My picks for the top 15 quarterbacks who either have never won a Super Bowl or have never made it that far:
15. Jim Everett (Rams, Saints, Chargers)
Everett played most his career with the L.A. Rams, so he didn’t have many opportunities to advance his team far into the playoffs. He was a fairly prolific passer, passing for 203 touchdowns, along with 34,837 passing yards in his career. Everett was a fine leader and performer in the early going with the Rams, as he led his team to the playoffs in 1986, 1988, and 1989.
14. Dave Krieg (Seahawks, Chiefs, Lions, Cardinals, Bears, Oilers)
Krieg played most of his career (19 NFL seasons) with the Seattle Seahawks. Dave took over as the starter in 1984, leading the Seahawks to their first playoff victory in team history. He would never find that type of success again, but Krieg went down as one of the top quarterbacks in franchise history, and went on to help the Chiefs reach the playoffs, before playing for four more teams.
13. John Hadl (Chargers, Rams, Packers, Oilers)
Hadl played 16 seasons, half in the NFL and half in the AFL, where he won an AFL title. In his NFL career, Hadl never won a Super Bowl. Hadl compiled 244 touchdowns and 33,503 passing yards in his long career, one which saw him play in every single game. Hadl made two Pro Bowl’s, was selected as an All-Pro four times, and earned four AFL All-Star selections.
12. Donovan McNabb (Eagles)
McNabb has been named to five Pro Bowl’s, and was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Year in 2004. McNabb has passed for over 32,000 yards in just 11 seasons, while tossing 216 career touchdowns to just 100 interceptions. McNabb stands atop all other passers with the least amount of interceptions per pass attempt in NFL History.
McNabb has guided the Eagles to five NFC Championship games, four NFC East division titles, and claims a piece of history for his part in the historic “4th-and-26″ play against the Green Bay Packers in the 2003 playoff games, a play that helped send the Eagles to the NFC Championship game.
11. Randall Cunningham (Eagles, Vikings, Cowboys, Ravens)
Cunningham finished his 17-year career with 207 touchdowns, just 134 interceptions, and 29, 979 passing yards. He was also selected to four Pro Bowl’s and was even named the 1988 Pro Bowl MVP.
Cunningham was also a great leader, as he guided the Eagles to their first playoff victory in 12 years in 1991.
10. George Blanda (Bears 2x, Colts, Oilers, Raiders)
Blanda played an incredible 26 seasons in the NFL, the most all-time, and still stands as the oldest player to ever play the game at age 48. He also held the career record for most interception thrown, until Brett Favre broke it in 2007. Unfortunately for Blanda, his great success in the AFL did not carry over to his NFL career, where he failed to ever reach a Super Bowl.
Blanda still holds some impressive records:
9. Drew Brees (Chargers, Saints)
Brees maybe a short timer on this list, since he is playing in his first Super Bowl. In 2008, Brees came just 15 yards shy of tying Dan Marino’s 20+ year old record of 5,084 passing yards in a single-season.
On top of that, Brees has been one of the more elite (and consistent) quarterbacks in today’s game, as he’s passed for 3,000+ yards in six straight seasons, including four consecutive 4,300+ yard season with the New Orleans Saints.
8. Sonny Jurgenson (Eagles, Redskins)
Jurgenson earned five Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections during his career, while making the NFL’s 1960’s All Decade Team, along with being names one of the 70 Greatest Redskins.
With 255 passing touchdowns and 32, 224 passing yards to his name, Jurgenson had plenty of individual accomplishments to promote him as one of the best quarterbacks fof all-time. Vince Lombari was once quoted as saying” He may be the best the league has ever seen. He is the best I have seen”.
7. Boomer Esiason (Bengals, Jets, Cardinals)
With 37, 920 passing yards and 247 touchdowns in a 14-year career, it’s easy to place Esiasonamong the league’s best at his position. Add in a Super Bowl appearance with the Cincinnati Bengals in the 80’s, and Esiason has the leadership, playoff results, and stats to keep him in the discussion of the game’s greats.
6. Ken Anderson (Bengals)
Ken Anderson spent his entire 16-year career in Cincinnati, and was the starter for almost the entire time, until he was eventually replaced by the man right below him in these rankings, BoomerEsiason.
