New York Jets Top 5 Quarterbacks of All Time

(last updated on February 7, 2026)

To paraphrase the words of Stone Cold Steve Austin, “If you think the New York Jets have a colorful history, give me a hell yeah!” This original AFL team has some stories: Broadway Joe, the Super Bowl guarantee, the New York Sack Exchange, the Parcells-Belichick fiasco, Brett Favre’s brief cameo, the Butt Fumble, the Aaron Rodgers experiment, and the extended playoff drought. Even though the J-E-T-S haven’t had an abundance of winning (a 436-573-8 regular-season record since 1960), they are always worth discussing. Plus, they did win a monumental Super Bowl a long time ago that helped legitimize the NFL’s major merger and its showcase event. From their humble beginnings at the Polo Grounds and Shea Stadium to the Meadowlands and now at MetLife Stadium, let’s identify the best signal-callers in franchise history. Go alert Fireman Ed as we unveil the top quarterbacks ever for the New York Jets.

Richard Todd was the sixth overall pick by the New York Jets in 1976. Yes, his numbers won’t ever be confused with Johnny Unitas, but this man gets a mention with the top quarterbacks of all time for the Jets. He ranks third in the team’s all-time rankings in passing yards (18,241), passing TDs (110), completions (1,433), and wins as a starter (42). He was a part of some losing squads for the green and white, but he was also a part of the rebirth in the early 80s that saw the Jets reach the playoffs in 1981 and 1982. In ‘81, this QB threw for 3,231 yards and 25 TDs before a Wild Card loss to the Bills ended their season. The following year, Todd and the New York Sack Exchange drove the J-E-T-S to the AFC Championship Game where they lost 14-0 on a very muddy track to the Dolphins. Canton won’t be calling Richard Todd for induction, but he was a part of some memorable Jets teams, and that makes him one of the best quarterbacks in New York Jets history.

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It is very hard to positively spin this fact: Vinny Testaverde has the most losses ever for an NFL QB (123). However, he had a 35-26 record with the New York Jets, so Testaverde deserves a place with the top quarterbacks in Jets history. Believe it or not, due to the franchise’s struggles, that is the best winning % for any QB in franchise history with at least 10 starts. This former Miami Hurricane’s best season as a Jet was undoubtedly his first one in 1998. New York reached the AFC Championship Game for the first time since 1982 with a 12-1 record in Vinny’s starts. He had 3,256 passing yards, 29 TDs to only 7 INTs, and a career-best 101.6 passer rating. After an injury cost him most of the 1999 season, he returned to throw for 3,732 yards and 21 TDs in 2000 when he was 37. Then in 2001 he got the green and white back to the playoffs, and he even put up solid numbers in a Wild Card loss to the Raiders: 268 yards, 3 touchdowns, and a 109.2 passer rating. Vinny Testaverde, understandably, is mostly associated with losing, but he did win when he was in New York, so that makes him one of the best quarterbacks ever for the Jets.

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Known for accuracy and touch passing rather than a bazooka arm, Chad Pennington picked up after Vinny Testaverde and added himself to the list of the top quarterbacks of all time for the New York Jets. After being a first-round pick of the Jets in 2000, Chad got his chance to start in 2002 and got the team to the playoffs behind his league-leading 68.9 completion % and league-leading 104.2 passer rating. Then in the Wild Card round, Pennington threw for 222 yards and three touchdowns to annihilate Peyton Manning and Indy 41-0. This Marshall man battled injuries from 2003 to 2005 but resurged in 2006 as the Comeback Player of the Year with 3,200+ yards in the air and 17 TD tosses. In the Jets all-time rankings, this guy is fourth in both passing yards (13,738) and passing TDs (82). However, his career completion % of 66 is the best in NFL history of any QB who retired prior to 2011, and he ranks higher than Brady, both Mannings, and Rodgers in that category. Although the draft combine wouldn’t measure Chad Pennington that well, he does measure favorably on the all-time list of New York Jets quarterbacks.

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Here is your Final Jeopardy clue … the only player from UC Davis to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. Who is Ken O’Brien? Correct! You’ve won a trip to beautiful Hempstead, New York. The Jets took O’Brien with the 24th overall pick in 1983 (four slots ahead of Dan Marino), and he became one of their best quarterbacks ever. This QB had seven seasons of 2,500+ passing yards in the Meadowlands. His best year for the Jets was probably 1985 when the team went 11-5 and made the playoffs. Ken went for 3,888 passing yards, 25 TDs to just 8 INTs, and a league-best 96.2 passer rating. Then in 1986 he added another 3,690 and 25, and the Jets got within a late-hit penalty of the AFC Championship Game. This guy’s name may not be sexy to fans of the green and white, but he gave them solid play with the numbers to back it up. He is second all time for the Jets in passing yards (24,386), passing TDs (124), and wins (50), and he is their all-time leader in game-winning drives (16). True New York fans should appreciate Ken O’Brien because he is one of the top quarterbacks in Jets history.

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Very few athletes can truly be considered part of that mythical New York sports pantheon. Joe Willie Namath is one of them. This glamorous signal-caller, maybe the greatest quarterback of all time for the New York Jets, was special on the field, but what he represented off the field is what gives him legendary status. Not only did he spurn the NFL for the AFL and a record payday in 1965, but he helped legitimize the league merger and the viability of the Super Bowl a few years later. Broadway Joe’s reputation as a celebrity and man-about-town led to a talk show, movie roles, and countless endorsements. On the field, he led the league in passing yardage three times, including becoming the first man to ever throw for 4,000 yards in the 1967 season (a feat nobody else duplicated until 1979). The next year Namath’s career crowning achievement happened … winning Super Bowl III 16-7 for the Jets over the mighty Baltimore Colts of the NFL. In the week leading up to the game, Joe gave his famous guarantee of victory and then won the game’s MVP award. This seminal moment helped establish the Super Bowl as a true championship game and validated the quality of the AFL. Despite battling persistent knee issues his whole career, #12 is the Jets all-time leader in passing yards (27,057), passing touchdowns (170), wins (60), and photo ops. There have been books written about this man, so I’ll stop here, but despite all of the extra hoopla, Joe Namath still ranks as probably the top quarterback in New York Jets history. 

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This entry was posted on Friday, March 14th, 2025 at 3:47 pm 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.