Back in the ’50s and ’60s, there was no quarterback with the passing skills to match Christian Jurgensen. The distinguished NFL player played between 1957 to 1963 with the Philadelphia Eagles and switched to the Washington Redskins from 1964 to 1974. He helped his teams win five Pro Bowl championships but was mostly known for his mad passing skills.
With over 32,000 passing yards to his name and a passer rating of 82.6, it’s no wonder that Jurgensen was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame way back in 1983. His most impressive play to date was a 99-yard touchdown pass, which currently stands as the world’s best. Jurgensen became a color commentator with CBS after retiring from the game in 1974.
Jim Kelly
Jim Kelly was one of the most impressive NFL quarterbacks of the '80s, playing a relatively short career that began in 1984 with the Houston Gamblers and lasted until 1996 when he retired from the Buffalo Bills. In 2002, the accomplished five-time Pro Bowl champion was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame and got his jersey (number 12) was retired by the team in 2018.
What made Jim Kelly so impressive during his prime years was his excellent average yards per season stat, which stood at a whopping 3,200 yards. He made it into the Super Bowl four times, although his team lost all four of these games. Kelly racked up over 35,000 passing yards throughout his career. He is a multiple-time cancer survivor, an avid philanthropist, and a successful businessman.
Warren Moon
Warren Moon was one of the longest-performing quarterbacks in football history, sharing his time between the American and Canadian Football Leagues with a career that spanned over 23 seasons and five different teams. The longtime player was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006, becoming the first African-American quarterback to ever receive the honor.
Moon rose to prominence during his time with the Houston Oilers, where he helped his team win the Pro Bowl year after year. He then went on to play with the Minnesota Vikings and helped them win the Pro Bowl in 1994. The distinguished QB remains one of the Oiler's most successful players and holds various records, including Most Completions, Most Pass Attempts, Most Passing Yards, Most Passing Touchdowns, and many more.
Donovan McNabb
Donovan McNabb is known as the fourth quarterback in NFL history to accumulate over 30,000 passing yards, 200 touchdown passes, 3,000 rushing yards, and 20 rushing touchdowns in his career. This puts him at one of the most luxurious spots an NFL quarterback could ever desire, even if you disregard his excellent track record of wins.
McNabb led the Philadelphia Eagles to win six Pro Bowl championships from 2000 to 2004 and then again five years later in his last year with the team. He has amassed 3,469 rushing yards throughout his career, which puts him in 8th place in the category. McNabb officially retired from the sport in mid-2013 and became a leading NFL analyst from 2012 to 2017.
Roger Staubach
Roger Staubach had many nicknames throughout his distinguished career in the NFL as the Dallas Cowboys quarterback between 1969 and 1979. He began his NFL career rather late, after serving as a Lieutenant in the Navy Supply Corps during the Vietnam War. This led him to receive the nickname of Captain American, which also came from him sharing the same first name as Marvel's all-American superhero.
Staubach is Super Bowl champion, earning the Cowboys two wins in both 1971 and 1977. He also led them to win six Pro Bowls and was the NFL's Man of the Year in 1978. The Cowboys quarterback was also known as 'Roger the Dodger' and 'Captain Comeback,' nicknames which he earned through having one of the best NFL records of the time. Staubach was inducted into both the College Football and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.