Who is considered the greatest quarterback of all time? This question often stirs up passionate debates among football fans, rivaling even discussions related to Taylor Swift. While everyone has their own opinion on the matter, valuable insights can be gained from those who truly understand the requirements of greatness: Hall of Fame quarterbacks.
Recently, Dan Marino was asked to identify the quarterbacks he would include on his hypothetical QB Mount Rushmore. His initial response didn’t come as a surprise, as he expressed admiration for Joe Namath and Terry Bradshaw. However, the spots he would reserve were for quarterbacks he had competed against: Joe Montana, John Elway, and Jim Kelly.
What about Marino himself, a former Miami Dolphins player who ranks among the top 10 in all-time yards, completion percentage, and touchdowns? Modestly, Marino declined to allocate the final spot to himself. Yet following Patrick Mahomes’ third Super Bowl victory, Marino believes that Mahomes deserves to be part of the conversation and should now be considered one of the best ever.
Naturally, the discussion surrounding the greatest of all time (or at least the greatest of all time candidates) would be incomplete without mentioning Tom Brady, and Marino acknowledged him as well. Interestingly, Marino omitted the names of two notable quarterbacks he had competed against, namely Troy Aikman and Steve Young. He also didn’t include Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, or Drew Brees.
So, whom would Mahomes choose to immortalize in stone? When asked a couple of years ago about his own QB Mount Rushmore, he promptly mentioned Brady, Manning, and Montana as his picks. As for the final spot?
“To me right now, it’s probably between Dan Marino and John Elway,” he said. “I don’t know who that fourth one is. I’m gonna give it to Elway just because he has the rings but Marino, if you look at the stats, his first season [second season, actually], 48 touchdowns in that era. Dude, best quarterback season, has to be in history. I don’t care what anyone says.”
At the age of 28, Mahomes still has ample time to further enhance his career achievements. When his journey as a quarterback ultimately concludes, he may not only be regarded as one of the all-time greats but also potentially be recognized as the most prominent figure on the metaphorical mountain of quarterbacks.