Anderson was name dto four Pro Bowl’s, won the 1981 NFL MVP, and finished his career with 197 touchdowns, along with 32, 838 passing yards. He was also a great runner, as he compiled over 2,200 yards rushing and 20 touchdowns in his career, ending with a career average of 5.6 yards per carry.
Anderson’s record for pass completions in a game (20) stood for over 20 years, until Donovan McNabb broke it with 24 in 2004.
5. Dan Fouts (Chargers)
Fouts finished his 15-year San Diego career with 254 touchdowns, as well as an impressive 43,040 passing yards. During his career with the Chargers, Fouts had many impressive individual games, as he became (and still is) the only quarterback in history to twice be a member of a game where two quarterbacks threw for more than 400 passing yards. Fouts was a six-time Pro Bowler, and was elected to the 1980’s All Decade Team, and was also named the AFC Offensive Player of the Year in 1982.
4. Jim Kelly (Bills)
Jim Kelly's career included two seasons in the USFL and eleven in the NFL, where he complied career numbers of 35,467 passing yards and 237 touchdowns.
Kelly managed to top 20+ passing touchdowns in seven of his 11 seasons, while also topping 3,000+ yards eight times over that span. He led the Bills to four straight Super Bowl appearances from 1990-1993, and constantly had the Bills in the playoffs.
3. Fran Tarkenton (Vikings, Giants)
Tarkenton was the best “numbers” quarterback of his time, as he owned nearly all the major NFL passing records when he retired in 1978.
While a great passer, Tarkenton was also known from his uncanny scrambling ability, where he could keep plays alive “for days”, earning nicknames such as “The Mad Scramber” and “Frantic Fran”.
Tarkenton finished his career with 342 passing touchdowns, while passing for 47,003 yards, while splitting his time in Minnesota with a six-year hiatus with the New York Giants, until he was traded back to the Vikings in 1972.
"The Mad Scrambler” was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986.
2. Warren Moon (Oilers, Vikings, Seahawks, Chiefs)
Moon was one of the most prolific and effective passers of his era, and had he not played several seasons in the CFL, he could have had even better numbers, and could even still be holding several passing records.
Still, Moon finished his career with 291 passing touchdowns and 49,325 yards, while doing so after starting in the NFL at the age of 27.
Moon never reached a Super Bowl, but did lead the Houston Oilers to six post-season trips, and led the Minnesota Vikings to the playoffs in his first season with the team in 1994 after leaving the Oilers.
Moon, at the ages of 37 and 38, put up back-to-back 4,200+ yard passing seasons in Minnesota
1. Dan Marino (Dolphins)
Marino lead the Miami Dolphins to his lone Super Bowl appearance in his second season, as Marino established NFL records of 48 touchdowns in a single-season (unbroken for 20+ years), and 5,084 yards passing (still unbroken).
While Marino would never again see the limelight of the Super Bowl, he repeatedly had the Dolphins in the playoffs, and always put a good (if not great) offensive product on the field.
He was the most prolific quarterback of all-time when he retired in 1999 at the age of 38, as he passed for over 61,000 career yards, and 420 touchdowns.
Of all the quarterbacks to never win a Super Bowl, Marino is very arguably the greatest of all-time.
Without further haste, here are the top 10 most jaw-dropping, heroic, and/or simply impressive performances by quarterbacks in Super Bowl history:
10. Joe Namath- New York Jets (Super Bowl III)
Namath didn’t have great numbers, as he threw for just 206 yards and no touchdowns, but he didn’t throw any interceptions, and guided his offense to 16 points in a 16-7 over the heavily favored Baltimore Colts.
The most impressive aspect of this game, and why Namath makes this list, is that he guaranteed a Jets win.
9. Donovan McNabb- Philadelphia Eagles (Super Bowl XXXIX)
McNabb will likely be remembered for throwing up (allegedly) and struggling to lead his team in the 4th quarter against the eventual champion New England Patriots, but his gritty play through the first three quarters showed that he was up to the task (regardless of what critics claim).
McNabb did throw three picks in this game, but he put together a heck of a statistical effort in a losing cause, throwing for 357 yards and three touchdowns, while only falling to the Patriots by three points, 24-21.
