 in 2001, only to lose in the AFC Championship again. Over the next few years following this, Stewart would be benched in favor of quarterbacks like Kent Graham, Tommy Maddox, and Rex Grossman. Those names say everything you need to know about ‘Slash’ as a quarterback in the NFL.
Kordell Stewart (1995 – 2005)
Mark Sanchez (2009 – 2018)
Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, coming out of USC, has had enough time to prove he’s the next big thing. Despite that he was quite a decent quarterback for a run-heavy and defensive powerhouse in New York, he definitely has not been that impressive but rather quite overrated. After announcing his retirement at the end of 2018, he subsequently took up a position with ESPN’s college football coverage.
Mark Sanchez (2009 – 2018)
Jay Cutler (2006 – 2017)
Jay Cutler was actually meant to be the star for Denver. Sadly he was not, but did however prove himself as an interception machine. In his three years with Denver, the Broncos never finished better than 8-8. Throughout his 11 year career, Cutler really tried to prove himself but things didn’t go as planned. In May 2017, Cutler announced his retirement from professional football and was hired by Fox Sports to be a commentator.
Jay Cutler (2006 – 2017)
Jake Plummer (1997 – 2007)
Having the nickname “The Snake”, one would think that this would be someone who has made a great impression. But alas, Jake Plummer was actually nothing more than a mediocre QB. He didn’t throw more touchdowns than interceptions in a season until his fifth year in the league. Plummer never won that much in Arizona and couldn’t make it work with Mike Shanahan in Denver, despite that he was seemingly the perfect fit for Shanahan’s offense. Near the end of his career, Plummer lost his job to Jay Cutler, which is actually awkward considering the way Cutler’s career ended up.
Jake Plummer (1997 – 2007)
Kerry Collins (1995 – 2011)
In spite of the fact that Kerry Collins does deserve some credit for being Carolina’s first quarterback in their expansion season and sticking around the NFL for over a decade. The truth is that he never quite reached the elite status that many other amazing quarterbacks get to. Collins did however make two Pro Bowls, but they came more than a decade apart, which is quite inconsistent. Furthermore, he struggled to hang onto a starting job whenever he got one, which is probably why he played for six different teams. Not too many people know but Collins had an excellent football career in college however, it was very different for him in the NFL.
Tony Romo (2003- 2016)
We have to admit that for a few years, Tony Romo was definitely something special. For an undrafted player out of Eastern Illinois, his career was quite monumental. Many people argue that Romo was on the same level as Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Aaron Rodgers, however, that is simply not true! Unfortiuenly during his 13-year career, Romo was not so successful. At his request, he was released from the Cowboys and subsequently retired soon after.
Tony Romo (2003- 2016)
Warren Moon (1978 – 2000)
It’s evident that Warren Moss had a long career, to be exact 22 years. This means that he got to touch and pass the ball hundreds of times. But his 80.9 QB rating, 58.4 completion percentage, and the fact that his touchdown numbers only matched his passing attempts a few times in his career prove that Warren Moon was very much overrated. Furthermore, it was sad to see that his postseason performances were terrible. After being inducted into the Hall of Fame, Moon admitted that he wasn’t deserving of first-ballot recognition.
Warren Moon (1978 – 2000)
Jeff Hostetler (1984 – 1998)
Next up we have Jeff Hostetler who was often known as “Hoss”. The former NFL QB played for various teams including, New York Giants, Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders, and Washington Redskins. For some weird reason, people think of Hostetler as a long-time starter in the NFL, but the guy has less than 100 touchdown passes in his career. He retired after the 1998 season which he spent on injured reserve.
Jeff Hostetler (1984 – 1998)
Trent Green (1993 – 2008)
This may not be such a great thing to ask, but we know that this question is on many people’s minds. How on earth did Trent Green even stay in the NFL for a full decade? He spent five years in Kansas City after the Chiefs gave up a first-round pick to get him, but he only had two winning seasons in those five years. There were also many missed opportunities during many of his games. Calling Green an average quarterback seems like a compliment he doesn’t truly deserve.
Trent Green (1993 – 2008)
Michael Vick (2001 – 2015)
When Michael Vick started in the NFL, people expected him to be a remarkable player. It seemed as though he was going to completely change how the quarterback position was played. But unfortunately, this was never the case. No one can deny the fact that Vick really was different and exciting and of course had a few great years, including four Pro Bowl appearances. However, he is still very much overrated.
Michael Vick (2001 – 2015)
Brett Favre (1991 – 2010)
Even though Brett Favre did retire the owner of many all-time records for quarterbacks, there were still many times where he failed to prove his value as a football player. He just didn’t possess the skill that many other great quarterbacks had. Favre was quite arrogant, say the least which is what caused him to make stupid throws. Of course, he is worthy of a spot in the Hall of Fame, but if you think he’s on the same level as Manning, Montana, and Brady, you should think again!
Brett Favre (1991 – 2010)
Jim Everett (1986 – 1997)
Jim Everett had a majorly successful career while he was in high school, he even led his team to the State Championship game in 1979. Once he joined the NFL during the 80s, he definitely had some great, productive years, especially with the Rams. However, during his 11-year career that continued into the 90s, Everett was not always so triumphant. He had a 64-89 career record and a 78.6 QB rating. After his NFL retirement, Everett went on to study for an MBA degree and started an asset management business in southern California.
Jim Everett (1986 – 1997)