All-Time Great NFL Quarterbacks and Who They Almost Played For

Dec 4, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) and New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) meet after their game at Heinz Field. The Steelers won 24-14. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

NFL quarterbacks are considered the gold standard of American professional sports. The greatest ones are known by everybody in every corner of the country.

One added note is that those same men are almost universally defined by the uniforms they wore and the teams they made winners. What many fans never get to learn is that in so many of these cases, those quarterbacks were just a phone call, medical decision or simple nod of the head away from playing for a different franchise. Some of the all-time greats have admitted as much.

Here are some of the most prominent stories.

Ben Roethlisberger:  The New York Giants

The legacy:  On the surface it looked like a pretty routine situation. Roethlisberger was drafted 11th overall in 2004 by the only team who worked him out in the Pittsburgh Steelers. He went 13-1 as a rookie and won the Super Bowl his second seasons. Now he has two rings, four Pro Bowl nods and is approaching the 50,000 yards passing mark in his career. He is the best quarterback in the history of the winningest franchise of the Super Bowl era.

The almost:  Amazingly he came remarkably close to donning blue and gray instead of black and gold. During the 2004 draft, New York Giants GM Ernie Accorsi had eyes for Eli Manning. He hoped Manning’s desire to not play for the Chargers, who held the #1 pick, might enable him to make a trade. For a time it looked like that wasn’t possible. In later interviews Accorsi said point blank that if they hadn’t gotten Manning, he was set on taking Roethlisberger instead.

Dec 4, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) throws a pass during the third quarter against the Houston Texans at Lambeau Field. GB won 21-13. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Aaron Rodgers:  The San Francisco 49ers

The legacy:  Most view him as the best quarterback currently in the NFL. Aaron Rodgers has pretty much accomplished everything there is to do. He has a Super Bowl ring, two MVP awards, five Pro Bowls and perhaps the greatest touchdown-to-interception ratio in modern history. He also has only missed the playoffs once in his career as a starter. Not even Tom Brady can make that claim. Rodgers is certain to pad his legacy in the next 5-6 years as well.

The almost:  To this day people wondered what in the world possessed the San Francisco 49ers front office back in 2005. That was when they felt Alex Smith was a better quarterback than Aaron Rodgers. During predraft meetings Rodgers felt strong that the 49ers coaching staff liked him. Especially offensive coordinator Mike McCarthy. In the end, they went with Smith and Rodgers fell all the way to Green Bay at #24. San Francisco would watch him win a championship five years later. Smith would be traded to Kansas City in 2013.

Dec 4, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) against the Detroit Lions during the second half of a game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Lions defeated the Saints 28-13. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Drew Brees:  The Miami Dolphins

The legacy:  Anybody with a reasonable grasp of football didn’t think the arrival of Drew Brees in New Orleans to join the Saints would have the impact it did. Nine Pro Bowls, a Super Bowl title and 50,000 passing yards later this man has punched his ticket to the Hall of Fame. He’s accomplished things no other quarterback in history has. To think another team actually let him leave is absolutely incredible to modern fans these days.

The almost:  For the first few years, Brees was a solid young quarterback for the San Diego Chargers. That took a turn in 2005 though when he suffered a torn rotator cuff in his throwing arm. This gave the team an excuse to let him walk in free agency, ushering in the Philip Rivers era. Though the Saints were the ones to sign him, it was very close to being the Miami Dolphins instead. They had strong interest but advice from doctors about his shoulder scared them off.

New Orleans got its savior. Miami got Daunte Culpepper.

Feb 6, 2016; San Francisco, CA, USA; NFL former player Joe Namath on the red carpet prior to the NFL Honors award ceremony at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Joe Namath:  The Arizona Cardinals

The legacy:  It’s just so impossible to imagine Namath anywhere but in a New York Jets uniform. He’s the man who put the American Football League on equal footing the 1960s, forcing a merger with the NFL and bringing a bright new dawn to professional football. He was the first man to pass for 4,000 yards and delivered arguably the greatest upset in Super Bowl history in 1968 against his living idol, Johnny Unitas and the Baltimore Colts.

The almost:  During those days the AFL and NFL were warring for college players. So often there was a choice between the two leagues for guys like Namath. Though he eventually joined the Jets, the other team vying for his services was the St. Louis Cardinals, soon to be the Arizona Cardinals. Though they had the NFL prestige behind them, in the end they just couldn’t compete with the deep pockets of Jets owner Sonny Werblin.

Feb 7, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Super Bowl mvl Steve Young introduced before Super Bowl 50 at Levi

Steve Young:  The Cincinnati Bengals

The legacy:  Not a single person expected much out of Young when the 49ers traded for him in 1987. Joe Montana was still the quarterback and Young had delivered a forgettable run in Tampa Bay. Little by little though the signs of greatness began to emerge. Eventually he gained the starting job, won two MVPs, made seven Pro Bowls and won the Super Bowl in 1994. He remained the best left-handed quarterback in NFL history.

The almost:  Of course the irony is his team ruined the dreams of another southpaw in Boomer Esiason in 1988. Many don’t know that Young was widely viewed as the best quarterback in that draft class and the Cincinnati Bengals, Esiason’s future team held the #1 pick. It seemed Young was destined to join that franchise. That is until the upstart USFL offered him considerably more money to play in their growing spring league. Young accepted.

It’s crazy to think how different that Cincinnati-San Francisco Super Bowl would’ve been had he been under center across from Montana.

