Top 10 Underrated Quarterbacks of the 20^th Century

Chapter 1: Methodology — How This List Was Built

I. Introduction

Every great list begins with a question. In this case: What makes a quarterback truly underrated? Not forgotten, not obscure — but underappreciated relative to their impact. In an era where highlight reels and Hall of Fame speeches dominate the narrative, this project aims to shine a light on those who quietly shaped the game, led their teams, and left behind legacies that deserve more than a footnote.

This post serves as the foundation for the Top 10 Underrated Quarterbacks of the 20th Century. It’s not just a ranking — it’s a curated tribute to players who embodied toughness, leadership, and consistency, often without the fanfare. These are quarterbacks who played through pain, carried struggling franchises, or posted elite numbers in eras that didn’t reward them with national attention.

The goal is not to rewrite history, but to revisit it with fresh eyes. By examining careers through a lens of context, contribution, and overlooked excellence, this list invites readers to reconsider what greatness looks like. It’s not always found in Canton, or on Sunday Night Football. Sometimes, it’s tucked into the archives of a team’s Ring of Honor, or etched into the memories of fans who saw these men play when no one else was watching.

This e-book is for those fans — and for anyone who believes that legacy is about more than headlines. It’s about impact. And this first chapter will walk you through how that impact was measured, ranked, and ultimately celebrated.

II. Defining “Underrated”

Before diving into the rankings, it’s essential to define what “underrated” actually means in the context of this list. It’s a term that gets thrown around often in sports commentary — sometimes to describe a player who’s simply not famous, or one who had a few good seasons without much fanfare. But for this project, “underrated” is not synonymous with “unknown.” It’s not about obscurity. It’s about discrepancy — the gap between a quarterback’s actual impact and the recognition they received.

An underrated quarterback is someone whose contributions were significant, even foundational, yet whose legacy has been diminished, overlooked, or under-celebrated. These are players who may not be enshrined in Canton, may not be featured in highlight montages, and may not be household names to the average fan — but who, in their time, shaped games, carried teams, and left behind a legacy that deserves more attention than it’s received.

What Makes a Quarterback Underrated?

Several factors contribute to a quarterback being underrated. These aren’t always about performance alone — they’re often about context, timing, and perception.

1. Market Size and Media Exposure Quarterbacks who played in smaller markets or for less successful franchises often received less national attention, regardless of how well they performed. A great season in Buffalo or St. Louis didn’t carry the same media weight as a decent season in Dallas or San Francisco.

2. Era and Offensive Systems Some quarterbacks played in eras where passing numbers were suppressed by scheme, rules, or coaching philosophy. A 3,000-yard season in 1976 meant something very different than it does today. Players who thrived in run-heavy or conservative systems often had their statistical output limited — but not their value to the team.

3. Lack of Postseason Success Fair or not, quarterbacks are often judged by playoff wins and Super Bowl rings. Many of the players on this list had limited postseason exposure, or ran into dynasties like the Steelers, Cowboys, or 49ers. Their lack of playoff success often overshadowed their regular-season excellence.

4. Overshadowed by Contemporaries Some quarterbacks had the misfortune of playing in the same era as all-time greats. It’s easy to be overlooked when you’re sharing the stage with legends like Terry Bradshaw, Roger Staubach, or Dan Marino. But that doesn’t mean these players weren’t elite in their own right.

5. Narrative and Timing Legacy is shaped by more than numbers — it’s shaped by stories. A quarterback who never had a signature moment, or who retired just before the media boom of the 1990s, might fade from memory despite a stellar career. Others may have been miscast early on and never escaped the shadow of early criticism.

Not Just “Good but Forgotten”

This list isn’t about nostalgia for its own sake. It’s not a tribute to “guys you might remember.” It’s a reevaluation. Each quarterback included here was selected because the historical record — whether in stats, leadership, or influence — suggests they were better than they were ever credited for being. Some were MVPs. Some were iron men. Some were innovators. All were undervalued.

In short, “underrated” in this context means under-recognized relative to actual impact. It’s about quarterbacks who deserved more — more praise, more attention, more legacy — than they received. And this list is one small attempt to give it to them.

