Dallas Cowboys Top 5 Quarterbacks of All Time

(last updated on January 20, 2026)

Any way you slice it, the Dallas Cowboys are a brand, like the New York Yankees or the Boston Celtics. Since they were deemed America’s Team in the 1970s, the Cowboys have had both a national following and a universal hatred. This franchise has won five Super Bowl titles (tied for second all time) … two in the 70s and three in the 90s. It seems like the men with the star on their helmets constantly get the media spotlight. One way or the other, there is no lack of passion with NFL fans when it comes to the Cowboys. This team has packed a ton of players and coaches in Canton. Some of their most memorable names are the signal-callers. Quite a few notable QBs have played in Big D, so choosing some of the top men under center for this franchise wasn’t an easy task. Without any more delay, here are the top quarterbacks in Dallas Cowboys history.

No, it is not too soon to call Dak Prescott one of the best quarterbacks in Dallas Cowboys history. The big playoff wins may be lacking, but his numbers don’t lie. His 35,989 passing yards are already first in team history, and he is only 32 years old. Since he entered the league, the Cowboys have been a yearly Super Bowl candidate. His record as a starter is 83-55-1. In 2025, he another typical Dak season: 4,552 passing yards, 30 TD tosses to 10 INTs, and a 67.3 completion rate. Although he was injured most of the 2024 season, in 2023 #4 led the NFL in TD passes (36); he has 243 in his young career (second in franchise history). Prescott’s most impressive stat may be his touchdown to interception ratio (243 to 92). This Mississippi State product is a great combination of efficient passer (66.9 career completion %) and effective scrambler. His 31 career rushing TDs and 169 career rushing first downs show he can get to the pylons and the sticks. As a slinger, three times he has had a passer rating of 104.2 or better. The national media and Dallas fans justifiably point to Dak’s 2-5 record in the playoffs as a measuring stick, but there is no denying this guy’s production and ability to win regular-season games. Dak Prescott already deserves a place with the best quarterbacks in Dallas history, and if he adds a few Lombardi Trophies, he may be the greatest Cowboy ever in the future.

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If you’re the QB between Staubach and Aikman in Dallas Cowboys history, you may get overlooked at times, but that doesn’t mean you couldn’t sling it. In the 80s, Danny White had a 62-30 record as the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys, and he got them to three straight NFC Championship Games. The Cowboys won a lot of games with White under center, but they never won the big one with him as the starter; he was the backup on the Super Bowl XII title team. White did throw for almost 22,000 yards and 155 TDs in Dallas. His best season was probably the strike-shortened 1982 campaign when he finished fifth in MVP voting and had 16 touchdown passes with a career-best 63.2% completion rate. In four different seasons, he threw for over 3,000 yards and more than 20 TDs. Looking back, he was the bridge between two championship eras for America’s Team. Danny’s Achilles heel was his penchant for interceptions (132 as a Cowboy). Danny White might not be a Hall of Famer, but he was one of the best quarterbacks the Dallas Cowboys ever had.

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Who was the all-time leader in passing yards (34,183), until recently passed, and still is the passing touchdowns leader (248) for the Dallas Cowboys? The answer is the current top CBS Football color analyst: Tony Romo. This Eastern Illinois product holds some major passing records for America’s Team. Like the previous QBs on this list, Romo didn’t have much postseason success, so that is a big part of his legacy. However, he did put up serious numbers for a decade in Dallas: a 78-49 record as a starter, four seasons of 4,000 passing yards or better, seven seasons of 26 TDs or better, 29 game-winning drives, and a career completion % of 65.3. Tony’s premier year was 2014 when he had 34 TDs, only 9 picks, and a league-leading 69.9 completion %. He was third in the MVP voting as the Cowboys had an excruciating Divisional Round playoff loss in Lambeau on the infamous Dez Bryant goal-line catch or non-catch. #9’s already sterling stats would have been even greater if not for losing a couple seasons to injury. An underrated aspect of the Skechers spokesperson’s game was his sneaky ability to be elusive in the pocket. His capacity to extend plays with his legs resulted in countless first downs and touchdowns in Big D. Tony Romo was a four-time Pro Bowler and is the holder of multiple franchise passing records, so that certainly qualifies him as one of the best quarterbacks in Dallas Cowboys history.

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This man may be the most mythical player in Dallas Cowboys history: Roger Staubach. From 1969-1979, Captain Comeback led America’s Team to an 85-29 regular-season record, six NFC Championship Game appearances, four Super Bowl appearances, and two Lombardi Trophies. In a less-aerial era of football, Staubach led the league in passer rating four times (a career high of 104.8 in 1971) and tossed 23 TDs or more three times. This stately QB from the Naval Academy entered the NFL as a 27-year-old rookie and became a legendary scrambler. His 2,264 career rushing yards and 20 rushing scores made him a menace to the rest of the league. #12 was the MVP of Super Bowl VI when he passed for 119 yards, 2 TDs, and had a 115.9 passer rating as the Cowboys dominated the Miami Dolphins 24-3. Then he led them to another Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl XII over the Denver Broncos 27-10. When Roger the Dodger retired after the 1979 season, he held the NFL career mark for passer rating (83.4). His 22,700 passing yards and 153 passing touchdowns are both in the Dallas top five of all time, and his status as a winner makes him one of the most popular players in franchise history. Roger Staubach was enshrined in Canton, and he can make a strong case as the top quarterback ever for the Dallas Cowboys.

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Troy Aikman leads Dallas Cowboys quarterbacks in two sort of important categories: regular-season wins (94) and Super Bowl titles (3). Aikman was drafted first overall in the 1989 NFL Draft and had to endure a painful 1-15 rookie year before he was able to reach the mountain top a few years later. In team history, #8 sits high on every list: 32,942 passing yards (third), 165 passing touchdowns (third), 2,898 completions (second), and 15 4th-quarter comebacks (third). The Cowboys were football’s team of the 90s, and this QB helped them to wins at Super Bowl XXVII, XXVIII, and XXX. Troy was the MVP of Super Bowl XXVII when the Boys buried the Bills 52-17. His numbers were exquisite: a passer rating of 140.7, a 73.3 completion %, 4 touchdowns, and 273 passing yards. In 1993, this UCLA alum led the NFL with a 69.1 completion % for the season. Surprisingly, Aikman only threw for 20 or more touchdowns once in a season, but that’s what happens when you have the NFL’s all-time leading rusher in your backfield. Injuries cut his career a bit short, but Troy was doubtlessly enshrined in the Hall of Fame. Troy Aikman will be remembered as the signal-caller who won three Lombardi Trophies in Dallas, and that puts him squarely in the conversation as the Cowboys top quarterback ever.

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This entry was posted on Saturday, July 13th, 2024 at 3:35 pm and is filed under Top Lists. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.