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While winning a Super Bowl can help to cement an NFL quarterback's greatness, the Lombardi Trophy isn't a prerequisite for a Hall of Fame career. Plenty of superstar-caliber QBs have come up short when it comes to Super Bowl wins.
While a Super Bowl ring is the cherry on top of a stellar career, there are plenty of greats though NFL history who could never quite get it done in the big game. Whether they had to compete against a slew of elite Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks on their way to a title for most of their career or just had untimely, poor performances when it mattered most, some all-time great QBs simply never got it done.
Let's dive into the top 10 NFL quarterbacks of all time who never won a Super Bowl title.
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#10. Steve McNair: Houston/Tennessee Oilers/Titans, Baltimore Ravens
Career Stats: 153 starts, 91-62 record, 31,304 passing yards, 174 passing touchdowns, 119 interceptions, 3,590 rushing yards, 37 rush TDs
Accolades: 1x MVP, 4x Pro Bowl, 1x All-Pro
McNair came one yard from tying Super Bowl XXIV against the Greatest Show on Turf consisting of Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, and Tory Holt, but he ultimately finished his career with just one Super Bowl appearance and no titles.
However, the Alcorn State product shared an MVP Award with Peyton Manning in 2003 and put the Tennessee Titans on the map in their first season with the new name. Tragically, McNair's life ended at just 36 years old, but he left a legacy that will live on forever in the Oilers/Titans franchise.
#9. Randall Cunningham: Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens
Career Stats: 135 starts, 82-52-1 record, 29,979 passing yards, 207 passing touchdowns, 134 interceptions, 4,929 rushing yards, 35 rushing TDs
Accolades: 4x Pro Bowl, 3x All-Pro
Cunningham was one of the most electric quarterbacks of his time and is still just one of five signal-callers to ever rush for 900 or more yards in a single season (Michael Vick, Lamar Jackson, Justin Fields, Bobby Douglas). While there were some dual-threat quarterbacks in the league before his time, he set the stage for high-end elite rushers at the position.
He was a capable passer too, but his impact on dual-threat QBs, particularly African American dual-threat QBs, will always be remembered. Before Michael Vick, there was Randall Cunningham.
#8. Donovan McNabb: Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, Minnesota Vikings
Career Stats: 161 starts, 98-61-1 record, 37,276 passing yards, 234 passing touchdowns, 117 interceptions, 3,459 rushing yards, 29 rush TDs
Accolades: 6x Pro Bowl
Before Andy Reid was dominating the league with Patrick Mahomes, he was finishing as a top team in the NFC often with Donovan McNabb at the helm. McNabb led the Philadelphia Eagles to four consecutive NFC Championship games from 2001 to 2004 and had one Super Bowl appearance -- losing to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
Unfortunately, McNabb never got back to the big game after 2004, but he established himself as one of the greatest players in franchise history and won nine total playoff games, the same amount as Drew Brees and Kurt Warner.
#7. Dan Fouts: San Diego Chargers
Career Stats: 171 starts, 86-84-1 record, 43,040 passing yards, 254 passing touchdowns, 242 interceptions, 476 rushing yards, 13 rush TDs
Accolades: 6x Pro Bowl, 4x All-Pro, 4x passing yards leader, 2x passing touchdowns leader -- Hall of Fame
Fouts was arguably the most prolific passer in the 1970s and 1980s, leading the NFL in passing yards in four straight seasons from 1979 to 1982. He is the co-record-holder for most consecutive seasons leading the league in passing. When he threw for 4,802 yards in 1981, he was No. 1, 2, and 3 on the single-season passing yards record book.
While players like Peyton Manning and Dan Marino get a ton of credit for opening up offenses into pass-happy juggernauts, Fouts was ahead of his time in the air raid offense.
#6. Jim Kelly: Buffalo Bills
Career Stats: 160 starts, 101-59 record, 35,467 passing yards, 237 passing touchdowns, 175 interceptions, 1,049 rushing yards, seven rush TDs
Accolades: 5x Pro Bowl, 2x All-Pro, 1x passing touchdowns leader -- Hall of Fame
Kelly is most-known for taking the Bills to four straight Super Bowls (1990-1993), but unfortunately, he lost all of them. Only Tom Brady and Terry Bradshaw have more Super Bowl appearances, and Kelly is tied with Peyton Manning, Joe Montana, and Roger Staubach for the most trips to the big game.
