The NFL is a gridiron professional football organization and, despite origins dating back to the 1920s, didn’t officially become the NFL until the 1960s. At that time, it had 26 teams, but since then it has gradually expanded to consist of the 32 teams it comprises today. The organization’s league consists of two conferences, each made up of four divisions, and the winners of each conference go on to play for the championship in the main event of the NFL calendar, the Super Bowl. This season, the San Francisco 49ers are the favorites in the Super Bowl odds from the sportsbooks.
The physicality of the game and the skill it takes to craft and deploy strategies to beat opponents have helped the NFL and its teams win an army of fans inside America and outside. Star quarterbacks in the NFL have also captured the attention of many. Below is a look at the role of a quarterback and at some of the best quarterbacks to have ever stepped out onto the gridiron.
The role of the quarterback
The quarterback is the player that plays directly behind the center receiving the ball. Except for kicking plays, the quarterback touches the ball on every play. Their main responsibility is to direct the team towards the end zone and score as many points as possible. When a quarterback walks out onto the football field, they carry a lot of responsibility on their shoulders.
Although the quarterback will call the plays in the huddle, the coach who decides the offensive plays the team will employ. That said, if a play looks like it’s going to fail, the quarterback must be prepared to change the play in the line of scrimmage. Depending on the play called, the quarterback will do one of three things when they have the ball:
- Pass the ball to a running back
- Run with the ball (which is more common in college football, but less so in the NFL)
- Take some steps back to set up and attempt a pass.
The best quarterbacks in NFL history
The NFL has seen some marvelous quarterbacks, past and present, serve on its gridirons. Here are some of the best to have ever picked up a football:
Tom Brady
Before retiring after just three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tom Brady served the New England Patriots for 20 seasons. During his glittering career, won the Super Bowl seven times in his 10 appearances at football’s biggest one-day event. He’s also the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards (89,214) and touchdown passes (649). As well as all his wins at the Super Bowl, Brady has amassed 251 wins in general, making him the top-ranking player of all time in the wins category.
Joe Montana
Joe Montana, who served the San Francisco 49ers and then the Kansas City Chiefs long dominated the “best ever quarterback” conversation for a long, long time. He may not have had the strongest arm, but his throwing was incredibly accurate and a catch by the receiver was pretty much a cert. He was also incredibly mobile.
Montana’s style of play triggered a new era of offense in the NFL and produced an army of imitators. Even today, some of the underlying principles of his playing style are still present in the games of many. In addition to all this, pressure seemed like an almost concept to Montana, who could deliver passes of outstanding quality in even the toughest of games.
Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning, who served the Indianapolis Colts and then the Denver Broncos, wasn’t just a tremendous quarterback: he was an innovative one. When Manning started calling his own plays, the days of quarterbacks doing this had long gone, but he brought them back with his own little twist. Matching calls at the defensive line became a battle of wits for opponents as Manning would often identify the defensive formation, the best player to counter what he observed and then make dummy calls before switching up play completely or shifting it to the other side just a few seconds before snapping the ball.
Dan Marino
Dan Marino was one of those players who achieved the wow factor despite only making it to the Super Bowl once and even then being on the wrong end of the winning score. The famous ex Miami Dolphin was strong, quick and became the first quarterback to break the 5,000 passing yards barrier. Unfortunately, Marino suffered an Achilles heel injury in 1993 and wasn’t quite the player he was before the injury, but he did remain one of the top quarterbacks of his time and, indeed, of all time.
The quarterback position is possibly the most highly pressurized position on the field, but the NFL has witnessed some real maestros adopt it. Other amazing quarterbacks the game has seen include Johnny Unitas, Roger Staubach, John Elway and Aaron Rodgers.