III. Selection Criteria

Creating a list of underrated quarterbacks isn’t just about gut instinct or nostalgia — it requires a structured approach. While subjectivity is inevitable in any ranking, this list was built on a foundation of clear, consistent criteria designed to highlight impact over hype. The goal was to identify quarterbacks whose careers, when viewed in full context, reveal a level of excellence that far exceeded the recognition they received.

Below are the five primary criteria used to evaluate and rank each candidate.

A. Career Longevity and Consistency

A quarterback’s ability to sustain performance over time is one of the clearest indicators of value. For this list, longevity wasn’t just about years played — it was about meaningful contribution across those years. Most candidates played at least 8–10 seasons, with many serving as long-term starters for their franchises.

Consistency mattered just as much. Players who had one or two standout seasons but faded quickly were less likely to be included. Instead, the focus was on quarterbacks who delivered year after year, often in difficult circumstances. Durability, leadership, and the ability to remain relevant across coaching changes and roster turnover were key factors.

B. Statistical Production (Adjusted for Era)

Raw numbers can be misleading, especially when comparing quarterbacks across decades. A 3,000-yard season in 1975 was a major achievement; in 1995, it was expected. That’s why this list considers statistics in context — adjusting for era, offensive philosophy, and rule changes.

Metrics like passer rating, completion percentage, touchdown-to-interception ratio, and total yardage were all evaluated with an understanding of the environment in which they were produced. Players who excelled in run-heavy systems or during defensive-dominated eras were given credit for outperforming their surroundings.

Importantly, statistical production was never the sole determinant. It served as a supporting pillar — a way to validate impact, not define it.

C. Impact on Team Success

Quarterbacks are often judged by wins, but this list goes deeper. It considers how a player influenced the trajectory of their team — whether by leading a turnaround, stabilizing a franchise, or guiding a roster through turbulent years.

Playoff appearances, division titles, and win-loss records were all considered, but so were intangibles: Did the quarterback elevate the talent around him? Did he lead with poise during losing seasons? Did his presence give fans and teammates hope?

Some players on this list never reached a Super Bowl, but they helped transform their teams from irrelevant to competitive. That kind of impact matters — and it’s often overlooked.

D. Recognition vs. Merit

This is the heart of the “underrated” designation. Every quarterback was evaluated not just on what they did, but on how they were remembered. The gap between merit and recognition was a key factor in ranking.

Players who earned MVPs or Pro Bowl nods but were quickly forgotten, or who posted elite numbers without receiving accolades, were prime candidates. Conversely, quarterbacks who were widely celebrated during their careers — even if they didn’t make the Hall of Fame — were less likely to be included unless their recognition fell short of their actual contributions.

Hall of Fame status was a major consideration. Several players on this list have resumes that rival inductees, yet remain on the outside looking in. That discrepancy is part of what makes them underrated.

E. Legacy and Influence

Finally, the list considers legacy — not just in terms of stats or wins, but in influence. Did the quarterback help shape offensive strategy? Did he mentor future stars? Is he remembered fondly by fans, teammates, and coaches?

Legacy includes cultural impact, franchise identity, and the way a player’s name echoes through time. Some quarterbacks left behind systems that others built upon. Others became symbols of toughness, leadership, or quiet excellence.

This criterion is the most subjective, but it’s also the most human. Football is more than numbers — it’s memory, meaning, and myth. The quarterbacks on this list contributed to all three.

Together, these five criteria formed the backbone of the selection process. They allowed for a balanced evaluation — one that honored both the tangible and intangible, the measurable and the memorable. The result is a list that doesn’t just rank quarterbacks, but reclaims their place in the story of the game.

IV. Research Process

Behind every ranking is a trail of research — and for this list, that trail winds through stat sheets, game footage, team histories, and fan memories. The goal wasn’t just to assemble numbers, but to uncover stories. To find quarterbacks whose careers, when viewed in full, reveal a depth of impact that’s often missed in surface-level analysis.

