Top 10 Worst NFL Quarterbacks of All Time
Every football fan knows that the quarterback is the field general, the player who leads their team to victory or defeat. While many QBs have etched their names in the annals of NFL history as legends, there are those whose careers have been marred by poor decisions, ill-fated throws, and a painful lack of skill. These signal-callers have left fans bewildered, frustrated, and even heartbroken with their less-than-stellar performances.
Today, we honor the worst of the worst, the quarterbacks who have earned their place on this unfortunate list due to their mind-boggling stats, unforgettable blunders, and unforgettable failures.
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Ryan Leaf
Ryan David Leaf is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for four seasons. He was selected as the second overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft, behind Peyton Manning. Leaf played for the San Diego Chargers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys, and Seattle Seahawks.... read more
Ryan Leaf is horrible. Look at his stats! I think Josh Allen is going to be the next Ryan Leaf.
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Blaine Gabbert
Blaine Williamson Gabbert is an American football quarterback who currently plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the National Football League. He was selected tenth overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2011 NFL Draft. Gabbert has also played for several other teams, including the San Francisco... read more
Gabbert is the biggest bust in the NFL currently. He makes too many poor throws and too many poor decisions.
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Heath Shuler
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JaMarcus Russell
JaMarcus Trenell Russell is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at LSU, where he finished 21-4 as a starter and was named MVP of the 2007 Sugar Bowl. Russell was drafted by the Oakland Raiders with the first overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft.... read more
The worst years of my life were growing up watching Russell ruin our team and tarnish our name. I would rather have Tony Romo as the Raiders quarterback than JaMarcus Russell. He is the reason everybody says the Raiders suck.
Dumbest, fattest, most overpaid, worthless piece of junk ever.
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Mark Sanchez
Mark Travis John Sanchez is a former American football quarterback. He played in the National Football League, primarily for the New York Jets, after being selected fifth overall in the 2009 NFL Draft. Sanchez retired from professional football in 2019 and has since worked as a television analyst.
The sad thing is that a rookie is doing better than him right now.
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Chris Simms
He's got the prototype body but is like a deer in the headlights in critical situations. He never improved, despite years of chances.
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John Beck
I think he is awful because he has 0% skill, despite having great people to pass to, so he has no excuses. I mean, he really does suck. He's bad, horrible. Altogether, he is the worst quarterback ever to hit the field. Throw a ball to one of the best receivers, and he still sucks.
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Tim Couch
Lots of excuses are made around Cleveland for this bust, like the O-line. Did the other 31 teams he tried out for have bad O-lines too?
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Matthew Stafford
John Matthew Stafford, born on February 7, 1988, is an American football quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League. He was selected as the first overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions, where he played for over a decade before being traded to the Rams in 2021.... read more
Calvin Johnson only makes him look good. If Stafford had Brady's receivers, he'd be about as good as Alex Smith or Joe Flacco. He's the most overrated QB right now.
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Norm Snead
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Sam Darnold
Samuel Richard Darnold, born on June 5, 1997, is an American professional football quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Southern California and was selected third overall by the New York Jets in the 2018 NFL Draft. Darnold... read more
He was crap with the Jets, and even though he was good in the first three or four games with the Panthers, he is garbage again.
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Jameis Winston
Jameis L. Winston is an American football quarterback who signed with the New York Giants in March 2025 on a two-year, eight million dollar contract. He previously played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New Orleans Saints, and Cleveland Browns. Winston earned a Pro Bowl selection during his rookie season... read more
By far the worst I've ever seen. How can you still be a sore loser after all these years of being so good at it?
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Tony Romo
Antonio Ramiro Romo is an American football television analyst and former quarterback who played 14 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. Since retiring, he has become a prominent NFL broadcaster for CBS Sports. During his playing career, Romo was known for his strong passing... read more
By far the worst QB in the league for a decade. I wish people would stop worshiping him. He would have been cut by any other team. He's stolen 10 years of my life.
I'm surprised that with Texas supposedly being a football state, Romo hasn't been assassinated.
Absolutely blows. One of the worst QBs in the whole 2000s era.
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Kim McQuilken
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Jason Campbell
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Rick Mirer
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Johnny Manziel
Jonathan Paul Manziel is an American football quarterback who played for the Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian Football League. He was selected by the Cleveland Browns with the 22nd overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.
Manziel was a standout college player, winning the Heisman Trophy in 2012 while... read more
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George Izo
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Curtis Painter
He led his team to a 62-7 loss in 2011. This guy deserves more recognition for how bad he truly was.
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Bryce Petty
Bryce Petty is terrible. He can't even throw one touchdown pass, and most of his throws are incomplete. He plays like a leaf and is very bad. Can't he just finish his NFL career already? He is like Ryan Leaf, with more interceptions than touchdown passes. He should do something else besides football.
He can't even throw one touchdown pass and is a bust. He only throws incompletions. He also plays like a leaf and is very bad. He is the second-worst NFL quarterback after Ryan Leaf. Just fire him from the NFL and let him do another profession, please!
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Trevor Siemian
Trevor Siemian is an American football quarterback currently playing for the New York Jets in the National Football League. In the 2023 season, he appeared in several games for the Jets after being promoted from their practice squad. Siemian has also played for other NFL teams, including the Denver... read more
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Tim Tebow
Timothy Richard Tebow is an American former professional baseball outfielder and a former professional American football player in the National Football League. He played minor league baseball in the New York Mets organization from 2016 to 2021. Tebow is also known for winning the 2007 Heisman Trophy... read more
Inarguably the most annoying football player ever.
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Rex Grossman
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Russell Wilson
Russell Carrington Wilson (born November 29, 1988) is an American football quarterback. He played for the Seattle Seahawks before being traded to the Denver Broncos in 2022. After two seasons, he signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers and then joined the New York Giants for the 2025 season.
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Ryan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Joseph Fitzpatrick (born November 24, 1982) is an American former professional football quarterback who played 17 seasons in the National Football League. He started for a record nine different teams, including the St. Louis Rams, Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans... read more
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Patrick Mahomes II
Patrick Lavon Mahomes II (born September 17, 1995) is an American football player who is currently the quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He has led the team to multiple Super Bowl appearances, winning MVP honors for Super Bowl LIV and Super Bowl LVII. Mahomes is... read more
He had one of the worst quarterback performances in Super Bowl history. He is really overrated and can't win the Super Bowl like Tom Brady did seven times. He is 1-1. He's got good stats, but every quarterback today has good stats.
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Alex Smith
Alexander Douglas Smith is a retired American football quarterback. He played for the San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, and Washington Football Team during his NFL career. Smith made a remarkable comeback after suffering a life-threatening leg injury in 2018 before retiring in 2021.