Top 10 Best NFL Quarterbacks of the 1970s

The Top Ten

  1. Terry Bradshaw

    Terry Bradshaw was a quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1970 to 1983. He led the team to four Super Bowl victories during the 1970s and was named Super Bowl MVP in both Super Bowl XIII and Super Bowl XIV. Bradshaw was selected first overall in the 1970 NFL Draft after playing college football at Louisiana Tech.

  2. Fran Tarkenton

    Fran Tarkenton played most of his NFL career with the Minnesota Vikings and also spent several seasons with the New York Giants. Known for his mobility, he frequently extended plays by scrambling outside the pocket. Tarkenton retired after the 1978 season holding NFL records for passing yards and touchdown passes.

  3. Roger Staubach

    Roger Staubach played quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969 to 1979. He won the Heisman Trophy at the United States Naval Academy in 1963 before serving in the U.S. Navy. Staubach led the Cowboys to victories in Super Bowl VI and Super Bowl XII during his NFL career.

    Roger is what the Cowboys, the NFL, and he himself are: all-American. His awards and honors through the years are numerous. Pick your year. I pick 1971 because at 4-3 and with the team struggling, head coach Tom Landry picked Staubach over Craig Morton as the starting quarterback.

    The result was that the Cowboys wouldn't lose again, as Staubach's heroics earned him the first of six Pro Bowls. He won the Bert Bell Award, was the 1971 NFL passer rating champion, and was named Super Bowl VI MVP. After his playing days were done, he was ranked number 29 in The Sporting News' 100 Greatest Football Players in 1999.

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  4. Jim Plunkett

    Jim Plunkett was selected first overall in the 1971 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots after winning the Heisman Trophy at Stanford. He played for the Patriots and later the San Francisco 49ers during the 1970s. Plunkett eventually joined the Oakland Raiders near the end of the decade and later became their starting quarterback in the early 1980s.

  5. Bob Griese

    Bob Griese was the quarterback of the Miami Dolphins during their dominant run in the early 1970s. He started for the team that completed the only perfect season in NFL history in 1972. Griese also helped the Dolphins win Super Bowl VII and Super Bowl VIII.

  6. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson played quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals from 1971 to 1986. He led the NFL in passer rating four times in his career, including twice during the 1970s. Anderson was named the league's Most Valuable Player in 1981 after leading the Bengals to Super Bowl XVI.

    Arguably the greatest quarterback not to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Anderson's stats and playing for only one team, the Cincinnati Bengals, are the stuff of legend. He still owns many great Bengals records, including completions, attempts, yards, touchdowns, and interceptions.

    Anderson was one of the first great quarterbacks to run the West Coast offense. He lifted the Bengals to two playoff appearances in the 1970s, was named the 1975 NFL Man of the Year, and remains one of the Bengals' all-time greats.

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  7. Ken Stabler

    Ken Stabler was the starting quarterback for the Oakland Raiders during much of the 1970s. He led the Raiders to a victory in Super Bowl XI following the 1976 season. Stabler was named the NFL Most Valuable Player in 1974 while playing for Oakland.

  8. Joe Namath

    Joe Namath played most of his career with the New York Jets after joining the team in the American Football League in 1965. He famously guaranteed a Jets victory before Super Bowl III and led the team to a win over the Baltimore Colts. Namath finished his career with a final season for the Los Angeles Rams in 1977.

  9. Archie Manning

    Archie Manning was the starting quarterback for the New Orleans Saints for most of the 1970s. He was selected second overall in the 1971 NFL Draft after playing college football at the University of Mississippi. Manning later played for the Houston Oilers and Minnesota Vikings near the end of his NFL career.

  10. Jim Zorn

    Jim Zorn was the first starting quarterback in the history of the Seattle Seahawks franchise beginning in 1976. He played for the team throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s. Zorn formed a notable passing combination with wide receiver Steve Largent during his time in Seattle.

    11. The Newcomers
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    John Brodie

    John Brodie played his entire NFL career with the San Francisco 49ers from 1957 to 1973. He led the league in passing yards in 1965 and touchdown passes in 1965 and 1970. Brodie was named the NFL Most Valuable Player in 1970.

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    Roman Gabriel

    Roman Gabriel played quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams during the late 1960s and early 1970s before finishing his career with the Philadelphia Eagles. He was named the NFL Most Valuable Player in 1969 while with the Rams. Gabriel led the Rams to several division titles during his tenure with the team.

    13. The Contenders

  13. Bert Jones

    Bert Jones played quarterback for the Baltimore Colts during the 1970s. He was named the NFL Most Valuable Player in 1976 and also earned first-team All-Pro honors that season. Jones led the NFL in passing yards in 1976, achieving a career-high passer rating of 102.5.

    Here's one of those what-might-have-been Hall of Fame quarterbacks. Bert Jones was one, but when he was healthy, so were the Colts. From 1975 to 1977, his Colts won the AFC East title.

    1976 was his best year. He threw for 3,104 yards and 24 touchdowns and had a passer rating of 102.5, one of only three quarterbacks during the 1970s to have a passer rating of 100.0 or more in a season. He played in his only Pro Bowl while being named to the AFC All-Pro Team, named the 1976 NFL Offensive Player of the Year, and the 1976 NFL Most Valuable Player. The Ruston Rifle delivered.

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  14. Dan Pastorini

    Dan Pastorini played quarterback for the Houston Oilers during much of the 1970s. He helped lead the Oilers to consecutive appearances in the AFC Championship Game following the 1978 and 1979 seasons. Pastorini later played for the Oakland Raiders and Los Angeles Rams.

  15. Steve Grogan

    Steve Grogan was the quarterback for the New England Patriots beginning in 1975. He was known for his rushing ability and set records for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback during his career. Grogan helped lead the Patriots to the playoffs in the 1976 season.

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