Greatest NFL Quarterbacks by Jersey Number

Though the NFL has relaxed their jersey number rules across most positions, quarterbacks have remained largely untouched.

Quarterbacks may wear any number from 0-19, according to the NFL Rulebook. Not every jersey number has been worn by a Hall-of-Famer, though some have been donned by multiple all-time greats. That begs the question: who are the greatest NFL quarterbacks to wear each jersey number?

Well, Pro Football Reference has a handy tool which ranks all players to wear each jersey number by Approximate Value (AV), and that's what the bulk of this list will be built from.

With that, let's run through the greatest NFL quarterbacks to wear each number.

Greatest NFL Quarterbacks To Wear Each Number

0. Marcus Mariota (2015-Present)

Leading into the 2025 season, Marcus Mariota is the only quarterback to wear No. 0 in an NFL game.

As a result, Mariota is the greatest NFL quarterback to ever wear the No. 0. He put up 364 passing yards and 5 total touchdowns wearing No. 0 for the Washington Commanders.

For his career, Mariota has racked up 16,184 passing yards, 2,156 rushing yards, and 115 total touchdowns.

1. Warren Moon (1984-2000)

Cam Newton and Jalen Hurts have compelling cases, but -- at least entering 2025 -- Warren Moon is the greatest quarterback to wear No. 1.

The 2006 Hall-of-Fame inductee is 13th all-time in passing yards (49,325) and 16th in passing touchdowns (291). A nine-time Pro-Bowler, Moon's most memorable season came in 1990 when he led the league in passing yards (4,689) and touchdowns (33) en route to winning Offensive Player of the Year.

2. Matt Ryan (2008-2022)

Long-time Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan is the greatest NFL quarterback to ever don the No. 2, and it isn't even really close.

The 2016 MVP winner finished his career with 62,792 passing yards and 381 passing touchdowns -- both top-10 marks in NFL history.

Though he did not win a Super Bowl, Ryan made it to the championship game once (2016). His 268.3 passing yards per game ranks seventh all-time.

3. Russell Wilson (2012-Present)

While Russell Wilson's post-Seattle Seahawks stint hasn't gone as swimmingly as his early career, Mr. Unlimited still has the best resume of any quarterback to wear No. 3.

Entering 2025, Russ has accumulated 46,135 passing yards (17th all-time) and 350 passing touchdowns (12th). He's fourth among quarterbacks with 5,462 rushing yards and 21st with 31 rushing touchdowns.

A former Super Bowl winner, Wilson's 40 game-winning drives are tied for the ninth-most in NFL history.

4. Brett Favre (1991-2010)

Over the course of his 19-year career, no quarterback performed in No. 4 quite like Brett Favre.

Favre won three MVPs across a near two-decade career, the entirety of which was spent wearing No. 4. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016. Through the 2024 season, Favre ranks fourth all-time with 71,838 passing yards and 508 passing touchdowns. He's one of just four quarterbacks who have beaten all 32 NFL teams.

5. Donovan McNabb (1999-2011)

A late-career push from Joe Flacco doesn't change the fact that Donovan McNabb is the greatest quarterback to wear the No. 5.

McNabb -- a six-time Pro-Bowler -- was a force in the 2000s, winning at least 10 games with the Philadelphia Eagles in five separate seasons. He's one of just six quarterbacks in NFL history to record at least 30,000 passing yards, 200 passing touchdowns, 3,000 rushing yards, and 20 rushing touchdowns.

6. Baker Mayfield (2018-Present)

There's not a long list of quarterbacks to wear No. 6. But after reviving his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Baker Mayfield is near the top of it.

Mayfield had a strong start to his career, eclipsing 3,500 yards in each of his first three seasons with the Cleveland Browns. After bouncing around the league in 2022, Baker landed in Tampa.

The rest, as the kids say, is history. Following a 4,000-yard debut season with the Bucs, Baker took another leap in 2024. He threw for 4,500 yards in his second season with Tampa, adding 41 passing touchdowns -- the second-most in a single-season in franchise history.

7. John Elway (1983-1998)

Hall of Fame quarterback Jon Elway is among several high-profile quarterbacks to wear the No. 7. Even so, the two-time Super Bowl winner and 1987 MVP is the best of the bunch.

Elway threw for 51,475 yards and 300 touchdowns over 16 seasons with the Denver Broncos. Though not remembered for his legs, the nine-time Pro Bowler still ranks 12th all-time in quarterback rushing yards (3,407) and 17th in QB rushing touchdowns (33).

8. Steve Young (1985-1999)

Lamar Jackson may take this title someday, but -- at least through 2024 -- the greatest quarterback to wear No. 8 is Steve Young.

Young didn't immediately make an impact upon being drafted to the Bucs, but his peak with the San Francisco 49ers is hard to top. He made seven consecutive Pro Bowls from 1992-1998, earning All-Pro honors thrice, league MVP twice, and Super Bowl MVP once.

That seven-year stretch saw Young lead the league in passer rating five times, while his career-8.0 yards per attempt ranks fifth all-time.

9. Drew Brees (2001-2020)

No. 9 has been a popular jersey for the quarterback position over the past three decades, though no gunslinger has donned the number as well as Drew Brees.

The longtime New Orleans Saints quarterback ranks second all-time in passing yards (80,358) and passing touchdowns (571). Brees won the 2009 Super Bowl MVP with the Saints and is a two-time Offensive Player of the Year.

He finished his career with an AV of 277, second-most all-time.