This section outlines how the research was conducted, what sources were consulted, and how decisions were made when the data alone didn’t tell the full story.

A. Primary Sources and Data Sets

The backbone of the research came from trusted football archives and statistical databases. These included:

• Pro Football Reference: For comprehensive career stats, game logs, awards, and team records.
• NFL.com and team websites: For official bios, franchise histories, and Ring of Honor inductees.
• Historical game footage and documentaries: To observe playing style, leadership traits, and in-game decision-making.
• Newspaper archives and sports journalism: To understand how players were perceived during their careers — not just in hindsight.
• Fan forums and legacy blogs: For anecdotal insights, regional loyalty, and grassroots evaluations that often escape mainstream coverage.

These sources provided both the quantitative and qualitative foundation for each entry. Stats were cross-referenced across platforms to ensure accuracy, and historical context was layered in to interpret those numbers meaningfully.

B. Balancing Stats with Storytelling

One of the challenges in building this list was resisting the temptation to rank purely by numbers. Football is a game of context — and quarterbacks are often shaped by the systems around them. A player with modest stats in a run-heavy offense may have had more impact than a stat-heavy passer in a pass-first scheme.

That’s why storytelling played a central role. Each quarterback was evaluated not just on what they did, but on how they did it — and what it meant to their team, their fans, and the league. Leadership, toughness, adaptability, and clutch performance were all considered, even when they didn’t show up in the box score.

In some cases, a single playoff run or a signature comeback win carried more weight than a season of padded stats. In others, a decade of quiet consistency earned more respect than a few explosive years. The goal was to honor the full arc of a career — not just its peaks.

C. Exclusions and Tough Calls

Every list has omissions, and this one is no exception. Some quarterbacks were considered but ultimately excluded for specific reasons:

• Too well-known: Players like Warren Moon or Boomer Esiason, while occasionally underrated in Hall of Fame debates, were still widely celebrated during their careers.
• Too short-lived: Talented passers like Greg Cook or Don Majkowski showed flashes of brilliance but lacked the longevity to be fairly compared.
• Too recent: The focus was on the 20th century — quarterbacks whose careers were largely complete before the media and analytics boom of the 2000s.

In borderline cases, the deciding factor was legacy gap: how far the player’s actual impact exceeded their recognition. If that gap was narrow, they were left off. If it was wide — and sustained — they made the cut.

D. Final Review and Ranking

Once the pool of candidates was finalized, each quarterback was scored across the five criteria outlined earlier: longevity, stats, team impact, recognition gap, and legacy. These scores weren’t rigidly numerical, but they provided a framework for comparison.

V. Ranking Logic

Once the pool of underrated quarterbacks was finalized, the next challenge was determining their order. Ranking players across eras, systems, and circumstances is never an exact science — but this list was built with a clear framework in mind. The goal wasn’t just to celebrate individual careers, but to highlight the degree to which each quarterback’s legacy has been undervalued.

The final rankings reflect a balance of five key dimensions: career longevity, statistical production (adjusted for era), impact on team success, recognition gap, and legacy influence. Each quarterback was evaluated across these dimensions, and their placement reflects how wide the gap was between their actual contributions and the recognition they received.

A. Tier-Based Evaluation

Rather than relying on a strict numerical score, quarterbacks were grouped into tiers based on how consistently they met the selection criteria. These tiers helped clarify the difference between a player who was “somewhat underrated” and one who was “historically overlooked.”

• Tier 1: Legacy Discrepancy Leaders These quarterbacks had elite production, long careers, and major influence — yet remain outside the Hall of Fame or under-discussed in historical rankings. Example: Ken Anderson (#1)
• Tier 2: MVPs and Franchise Pillars Players who won major awards or led their teams to sustained success, but whose names rarely surface in all-time conversations. Examples: John Hadl (#2), Jim Hart (#3)
• Tier 3: Durable Stars and Playoff Warriors Quarterbacks who consistently produced, led playoff teams, and played through adversity — but were overshadowed by flashier contemporaries. Examples: Steve Bartkowski (#4), Craig Morton (#5), Roman Gabriel (#6)
• Tier 4: Grit and Longevity Specialists Players who may not have had MVP seasons but delivered year after year, often in tough environments or with limited support. Examples: Bert Jones (#7), Dan Pastorini (#8), Joe Ferguson (#9)
• Tier 5: Underrated Icons with Unique Legacies Quarterbacks whose careers were marked by toughness, leadership, or cultural impact — even if their stats or accolades were modest. Example: Joe Ferguson (#9), Dan Pastorini (#8)