Dec 31, 2015; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Dan Marino throws a pass on the sidelines prior to the 2015 CFP semifinal at the Orange Bowl between the Clemson Tigers and the Oklahoma Sooners at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Dan Marino:  The Pittsburgh Steelers

The legacy:  The first great draft fall of a quarterback was probably Marino in 1983. Everybody expected the Pitt star to go in the top 10 but somehow he felt to the 27th pick. There he joined coach Don Shula and the Miami Dolphins. It was a day of misery that turned into pure joy for the next 20 seasons. Marino shattered every passing record in the book. He may never have gotten a championship but his nine Pro Bowls, league MVP and 420 TD passes prove his greatness plenty.

The almost:  By far the biggest shock of that draft was when the Pittsburgh Steelers, who picked 15th didn’t take him. They needed a young quarterback and Marino was a native of the city. In fact late team owner Art Rooney was a huge fan of his and had hoped his son and head coach Chuck Noll would see the value. Unfortunately they didn’t. Noll preferred to focus on rebuilding the defense and took defensive tackle Gabriel Rivera instead.  He was in a car accident just a few months later and paralyzed from the waist down.

Marino would beat the Steelers in the AFC championship the next season.

Dec 27, 2015; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Former Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly on the sidelines before the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

Jim Kelly:  The New England Patriots

The legacy:  The Buffalo Bills drafted Jim Kelly in the 1983 draft in hopes he’d become their savior. However, he had no desire to play for what was at the time one of the worst franchises in the league. He bolted for the USFL for two years but eventually agreed to join the team in 1986. From there he began the greatest run in Bills history. At the helm of the greatest no-huddle offense in history he reached four-straight Super Bowls, five Pro Bowls and reached the Hall of Fame.

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The almost:  This is one of those oh-so-close moments. Buffalo took Kelly with the 14th pick in the 1st round. It was later revealed that the New England Patriots, who held the 15th pick highly coveted him. They felt his Irish decent would’ve made him a king in Boston. Perhaps his presence might even have made Super Bowl XX, which the Patriots reached in 1985 against Chicago, a little more interesting. As it stands they were left with Tony Eason instead.

Oct 24, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos general manager John Elway watches in the fourth quarter against the Houston Texans at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

John Elway:  The Oakland Raiders

The legacy:  After declaring to the Baltimore Colts, who drafted him #1 overall in 1983 that he wouldn’t play for them, Elway was eventually traded to Denver. There he forged his Hall of Fame career. He became the first man to reach five Super Bowls in his career, won two of them, claimed MVP in 1987, nine Pro Bowls and owned the most 4th quarter comebacks in NFL history by the time he retired. In terms of pure physical ability, most still believe Elway was the greatest ever.

The almost:  One of the biggest draft conspiracies in history was as follows. In 1983, Los Angeles Raiders owner Al Davis was seeking a quarterback. He liked Elway and was in contact with the Colts about a deal. He was told he needed to get a pick in the top 6 to do business. So the Raiders contacted Chicago (who held #6). A deal was agreed upon, at least according to eyewitness accounts that would’ve sent Pro Bowl defensive end Howie Long to the Bears in exchange for the pick. Then, for some unknown reason, the deal vanished.

Paranoid Raiders people believe the NFL office led by then Commissioner Pete Rozell pressured the Bears to back out of the trade, thus preventing Davis from getting his QB. The reason being the Raiders were in a bitter court battle with the league for the right to move their team to L.A.

Johnny Unitas:  The Cleveland Browns

The legacy:  Things looked bleak for Unitas after being cut by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1955. He spent a year in the semi-pro leagues before catching a break in earning a tryout with the Baltimore Colts. There he transformed the position of quarterback forever, turning it into the most critical position in the game. He claimed three NFL championships, went to 10 Pro Bowls and set all sorts of passing records including 47 straight games with a touchdown pass. A mark that stood for almost 60 years.

The almost:  What almost nobody remembers is that prior to joining the Colts, Unitas was being coveted by legendary head coach Paul Brown and his Cleveland Browns. Had that avenue been pursued, Unitas would’ve joined forces with a young fullback by the name of Jim Brown. Can one possibly imagine that backfield being together for 10 years. They might’ve won another seven championships and their coach would never have been fired.

Feb 3, 2016; San Francisco, CA, USA; General view of the Pro Football Hall of Fame bust of Joe Montana at the NFL Experience at the Moscone Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Joe Montana:  The Chicago Bears

The legacy:  Joe “Cool” was a star at Notre Dame and tabbed by new San Francisco 49ers head coach Bill Walsh to be the teams’ future quarterback in 1979. His style of game from the accurate passing, intelligence and mobility were a perfect fit for the new West Coast offense Walsh had started in Cincinnati. With the 49ers Montana went to seven Pro Bowls, won two league MVPs, three Super Bowl MVPs and four championships. Experts consider him the most clutch QB of all-time.

The almost:  It was recently revealed by former Chicago Bears personnel exec Dick Tobin that their front office came a handing of the card away from drafting Montana. Chicago was 16 picks ahead of San Francisco in the 3rd round and needed a quarterback. Everybody in the room loved him. They had his name written down. It was just a matter of turning it in. Then at the last second GM Jim Finks got cold feet. He decided to take running back Willie McClendon instead. To this day people wonder how Chicago would’ve done with Montana at QB, Walter Payton at running back and that famed “46” defense.

What made it worse was the Bears lost to Montana and the 49ers twice in NFC championship games.

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