Jim Kelly was one of the most impressive NFL quarterbacks of the ’80s, playing a relatively short career that began in 1984 with the Houston Gamblers and lasted until 1996 when he retired from the Buffalo Bills. In 2002, the accomplished five-time Pro Bowl champion was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame and got his jersey (number 12) was retired by the team in 2018.
What made Jim Kelly so impressive during his prime years was his excellent average yards per season stat, which stood at a whopping 3,200 yards. He made it into the Super Bowl four times, although his team lost all four of these games. Kelly racked up over 35,000 passing yards throughout his career. He is a multiple-time cancer survivor, an avid philanthropist, and a successful businessman.
Terry Bradshaw
One of the NFL's most endearing risk-takers in football history was Terry Bradshaw. Bradshaw helped the Pittsburgh Steelers win four Super Bowl championships (IX, X, XIII, XIV), making him one of the most distinguished and highest-achieving quarterbacks of his time. In 1979, the four-time Super Bowl champion was Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year.
Terry Bradshaw was also inducted into both the College Football and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He went on to become a successful actor and has appeared in many TV shows and films over the years. The talented quarterback and actor is also a highly successful sports analyst and has appeared regularly as a host in Fox's NFL Sunday since 1994.
Tony Romo
Tony Romo is one of the best NFL quarterback passers of all time. The accomplished quarterback has recently wrapped up a thirteen-year career with the Dallas Cowboys, which led him to four Pro Bowl wins in 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2014. Romo has accumulated over 34,000 passing yards throughout his NFL career and managed to receive an incredible passer rating of 97.1, almost the highest in the world.
Tony Romo shortly led the NFL passer rating in 2014 but was overthrown by Aaron Rodgers, who we will cover in one of the next entries. Romo has since transitioned into becoming the lead color analyst for CBS Sports after suffering a back injury that caused him to permanently lose some of his abilities on the field.
Warren Moon
Warren Moon was one of the longest-performing quarterbacks in football history, sharing his time between the American and Canadian Football Leagues with a career that spanned over 23 seasons and five different teams. The longtime player was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006, becoming the first African-American quarterback to ever receive the honor.
Moon rose to prominence during his time with the Houston Oilers, where he helped his team win the Pro Bowl year after year. He then went on to play with the Minnesota Vikings and helped them win the Pro Bowl in 1994. The distinguished QB remains one of the Oiler's most successful players and holds various records, including Most Completions, Most Pass Attempts, Most Passing Yards, Most Passing Touchdowns, and many more.
Sonny Jurgensen
Back in the '50s and '60s, there was no quarterback with the passing skills to match Christian Jurgensen. The distinguished NFL player played between 1957 to 1963 with the Philadelphia Eagles and switched to the Washington Redskins from 1964 to 1974. He helped his teams win five Pro Bowl championships but was mostly known for his mad passing skills.
With over 32,000 passing yards to his name and a passer rating of 82.6, it's no wonder that Jurgensen was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame way back in 1983. His most impressive play to date was a 99-yard touchdown pass, which currently stands as the world’s best. Jurgensen became a color commentator with CBS after retiring from the game in 1974.