If Kelly had won even half of those titles, he'd likely be an honorable mention in the greatest QB of all-time discussion. Since the Bills lost all four games, he's on this list instead.
#5. Matt Ryan: Atlanta Falcons, Indianapolis Colts
Career Stats: 234 starts, 124-109-1 record, 62,792 passing yards, 381 passing touchdowns, 183 interceptions, 1,539 rushing yards, 13 rush TDs
Accolades: 1x MVP, 4x Pro Bowl, 1x All-Pro -- Not Yet Eligible for Hall of Fame
Ryan's career will likely be appreciated more when he retires and fans have time to reflect, but he's had a stellar career since being drafted No. 3 overall in 2008. Ryan had legendary connections with Tony Gonzalez, Roddy White, and Julio Jones -- and won the MVP in 2016 with 38 passing touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Ryan's lone trip to the Super Bowl will live in infamy after the team blew a 28-3 lead in Super Bowl 51 against the New England Patriots, but he should still be considered a legendary quarterback and deserves a top spot on this list.
#4. Fran Tarkenton: Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants
Career Stats: 246 starts, 126-114-6 record, 47,003 passing yards, 342 passing touchdowns, 266 interceptions, 3,674 rushing yards, 32 rush TDs
Accolades: 1x MVP, 9x Pro Bowl, 2x All-Pro, 1x passing yards leader, 1x passing touchdowns leader -- Hall of Fame
Tarkenton is arguably the most underrated quarterback ever and was ahead of his time as an off-script, playmaker for the Vikings from the early 60s to late 70s.
The Georgia product was a real difference-maker for the era he played in and was a magician in a time when most signal-callers were mere game managers. He evidentially played too long ago for the majority of NFL fans to give him his credit, but on this list, he's comfortably in the top-five selections.
#3. Philip Rivers: San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers, Indianapolis Colts
Career Stats: 240 starts, 134-106 record, 63,440 passing yards, 421 passing touchdowns, 209 interceptions, 601 rushing yards, three rush TDs
Accolades: 8x Pro Bowl, 1x passing yards leader, 1x passing touchdowns leader -- Not Yet Eligible for Hall of Fame
Rivers will always be remembered for his quirky and goofy personality, but ultimately, he was a heck of a quarterback. Unfortunately, he shared the AFC with Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Ben Roethlisberger for the majority of his career and never reached the Super Bowl, but his regular season resume rivals the greats of the game.
Rivers led the Chargers offense for over a decade and had legendary connections with multiple stars including LaDainian Tomlinson, Antonio Gates, Vincent Jackson, and Keenan Allen. While Eli Manning and Roethlisberger are big reasons the 2004 QB class is viewed as one of the best all-time, Rivers has plenty to do with that, too.
#2: Warren Moon: Houston Oilers, Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs
Career Stats: 203 starts, 102-101 record, 49,425 passing yards, 291 passing touchdowns, 233 interceptions, 1,736 rushing yards, 22 rush TDs
Accolades: 9x Pro Bowl, 1x All-Pro, 2x passing yards leader, 1x passing touchdowns leader -- Hall of Fame
Moon was another quarterback who was prolific for his time and if he didn't start his career with six seasons in the CFL, he might be way higher on the all-time passing list. Moon is arguably the greatest player of all time in Oilers/Titans history and based on my rankings, he's largely slept on as one of the greats in NFL history.
Unfortunately, he posted a 3-7 career playoff record and never particularly got close to winning a Super Bowl.
#1. Dan Marino: Miami Dolphins
Career Stats: 240 starts, 147-93 record, 61,361 passing yards, 420 passing touchdowns, 252 interceptions, 87 rushing yards, nine rush TDs
Accolades: 1x MVP, 9x Pro Bowl, 6x All-Pro, 5x passing yards leader, 3x passing touchdowns leader -- Hall of Fame
In just Marino's second season (1984), he passed for 5,000 yards -- becoming the first player in NFL history to do so, won the MVP, and brought the Miami Dolphins to the Super Bowl. His Dolphins squad lost to the San Francisco 49ers, but he cemented himself as one of the league's best quarterbacks right away.
He'd go on to lead the league in passing yards five times and was a fixture in the Pro Bowl, but unfortunately, he never won another MVP nor did he get back to the Super Bowl. He still sits inside the top ten for passing yards all-time, and he's the only player who retired before 2000 on the list. Given the era he played in, his raw passing numbers rival any player throughout the history of the game.
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