This tiered approach allowed for flexibility in ranking while maintaining consistency in evaluation. It also ensured that the list wasn’t skewed by one-dimensional metrics like total yardage or win-loss records.

B. Why Ken Anderson Is #1

Ken Anderson’s placement at the top of the list was deliberate and well-earned. His career checks every box:

• Elite production: Four-time passer rating leader, MVP, and Offensive Player of the Year.
• Longevity: 16 seasons with one franchise.
• Innovation: Helped pioneer the West Coast Offense.
• Recognition gap: Despite his résumé, he remains outside the Hall of Fame.
• Legacy: Revered by coaches and analysts, yet underrepresented in mainstream discussions.

Anderson’s career is the clearest example of a quarterback whose impact far exceeded his recognition — making him the ideal anchor for this list.

C. Subjectivity and Transparency

No ranking is perfect, and this one is no exception. There’s room for debate, and that’s part of the point. The list is meant to spark conversation, invite reevaluation, and offer a fresh lens on football history.

What matters most is that each quarterback was considered holistically — not just by stats or reputation, but by the full arc of their career. The ranking logic was designed to honor that complexity and to give each player the respect their legacy deserves.

VI. Why This List Matters

In a sport obsessed with greatness, it’s easy to overlook the good — especially when it’s quiet, consistent, or inconvenient to the prevailing narrative. That’s why this list matters. It’s not just a ranking of quarterbacks who didn’t get their due; it’s a challenge to how we define legacy in professional football.

For decades, the conversation around quarterbacks has been dominated by a handful of names — the Hall of Famers, the Super Bowl winners, the media darlings. Their stories are well-told, their highlights well-worn. But beneath that surface lies a deeper layer of the game: the players who carried franchises, endured losing seasons, mentored teammates, and delivered excellence without applause.

This list is a tribute to those players. It’s a reminder that greatness isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s found in the quarterback who started 150 games without fanfare, or the one who threw for 30,000 yards in a run-first offense, or the one who led a team to relevance in a city the league barely noticed.

It also matters because football history is fragile. As generations pass, names fade. Stats lose context. And the players who didn’t make headlines risk being forgotten entirely. By documenting and celebrating these quarterbacks now, this project helps preserve a richer, more complete picture of the game’s evolution.

Beyond that, this list invites fans to think differently. To question the metrics we use. To value leadership, toughness, and influence as much as rings and ratings. It’s an invitation to revisit the archives, rewatch the games, and rediscover the players who shaped football in ways that still echo today.

In short, this list matters because legacy matters. And legacy isn’t just about who made the Hall of Fame — it’s about who made a difference.

VII. Closing Thoughts

Every list tells a story — not just about the players it includes, but about the values behind it. This one is built on respect: for the quarterbacks who showed up every Sunday, who led with grit instead of glamour, and who left behind legacies that deserve to be remembered.

The methodology laid out in this chapter isn’t just a set of rules — it’s a lens. A way of seeing football history that goes beyond trophies and headlines. It’s about context, contribution, and character. It’s about honoring the quarterbacks who didn’t always get the spotlight, but who earned it every time they stepped on the field.

As you move through the chapters ahead, you’ll meet ten men who defined what it means to be underrated. Some were statistical marvels. Others were iron men. All were leaders. And each one, in his own way, helped shape the game we love.

This list is not the final word — it’s an invitation. To debate, to discover, and to dig deeper into the stories that often go untold. Because in football, as in life, greatness isn’t always loud. Sometimes, it’s just consistent. Quiet. Resilient. And waiting to be recognized.

Let’s begin.