Is Brett Favre in the top 5 QB's All-Time?

[packercorey]

Saw this article by MJ Kasprzak in the blog The frozen Tundra. Here is the link to the article: http://mvn.com/nfl-packers/2008/06/27/why-brett-favre-is-unequivocally-a-top-five-qb/

I still think Joe Montana would be top five- i think he reaches somewhat with his team-titles theory but all in all like the stats and the conversation.

[DonaldsDesignatedDriver]

It's an interesting debate.  I think Favre is a top 10, but he is not a top 5er.

A more interesting debate is who is the best Packer QB of alltime.

Favre was annointed the greatest Packer QB of All Time very early in his career.  Since then it has been dogma that Favre is the GPQBOAT.  I think its definitely time for a revisionist look at that assumption. 

On one hand you have the streak, the records, the 3 MVPs.

On the other side you have 5 rings, 2 Super Bowl MVPs, the greatest playoff passer rating in history.

Maybe you still think that Favre comes out on top, but its a close call either way, it should not be considered a foregone conclusion.

BTW, I have a son named Bart, so you can figure out where I stand.

[packercorey]

I would agree. Aaron and I talked about it last week. now that we have Favre's career in more perspective- The argument for Starr being the greater of the two is valid.

[Aa-Rod_is_cool]

I dont know.. I think he might sneek into the top 5, He's the only 3 time MVP'r and has a sb

Plus he owns every passing record possible  ( some good some bad ) but I guess hes top 5

[DonaldsDesignatedDriver]

The three MVPs are not as impressive as they once seemed.  Kurt Warner has 2 and was a flash in the pan.  (And recall that Favre essentially split one of his MVPs with Barry Sanders.)

The career passing records.  The streak.  The Super Bowl victory.  I think these things are far more significant than the MVPs which has become a popularity contest. 

[Michalo]

The three MVPs are not as impressive as they once seemed.  Kurt Warner has 2 and was a flash in the pan.  (And recall that Favre essentially split one of his MVPs with Barry Sanders.)

The career passing records.  The streak.  The Super Bowl victory.  I think these things are far more significant than the MVPs which has become a popularity contest. 

I don't agree with that. If it was just a popularity  contest why did Brady just win his first MVP this last year.
And Favre has to be considered top five and the him and Brady the two best QB of there era.

[PackOne]

I think this is a a complicated question at best. It really depends on what parameters you are using to judge. If you go by stats alone, most definitely. If you judge by the post season, definitely not. If you judge using popularity, uniqueness, and love of the game - once again a shoo-in.

If you now me, you know I am pissed at Favre. But, if you put everything into a well rounded perspective, I think number four deserves the four slot right here.

[skcusenokcaP]

I'd take Montana #1, Manning #2 & Favre #3, Marino #4 & Brady #5.  If Steve Young could have ever stayed healthy and played a little longer i think he would have been #1 without question. 

[packeraaron]

Um, no.

First of all, he's not even the greatest quarterback to ever play for the Packers. That would be Bart Starr. Secondly, I am shocked that people in this thread seem to be completely discounting quarterbacks from previous eras. Corey's title clearly says "All-Time".

Johnny Unitas was the greatest quarterback to ever play the game. Period. The man called his own plays and was the greatest leader of men the NFL has ever seen. He was both precise and a gunslinger at the same time. And he made his mark long before the liberated passing rules that modern quarterbacks have enjoyed and padded their stats with since.

On an All-Time list, Favre is in the Top Ten. Perhaps barely. But no freekin' way does he sniff the Top 5.

[DonaldsDesignatedDriver]

Um, no.

First of all, he's not even the greatest quarterback to ever play for the Packers. That would be Bart Starr. Secondly, I am shocked that people in this thread seem to be completely discounting quarterbacks from previous eras. Corey's title clearly says "All-Time".

Johnny Unitas was the greatest quarterback to ever play the game. Period. The man called his own plays and was the greatest leader of men the NFL has ever seen. He was both precise and a gunslinger at the same time. And he made his mark long before the liberated passing rules that modern quarterbacks have enjoyed and padded their stats with since.

On an All-Time list, Favre is in the Top Ten. Perhaps barely. But no freekin' way does he sniff the Top 5.

Let me pose another question: do you think that but for the Mike Sherman Era, Favre could have been a top 5er and maybe even the GOAT? 

I actually do.

[packeraaron]

Let me pose another question: do you think that but for the Mike Sherman Era, Favre could have been a top 5er and maybe even the GOAT? 

I actually do.

Tough to determine without knowing who would have been the coach instead. Obviously if it had been Holmgren, I think they would have won another Super Bowl. And I think Favre's play would have been much more disciplined. But enough to make him the GOAT? No, I don't think so. Better than Unitas? Better than Montana? (the greatest of the modern era) Better than Elway? Better than Graham? Better than Starr? Better than Tarkenton? Better than Staubach? And that's before we even get into Manning and Brady...

Favre is/was a great quarterback, the best I've ever seen in person. But the game has a deep history that includes men who were great before the age of SportsCenter and the internet. Their dismissal in arguments such as these always bugs the hell out of me, as you can tell...

[DonaldsDesignatedDriver]

I think on either Holmgren or McCarthy, Favre would have been more disciplined and would be regarded as more great quarterback and less as a "gunslinger."  Do I think Favre would have been the GOAT?  Not necessarily, but maybe.  I do think he would have been a all time top five.

BTW, I think Elway is more overrated than Favre by quite a significant margin.  The problem that I have with Elway is he was always second fiddle (or third or fourth fiddle) to other QBs.  Montana and Marino early in his career.  Young and Favre later in his career.  I'm not sure that you can pick out a single year in his entire career where Elway clearly stood out as the best QB in the league.  In my mind, that's an instant disqualifier.  If you were never the best in any given year, how can you be high on the list of the greatest of all time?

[Michalo]

I agree Elway is way over rated! I still think Favre is a top 5 QB, and Manning sucks I don't care what anybody says he is so over rated and probably one of the biggest choke artist as a QB in the game.

[packeraaron]

I agree Elway is way over rated! I still think Favre is a top 5 QB, and Manning sucks I don't care what anybody says he is so over rated and probably one of the biggest choke artist as a QB in the game.

Yeah, Manning sure choked against the Bears in the Super Bowl...

As for Elway - you guys have no idea what you're talking about. Go back and watch The Drive. It wasn't his fault his early Bronco teams couldn't stop anybody in the Super Bowls they played in. It's not easy to play quarterback, let alone well, when the defense knows you have to throw it.

The man was amazing.

[DonaldsDesignatedDriver]

Okay, I'll bite.  At what point in his career was Elway the best QB in the league? 

He was Ben Rothlisberger for his entire career (i.e., that "other guy" who is very good but a click below the best).  Elway (much like Favre) benefitted from his longevity.

Favre on the other hand dominated---DOMINATED---the league for a good 3-5 year stretch.