With the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger, there’s been a lot of looking back around football this week, trying to determine just the proper spot in the history books for the longtime Steelers quarterback.
He is one of just 12 quarterbacks in league history to have won multiple Super Bowl titles, so he’s already a member of a rather exclusive club. NFL.com writer Adam Rank set out to sort those passers in order of greatness. For Cowboys fans, his list is also an opportunity to see how the two most decorated Dallas signal-callers stack up in an all-time comparison.
Early spoiler alert, and to the surprise of no one: Tom Brady tops the rankings. Joe Montana follows, and then John Elway. Terry Bradshaw is perhaps a bit of a surprise at No. 4 as he’s not often considered a prolific passer, and then Bart Starr comes in fifth (but maybe only because two of his five championships were actual Super Bowls). Peyton Manning places sixth, a testament to just how elite the talent at the top of the list is.
And then come the Cowboys, in back-to-back spots on the countdown. Here’s what Rank had to say about both:
7. Troy Aikman (Super Bowl record: 3-0 with Cowboys)
“I will say this about Aikman: While he didn’t put up the numbers that Steve Young and Brett Favre did during the 1990s, Aikman was at his best when it counted the most. I truly believe that. He was nearly flawless in the Cowboys’ early Super Bowl runs, and I am convinced that a huge part of his success- a huge reason that he helped Dallas win three titles (Super Bowls XXVII, XXVIII, and XXX)- was his unselfishness. He was also the MVP of Super Bowl XXVII.”
Jan 31, 1993; Pasadena, CA, USA; FILE PHOTO; Dallas Cowboys Quarterback #8 TROY AIKMAN in action during Super Bowl XXVII against the Buffalo Bills at the Rose Bowl as the Cowboys defeated the Bills 52-17. Aikman was 22 of 30 passes and 273 yards and 4 touchdowns which earned him the games most valuable player. Mandatory Credit: Photo By USA TODAY Sports © Copyright 1993 USA TODAY Sports
8. Roger Staubach (Super Bowl record: 2-2 with Cowboys)
“You wonder, had a few breaks gone his way during the 1970s, maybe Staubach would be in the conversation for greatest quarterback of all time. He breezed past the Dolphins (Super Bowl VI) and Broncos (Super Bowl XII) with relative ease, but the Steelers (Super Bowls X and XIII) were a riddle he just couldn’t solve. Still, being able to be a part of this list is rather impressive. And like [Jim] Plunkett, Staubach is the rare Heisman Trophy winner who was also a Super Bowl MVP (in Super Bowl VI). (And I know it’s driving you crazy, so I’ll save you a Google and tell you the other two are Marcus Allen and Desmond Howard.)”
Jan 15, 1978; New Orleans, LA, USA; FILE PHOTO; Dallas Cowboys quarterback (12) Roger Staubach in action against the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XII at the Superdome. The Cowboys defeated the Broncos 27-10 to win their 2nd Super Bowl title. Mandatory Credit: Photo By Malcolm Emmons- USA TODAY Sports
Eli Manning is ninth on the list; Roethlisberger comes in at No, 10, with the aforementioned Plunkett and Bob Griese closing out the 12 in that order.
With a win in the AFC Championship and another in Super Bowl LVI, the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes could become the 13th man on that list.
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