Where Aaron Rodgers currently ranks among all-time quarterbacks as he heads into final season

CBS Sports | American Football | 05/22/2026

Rodgers’ place among the greatest players at his position is secure

By Brian DeArdo

While it took several months for Aaron Rodgers to figure out his status for the 2026 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback has already determined that the upcoming season will be the final one in a career that will one day be immortalized in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

By coming back for another season, the 42-year-old Rodgers will have a chance to move up even further in the NFL record book. He’s 13 touchdown passes away from passing Peyton Manning and into third place in career touchdown passes. Rodgers is also less than 4,000 yards away from joining Manning, Tom Brady, Drew Brees and former teammate Brett Favre as the only quarterbacks in history to throw for over 70,000 yards.

Rodgers’ legacy as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time is already secure, but where does he rank among the best players at his position? To find out, we decided to rank the top-40 quarterbacks in NFL history by using the following criteria:

Individual accolades
Records set
Team success
Enduring legacy

40. Roman Gabriel

Gabriel beat out contemporary John Hadl for the final spot largely because he threw significantly fewer interceptions. The 1969 NFL MVP, Gabriel, won Comeback Player of the Year four years later after winning his first passing title at age 33.

39. Bob Griese

An eight-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro, Griese was also the first quarterback to start in three straight Super Bowls. But he attempted just 18 total passes during Miami’s two Super Bowl wins with him under center. He also made just six starts during the Dolphins’ perfect 1972 season.

38. George Blanda

Owner of one of the most unique careers in NFL history, Blanda’s career spanned a record 26 seasons and included a stint as a linebacker with the Bears early in his career. A three-time AFL champion with the Oilers, Blanda is the last quarterback to throw seven touchdown passes in a game, doing so during a win over the Titans in 1961. Blanda was also a prolific kicker who became the first player to score over 2,000 career points.

37. Matt Ryan

The Falcons’ new president of football operations, Ryan, enjoyed a highly successful 15-year playing career that included 14 years in Atlanta. In 2016, Ryan won league MVP while nearly leading the Falcons to their first Super Bowl title. He’s ninth all-time in career passing yards and 10th all-time in career touchdown passes.

36. Bobby Layne

One of the NFL’s original gunslingers, Layne led the Lions to the franchise’s first two championships in 1952 and 1953. He capped off his career by going 27-19-2 in five seasons with the Steelers, who had just two winning seasons before he arrived in 1958.

35. Norm Van Brocklin

Van Brocklin helped revolutionize the quarterback position during the 1960s. After leading the Rams to the NFL title game in 1950, Van Brocklin capped off his career by leading the Eagles to a win over Vince Lombardi’s Packers in the 1960 NFL title game.

34. Joe Namath

Namath’s career is defined by his role in arguably the biggest upset in the history of American professional sports. In Super Bowl III, Namath led the AFL champion Jets to a 16-7 win over the NFL champion Colts, who were 18-point favorites. Namath’s career accolades also include being the first player in AFL/NFL history to throw for more than 4,000 yards in a season.

33. Eli Manning

In many ways, Manning is the 21st-century version of Namath. While his stats don’t stack up to those of other quarterbacks on this list, Manning’s excellence in two successful playoff runs makes up for it. He played a key role in the greatest upset since Super Bowl III when the Giants upset the then-undefeated Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. It was the first of two Manning-led Super Bowl wins against the NFL’s preeminent team of the century.

32. Matthew Stafford

While his three Pro Bowl nods are underwhelming, nothing else about Stafford’s career is. A Super Bowl champion with the Rams, Stafford is sixth all-time in career passing yards and seventh in career touchdown passes. He essentially locked up a future spot in Canton, Ohio, this past season by virtue of winning league MVP.

31. Josh Allen

Longevity is the only reason why Allen isn’t higher on this list. A four-time Pro Bowler, Allen has earned a spot on this list after winning his first league MVP at the end of the 2024 season. A Super Bowl win would do wonders for Allen and his legacy.