The most impressive aspect about McNabb’s performance was how awful his rushing attack was (45 total yards), forcing him to carry the team on his shoulders for nearly the entire game.
8. Tom Brady- New England Patriots (Super Bowl XXXVIII)
Brady had one of the more prolific Super Bowl games in recent memory, as he out-dueled Carolina’s Jake Delhomme en route to a 32-29 New England win.
Brady completed a Super Bowl record 32 passes, along with three touchdowns (one pick), and 354 yards. Brady also came through in the clutch as usual, leading the Patriots down the field for a game-winning field goal with just seconds remaining.
7. Terry Bradshaw- Pittsburgh Steelers (Super Bowl XIII)
Bradshaw led the Steelers to an exciting 35-31 win over the Dallas Cowboys, throwing for 318 yards and four touchdowns (at the time a Super Bowl record).
This was the first time at that point in Bradshaw’s career that he topped 300 yards passing in a game, adding to the huge day that the future Hall of Famer had.
6. Troy Aikman- Dallas Cowboys (Super Bowl XXVII)
Aikman had by far his best game as a Cowboy in a dominant offensive performance against the Buffalo Bills, as he threw for 273 yards, four scores, and zero interceptions in a 52-17 landslide victory.
Aikman completed 73 percent of his passes in a near-flawless effort that saw his Cowboys scoring touchdowns early, and often.
5. Doug Williams- Washington Redskins (Super Bowl XXII)
Williams led the Redskins to their famous Super Bowl win over the Denver Broncos, which is best known for their 35-point out-burst in the second quarter that led to a dominant 42-10 win.
In easily his best game as a pro Williams shined in the biggest stage, throwing for 340 yards and four touchdowns. Williams led Washington out of a 10-0 hole, helping the Redskins score on five consecutive drive to end the first half, catapulting Washington to a huge win.
4. Kurt Warner- St. Louis Rams (Super Bowl XXXIV)
Warner earned his only Super Bowl win with an outstanding effort in a nail-biting 23-16 win over the Tennessee Titans, as he passed for a Super Bowl record 414 yards.
He added two touchdowns with zero interceptions to cap a magical season, as the Rams claimed their first Super Bowl title in franchise history, and helped Warner go from grocery store employee to NFL phenomenon.
3. Joe Montana- San Francisco 49ers (Super Bowl XXIV)
Montana has several worthy efforts, and could have made this list two more times, but his best effort is the one that gets him in third place.
His five touchdowns and zero picks in a 55-10 win over the Denver Broncos is arguably good enough for first place on this list.
The most impressive stat is how Montana completed 76 percent of his passes and torched a Denver defense that finished the regular season with the top scoring defense in the league.
2. Phil Simms- New York Giants (Super Bowl XXI)
Simms never had the stats or iconic status as a Joe Montana, Dan Marino, or Steve Young, but he probably should have.
He put together one of the best performances we have ever seen in any game, but did so on the league’s biggest stage, as he completed 88 percent of his passes (Super Bowl record), as he threw three touchdowns and no picks en route to a 39-20 thrashing of the Denver Broncos.
Simms completed 10 straight passes at one point in the game, and had head coach Bill Parcells saying, “That might be the best game a quarterback has ever played”.
Close, Bill. So very close.
1. Steve Young- San Francisco 49ers (Super Bowl XXIX)
Joe Montana gets the credit for winning four Super Bowls and three Super Bowl MVP’s. Joe Namathwill always be remembered for his guarantee. And Phil Simms may never be matched for his great, efficient game against the Buffalo Bills.
But there has never been a more flawless, dominant performance by a passer than Steve Young’s offensive onslaught against the San Diego Chargers in 1995.
Young threw six touchdowns and zero interceptions, along with 325 yards in a impressive, and convincing 49-26 victory.
His six scores are the most in Super Bowl history, and he gets the nod for also capping an unbelievable season for the 49ers, the very year San Francisco parted ways with their legend, Joe Montana.
Honorable Mentions: John Elway (several), Joe Montana (several), Brett Favre, Bart Starr, Len Dawson, Jake Delhomme, Ken Anderson, Jim Plunkett, Roger Staubach
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