10. Eli Manning (2004-2019)

By AV, Frank Terkenton (1961-1978) is the greatest quarterback to wear No. 10. But in more recent history, that honor belongs to Eli Manning.

Eli Manning didn't have as much sustained success as his older brother, but his overall body of work remains impressive, nonetheless. Eli is 11th all-time in passing yards (57,023) and passing touchdowns (366). He won two Super Bowls (2007 and 2011), most notably handing a then-undefeated Patriots team their only loss of the season the 2007 championship game.

11. Drew Bledsoe (1993-2006)

There aren't many all-time greats to wear No. 11, but Drew Bledsoe pieced together a rock-solid NFL career with that number on his back.

The bulk of Bledsoe's success came in the mid-to-late 90s with the New England Patriots. He led the league in passing yards and touchdowns in 1994, earning All-Pro honors along the way.

Bledsoe ended his career with stints in Buffalo and Dallas, finishing 19th all-time in passing yards (44,611) and 27th in passing touchdowns (251).

12. Tom Brady (2000-2022)

Apologies to Aaron Rodgers -- who ranks sixth all-time in AV -- but Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback to wear No. 12. It's not even close.

Brady is a seven-time Super Bowl champion and five-time Super Bowl MVP. He remains the NFL's all-time leader in passing yards (89,214) and touchdowns (649), while his 326 AV is a staggering 49 points higher than the next-closer player in league history.

TB12 consistently proved it in the biggest moments, recording the most 4th quarter comebacks (46) all-time.

13. Dan Marino (1983-1999)

Across 17 seasons with the Miami Dolphins, Dan Marino compiled an impressive resume while wearing No. 13. Marino won league MVP in 1984 and was named to the Pro Bowl nine times in a 13-season span from (1983-95). He led the league in passing completions nine times, yards five times, and touchdowns three times.

To this day, Marino's 61,361 passing yards ranks ninth in NFL history. His 420 passing touchdowns is seventh.

Though Dan Marino never won a Super Bowl, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005 and is comfortably the greatest quarterback to wear No. 13.

14. Dan Fauts (1973-1987)

There haven't been many all-time greats to rock No. 14 in recent years, but Dan Fauts' Hall of Fame career from 1973 to 1987 still stands out as the best resume of any No. 14 quarterback. He was a force in the early 80s, pacing the league in passing yards per game in six of seven seasons from 1979 to 1985.

Though Fauts never won the Super Bowl and appeared in just seven playoff games, he put on a show in the postseason with three game-winning drives and a yards-per-game mark north of 300. Entering the 2025 season, Fauts still ranks top-25 all-time in passing yards (43,040), touchdowns (254), and yards per attempts (7.7).

15. Patrick Mahomes (2017-Present)

It only took eight NFL seasons for Patrick Mahomes to cement himself as the greatest No. 15 in NFL history. Long a title held by Hall-of-Famer Bart Starr, Mahomes' 123 AV is already greater than the 115 AV Starr registered across 16 seasons.

The two-time MVP and three-time Super Bowl winner has averaged the most passing yards per game (288.9) in NFL history, simultaneously ranking eighth in completion percentage (66.6%), fifth in interception rate (1.8%), and 15th in touchdown rate (5.9%).

16. Joe Montana (1979-1994)

The original "Joe Cool," Joe Montana stands alone as the greatest quarterback to wear No. 16. The Hall-of-Famer is a four-time Super Bowl winner and two-time regular season MVP.

Montana spent the bulk of his career as a member of the 49ers, with whom he won three Super Bowl MVPs. His most dominant stretch came in the late 80s when he earned three All-Pro honors in four years. Montana finished his career with an AV of 166 (37th all-time) and the 20th-most passing touchdowns (273) in NFL history.

17. Phillip Rivers (2004-2020)

Josh Allen may very well take the title someday, but for now Phillip Rivers is the greatest quarterback to ever wear No. 17.

Rivers was named to the Pro Bowl in eight of the 15 seasons he was a starting quarterback. He averaged 4,220 passing yards and 28 touchdowns per season from 2006 to 2020. Only Tom Brady and Peyton Manning (both 14) have more 4,000-yard seasons than Rivers (12).

Through the 2024 season, Rivers ranks sixth all-time in passing yards (63,440) and touchdowns (21).

18. Peyton Manning (1998-2015)

There's not much competition for the greatest quarterback to wear No. 18. Considering Peyton Manning rocked the number, that doesn't really matter.

Manning's resume speaks for itself. He won five MVPs across a 17-year career, making 14 Pro Bowls and seven All-Pro teams. The Sheriff is a two-time Super Bowl champion.

He's third all-time with a 271 AV, and the statistical profile rivals anyone's in league history. Manning is third all-time in passing yards (71,940) and touchdowns (539) -- all while ranking top-20 in completion percentage (65.3%) and passer rating (96.5).

Manning's second all-time in game-winning drives and 4th quarter comebacks.

19. Johnny Unitas (1956-1973)

Johnny Unitas is the most accomplished quarterback to wear No. 19, with the bulk of his career coming with the then-Baltimore Colts.

An 11-season peak from 1957 to 1967 saw Unitas lead the league in passing four times and win 66% of his regular season games. He won three MVPs during this stretch and was named First Team All-Pro five times.

To this day, Unitas ranks 25th all-time in passing yards (40,239) and 17th in passing touchdowns (290). He's one of just five quarterbacks to be named MVP three times.

Futures Day is coming August 26th. Learn more here.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.