The Top 10 Quarterback Seasons In NFL History

Aug 22, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) talks to New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) following a preseason game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Patriots defeated the Saints 26-24. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Few positions have held sway for the fate of NFL teams like the quarterbacks. When they go, everybody goes. So who had the greatest years of all-time?

It’s a tough question. Many things have to be taken into account before determining not just if a season was great, but how great. Yes, stats including yards, touchdowns, completion percentage and interceptions are important but so are other factors. What era did the quarterback play in? How good were the personnel around him? Did his performance carry into the playoffs, get worse or somehow improve? A season should encompass every game that was played and how stacked the deck was against them (or in their favor).

With all this in mind, here are a few standout years that just missed the cut.

Johnny Unitas in 1959

Considering the father of the modern quarterback position, Johnny Unitas was at his apex in the late ’50s and early ‘60s. No season proved his greatness better than 1959. Calling all the plays himself, he engineered a passing attack that posted 2,899 yards, 32 touchdowns and just 14 interceptions. No other player was even in the same ballpark that year. Unitas capped it off by winning his second-straight championship. A 31-16 trampling of the Giants.

Dan Fouts in 1981

The captain of the famed “Air Coryell” offense the San Diego Chargers made famous in the early 1980s. Dan Fouts put up numbers in 1981 that were considered otherworldy with 4,802 yards and 33 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. He did this despite not having one of his best receivers for a good chunk of the season in John Jefferson. However, once the team made a trade for Wes Chandler, everything shifted into overdrive. San Diego made it to the AFC championship, but Fouts’ poor performance in that game, along with a low completion percentage and elevated turnover rate kept him off the list.

Otto Graham in 1947

It may not have been the golden era of the passing game, but Otto Graham was one of the big reasons that throwing the football became more and more popular in the NFL. Though his 1946 season had a higher quarterback rating, his 1947 campaign proved the most prolific. In 14 games he posted 2,753 yards and 25 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. About 60.6% of those passes were completed, and at 16.9 yards per clip no less. Graham earned All-Pro honors and won the championship that year as well.

Tony Romo in 2014

Due to the success of their league-leading rushing attack that season, Tony Romo doesn’t get enough credit for how well he played in 2014 while helping the Dallas Cowboys make the playoffs. He only threw for 3,705 yards, but completed 69.9% of passes for 34 touchdowns and just nine interceptions. On top of that he played well in the playoffs, throwing four touchdowns in two games without a turnover. If not for a disputed call against the Packers he might’ve had a chance to improve upon that season.

Daunte Culpepper in 2004

Hey, remember this guy? Boat-related jokes aside there was a time, a brief time when Daunte Culpepper was one of the top quarterbacks in football. Never was that clearer than 2004 when he posted 4,717 yards for 39 touchdowns to just 11 interceptions. His 69.2% completion rate topped it off. Before that year he’d never had more than 3,900 yards. He added a great performance in the playoff opener against Green Bay with four touchdowns, but crashed back to earth in Philadelphia the next week with two costly interceptions.

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