Jacksonville Jaguars Top 5 Quarterbacks of All Time

(last updated on February 10, 2026)

The Jacksonville Jaguars were one of two expansion teams the NFL added in 1995. Amazingly, this team from North Florida made the playoffs in four of their first five seasons, including two trips to the AFC Championship Game (‘96 and ‘99). That’s a pretty remarkable run for a young franchise. The new century hasn’t been as kind to the Jags, but they have added five additional postseason trips. Although these Cats haven’t made a Super Bowl appearance, there have been some decent quarterbacks in Jacksonville. In fact, their current signal-caller is a former top overall pick with a ton of tools and potential. It’s time to review the last 30 seasons, so we can try to capture and tame the top quarterbacks in Jacksonville Jaguars history.

You probably remember that video of an injured but courageous Byron Leftwich at Marshall being carried up the field by his linemen. Unfortunately, injuries followed Leftwich throughout his NFL days, but he was still one of the top quarterbacks ever for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Drafted seventh overall in 2003, Byron threw for at least 2,100 yards his first three years in Jacksonville, but he never played more than 14 games in his four seasons there. In 2005, the Jags did go 12-4 behind #7’s 15 TDs to just 5 INTs and a career-best 89.3 passer rating. The Jaguars got crushed 28-3 by New England in the Wild Card round. In only 46 career games with Jacksonville, this QB did have 12 games with 250+ passing yards, and his 51 TD strikes are fifth in team history. If not for a rash of injuries, Byron Leftwich would doubtlessly have had a more fruitful career, but even in limited action, he earned a place with the best Jacksonville Jaguars quarterbacks of all time.

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Trevor Lawrence may look like a Game of Thrones cast member, but this young QB has already proven to be one of the best quarterbacks of all time for the Jacksonville Jaguars. The top overall pick of the 2021 draft entered the league with huge expectations after a storied college career at Clemson that included a national championship. In only five NFL seasons, Lawrence has already ascended to second in the team’s all-time rankings for passing yards (17,822) and third in passing TDs (98). This handsome guy is also gritty, battling through injuries and a less-than-reliable offensive line. In 2022, this tall drink of water threw for 4,113 yards and 25 TDs to just 8 INTs as he roared the Jags into the playoffs. After being down 27-0 to the Chargers in the Wild Card round, he led a furious comeback with four TD tosses in a 31-30 win. He got the Jags a division title in 2025 with 4,000+ passing yards and 29 TD tosses. Trevor’s athleticism can be overlooked at times, but this mobile signal-caller has rushed for over 1,400 yards, 23 TDs, and 125 first downs in his career. Trevor Lawrence bounced back in 2025 and proved why he is one of the best quarterbacks in Jacksonville Jaguars history.

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David Garrard? Remember him? I remember this dude winning a huge playoff game at Pittsburgh, and that helped clinch him a spot with the top Jacksonville Jaguars quarterbacks of all time. Originally a backup, Garrard increasingly got more snaps and became the Jags starting QB in mid-2006. Then in 2007, Jacksonville went 9-3 in his starts behind a 64 completion %, 2,509 passing yards, 18 TDs to 3 INTs, and a 102.2 passer rating. Next came that aforementioned playoff victory at Heinz Field. David outdueled Big Ben and the Terrible Towels for a 31-29 upset. The following seasons, ‘08 and ‘09, this mobile QB had 3,500+ yards passing each year. Speaking of that mobility, this East Carolina man rushed for 1,746 yards and 17 touchdowns as a Jag. This forgotten slinger has a nice spot in the franchise’s all-time stats: tied for first in game-winning drives (17), second in wins (39), fourth in passing yards (16,003), and fourth in passing TDs (89). I hope you remember now that David Garrard was one of the top quarterbacks ever for the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

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For this next man behind center, we have to excuse the 24-49 record as the Jacksonville starter and focus on the accumulated statistics. Blake Bortles, the third overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft, did earn his place with the top Jaguars quarterbacks of all time. I know fans in North Florida may not hold this guy in the highest regard, but Blake is second in passing TDs (103) in Jacksonville history and third in both passing yards (17,646) and completions (1,561). Rolled eyes aside, he threw for a team-record 35 TDs in 2015 and then followed that up with seasons of 23 and 21 TDs. In 2017, Bortles did taste some team success as the Jags went 10-6 and advanced to the AFC Championship Game where they actually held a 10-point lead in the 4th quarter before succumbing to Brady and the Pats. So … there was a little bit of winning in Blake’s era. You’ll never mistake this QB’s career resume with Dan Marino, but you can call Blake Bortles one of the best Jacksonville Jaguars quarterbacks ever. 

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The man who guided the Jaguars through their most victorious era is probably the top Jacksonville quarterback of all time: Mark Brunell. Once an apprentice in the Green Bay quarterback room, this lefty became the Jags’ first ever signal-caller in 1995. Brunell and the team struggled in their inaugural year, but in ‘96 they roared like Katy Perry. Mark led the league with 4,367 passing yards as the Jaguars reached the AFC Championship Game after impressive road upsets over Buffalo and Denver. That started a stretch of four straight playoff trips for the young franchise. In ‘99, after a 14-2 campaign, they once again reached the AFC Championship Game but lost to the Titans. This guy’s game included mobility, evident in his 2,200+ ground yards and 151 rushing first downs while in the swamp. Besides his team-best 63 career wins, this three-time Pro Bowler tops all Jacksonville QBs in passing yards (25,698), passing TDs (144), and AV (104). In the relatively short history of Jacksonville professional football, it is a pretty safe bet to say Mark Brunell was the top quarterback ever for the Jaguars.

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This entry was posted on Monday, March 31st, 2025 at 10:35 am and is filed under NFL History. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.