Atlanta Falcons Top 5 Quarterbacks of All Time

(last updated on February 5, 2026)

Let’s play a little trivia. What is the first NFL franchise to start playing in the Southeast? That would be the Atlanta Falcons in 1966. That same year the Miami Dolphins also originated but as an AFL team. So, technically, you could say the Falcons are the oldest NFL team from that region. This franchise has had some memorable times: games at Fulton County Stadium, MC Hammer on the sidelines, the Dirty Bird dance, the Michael Vick experience, and the biggest blown lead in Super Bowl history. The Dirty Birds are still chasing their first Lombardi Trophy, but they have been to the big game twice. Currently they are mired in a postseason drought, but they do have a young quarterback who is hoping to change that. Speaking of quarterbacks, with Georgia on our minds, let’s introduce you to the top quarterbacks of all time for the Atlanta Falcons.

If you collected Pro Set cards back in the day, I promise you had a few of this guy: Chris Miller. Miller was the Atlanta Falcons quarterback from 1987 to 1993, and you’ll see his stats prove he was one of the best QBs in team history. A first rounder in 1987, this man sits third in Falcons rankings in passing yards (14,066), passing touchdowns (87), and completions (1,129). As far as winning, that only happened in one year with this guy, but it was that unforgettable ‘91 squad with Deion Sanders, Andre Rison, and MC Hammer on the sidelines. That season this signal-caller led Atlanta to a 10-6 record and their first playoff trip in nine years. He threw for 26 TDs and 3,103 yards in his only Pro Bowl campaign. In a thrilling 27-20 Wild Card win at the rival Saints, Chris threw for almost 300 yards, 3 TDs, and had a 111.9 passer rating. Without question, that ‘91 season was Chris Miller’s NFL high point, but his accrued stats get him a place with the top Atlanta Falcons quarterbacks of all time.

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From one Chris to another … this one named Chandler. Chris Chandler, another top quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, was the first slinger to get the team to the Super Bowl. An NFL journeyman prior to his magical 1998 season, Chandler threw for 13,000+ yards and 87 touchdowns in his Dirty Bird days. Now let’s focus on that Super Bowl year. The team went 13-1 in Chris’s starts behind his 3,154 passing yards, 25 TD strikes, and a league-best 16.6 Y/C. After beating San Fran in the Divisional Round, the Crystal Chandelier sparkled at the juggernaut Vikings in the NFC Championship Game: 340 yards in the air, 3 TDs, and a 110.6 passer rating. Atlanta won in OT and reached their first Super Bowl, which ended up being a loss to Denver. Besides that glorious run, this QB did have four other seasons with at least 2,200 yards passing in Atlanta, and he can make a rare claim for a Falcons quarterback: a career winning record (34-33). Since Chris Chandler led the Falcons to a let’s-do-the-Dirty-Bird-dance Super Bowl trip, he certainly dances with the best Atlanta quarterbacks of all time.

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The Atlanta Falcons never made the playoffs until Steve Bartkowski came along, and then this all-time franchise quarterback did it three times in five years. After being drafted as the first overall pick in 1975, it took Peachtree Bart a few years to blossom. Then in 1978 he led the Falcons to their first ever playoff appearance AND … a playoff victory. Two years later, Bartkowski was third in MVP voting with 3,500+ yards passing and 31 TD tosses as Atlanta secured the top NFC playoff seed with a 12-4 record. They were upset by Dallas in the Divisional Round after holding a 14-point lead entering the final quarter. In ‘81, the team wasn’t that hot (7-9), but this former Golden Bear threw for 30 TDs and a career-high 3,829 yards. Although he has since been passed, when Steve retired he was the all-time Falcons leader in passing yards (23,470), passing touchdowns (154), completions (1,871), and game-winning drives (20). Steve Bartkowski never got Atlanta to the promised land, but he did provide their first postseason tickets, so he unquestionably belongs with the top Falcons quarterbacks ever.

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Regardless of your personal feelings about Michael Vick, there is no denying how electrifying he was on the football field, and there is no denying he was one of the best quarterbacks in Atlanta Falcons history. The first overall pick in 2001, Vick played sparingly as a rookie, but he showed the world his potential in 2002 with almost 3,000 passing yards, 16 TD tosses, 777 rushing yards, and countless highlight-reel plays … like the walk-off run at Minnesota. Then he led the Falcons to the first ever playoff win for a visiting team at Lambeau Field. In 2004, Vick was second in the MVP race as he led Atlanta to a division title and a trip to the NFC Championship Game. One of the greatest athletes in NFL history became the first quarterback to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards in 2006. Like his speed on the field, #7’s time for the Falcons came and went in a flash. However, he did have time for 38 wins (third in team history), 11,505 aerial yards (fifth in team history), and 71 TD strikes (fifth in team history); don’t forget he also gave them 3,859 yards on the ground and 21 TD scampers. Michael Vick’s arm and legs produced some indelible times in the Deep South, and he should always be remembered as one of the all-time quarterbacks for the Atlanta Falcons.

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If you check just about any QB stat for the Atlanta Falcons, it almost certainly starts with Matt Ryan. Because of that, few would disagree if you called Matty Ice the top quarterback ever for the Atlanta Falcons. The third overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft was a consistent fixture for the team for 14 years: 13 seasons with 20+ TD passes, 10 seasons with 4,000+ passing yards, a 65.5 completion %, and 120 career wins. As a rookie in 2008, he got Atlanta to the postseason and helped the city recover from the Michael Vick situation. Ryan got the Dirty Birds to the playoffs from 2010 to 2012, but they couldn’t advance farther than the NFC title game. Then it all came together in 2016 as Matt was the NFL MVP with his 69.9 completion rate, nearly 5,000 yards passing, 38 TDs to only 7 INTs, and a league-best 117.1 passer rating. The Falcons reached Super Bowl LI against the Patriots and yeah … we know. However, it’s important to note that Ryan threw for almost 300 yards, 2 TD tosses, and had a 144.1 passer rating. I’m not saying he’s blameless in the historic comeback loss, but it’s not like he threw a bunch of picks and wilted in the moment. Anyway, besides leading the Falcons in tons of categories, this summer visitor of North Wildwood, NJ is in the all-time top 10 for passing yards (62,792), passing TDs (381), and completions (5,551). The Matt Ryan era was a pretty fruitful time down in the Peach State, so you would get few arguments if you called him the top quarterback of all time for the Atlanta Falcons.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 11th, 2025 at 3:28 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.