The QB GOAT Series: 45-41

An all-time great (probably) underranked, plus a few other underappreciated careers

• You can find all the QB GOAT posts here

I wrote up the updated methodology and highlighted a handful of current quarterbacks who fall inside of the top-100, but outside the top-50.

I don’t agree 100% with all the rankings, but the beauty of stats-based analysis is that we can take representative data from nearly one million of quarterback dropbacks over nearly a century of the modern NFL to rank-order quarterbacks by value. Good luck watching, grading and comparing every quarterback snap from 1947 to 2024 and then forming your own film-watcher list.

On the career plots, you’ll see indications for Pro Bowl (PB), All-Pro Second-Team (AP2), All-Pro First-Team (AP1) and Most Valuable Player (MVP) regular seasons. I’ve also added an image of the Super Bowl trophy for championship seasons.

Without further ado, the 44th-40th most value quarterbacks in NFL history. For those who didn’t play the last two years, I’ll post the rankings and career-value graph, with a link to my previous post with my commentary on that quarterback.

Links to past posts:

• 50-46

No. 45: JEFF GARCIA

Regular: 27th, Peak: 41st, Playoffs: 81st

Garcia ranked 41st two years back. Garcia gets a bit of a bump for his non-NFL success in the Canadian Football League.

Jeff Garcia isn’t the first name that comes to mind for San Francisco 49ers quarterback greats. Heck, he’s not in the top-5 for a franchise blessed to have had Joe Montana, Steve Young, Y.A. Tittle, and John Brodie taking snaps for the majority of their careers. Even more recent recent good-not-great quarterbacks like Alex Smith, Colin Kaepernick and Jimmy Garoppolo might be assumed more valuable during their stints with the team. Garcia’s historical positioning immediately after top-10 greats like Montana and Young and the most successful eras of the franchise blunts the shine of his own accomplishes, which were significant. And who even remembers that Garcia was able to perform admirably for a few seasons with the Eagles and Bucs at the end of his career.

Garcia wasn’t taken in the 1994 NFL draft, considered small (6’1”, 195) and with questionable, small-school pedigree (San Jose State). Instead of join the NFL as a UDFA, Garcia chose to join the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders, eventually taking over as starter when Doug Flutie left to another team. During Garcia’s three starting seasons, the Stampeders had a winning record each season (combined 35-19), leading the team all the way to a Grey Cup victory in his final season as the game’s MVP. The CFL, obviously, isn’t the same level of competition as the NFL, but for quarterbacks who spent significant time there with success, I have given partial credit in the QB GOAT methodology for those seasons (roughly 20%). Garcia’s career number is boosted to reflect his CFL value.

You an find my full commentary on Garcia’s career here

No. 44: JIM HART

Regular: 37th, Peak: 31st, Playoffs: 58th

Hart was ranked 40th two years ago.

Jim Hart embodied longevity with his staying in the NFL for 19 years through age 40. When Hart retired in 1984, his 34,655 career passing yards was the second most in league history, trailing only Fran Tarkenton. In a way, Hart fell into his long career, going undrafted in 1966 after three years starting for the Southern Illinois Salukis and joining the Cardinals after an impromptu tryout. Hart took over as starter in his second season after getting reps the previous season when Charley Johnson left to fulfill ROTC commitments.

You an find my full commentary on Hart’s career here

No. 43: JOE NAMATH

Regular: 33rd, Peak: 29st, Playoffs: 66th