Peyton Manning
Johnny Unitas
Stat by stat
Bars are scaled to the leader in this list.
The verdict
Peyton Manning leads 3 of 3 categories. Our all-time ranking places Peyton Manning at #6 and Johnny Unitas at #9.
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The case for Peyton Manning
Manning was the most cerebral quarterback of his era, a pre-snap tactician who ran his offense like a coordinator on the field, shifting protections and audibling into the perfect play. He won a record five MVP awards and set single-season records with 55 touchdown passes and 5,477 passing yards in 2013. He retired second all-time with 71,940 passing yards and 539 touchdowns, and won two Super Bowls with two different franchises, the Colts and the Broncos, the second after a neck surgery that nearly ended his career. Manning influence on how quarterbacks prepare and control the line of scrimmage reshaped the position, and his rivalry with Brady defined the 2000s. His only knock, an uneven postseason record, does little to dim a monumental résumé.
The case for Johnny Unitas
The prototype of the modern drop-back quarterback, Unitas rose from a semi-pro sandlot to become the face of the NFL as it conquered television. His masterful two-minute drive to force overtime in the 1958 Championship, the Greatest Game Ever Played, helped make pro football a national obsession. He threw a touchdown pass in 47 consecutive games, a record that stood from 1960 until 2012, and won three MVP awards. Unitas retired with 40,239 passing yards and 290 touchdowns, enormous totals for a run-heavy era, and led the Colts to three championships, including a win in Super Bowl V. His gunslinger command, audibling at the line and taking downfield shots, defined quarterback play for a generation that followed.