The Daily Ranker: Looking at the 10 greatest NFL quarterback seasons ever

By FOX Sports Research
Updated Dec. 13, 2024 3:01 p.m. ET

Quarterback is widely considered the most important and toughest position to play in professional sports.

And while several signal-callers have put together illustrious careers, there are always a few that have managed to craft what we call "magical seasons."

FOX Sports Research broke down the numbers and ranked the 10 best seasons ever produced by a quarterback.

While there are some obvious choices near the top, there are also some surprising names that made our list when analyzing their performances. 

Where does your favorite quarterback's best season rank?

Let's take a look:

1. Tom Brady: Patriots, 2007

Tom Brady's 2007 season was unprecedented. "TB12" became the first quarterback ever to throw 50 touchdown passes in a season and also finished the year with a perfect 16-0 record — an NFL regular season record. He additionally led the league in completion rate (68.9%), pass yards (4,806) and yards per attempt (8.3). 

Brady spearheaded New England's dominance that year, as they beat opponents by an average of 19.7 points per game— the highest average point differential in the Super Bowl era (since 1966). The Patriots finished that year with an 18-1 record including the playoffs, ultimately losing to the Giants in the Super Bowl.

2. Peyton Manning: Broncos, 2013

Just six years after Brady set the NFL single-season mark for touchdown passes with 50, Peyton Manning topped it with 55 in 2013. He also broke the single-season record for passing yards with 5,477 — a mark that still stands today. Manning also tied the single-game record for touchdown passes in a game that season, throwing for seven in the opening game of the season against the Ravens. He'd lead the Broncos to a 13-3 record and make it all the way to the Super Bowl before losing to the Seahawks.

3. Patrick Mahomes: Chiefs, 2018

Patrick Mahomes' 2018 campaign, his first season as a full-time starter, was an unforgettable one, as he became the third player in NFL history to throw for 50 touchdown passes en route to winning his first MVP award. Mahomes joined Manning (2013) as the only players in league history to throw for 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns in a season, and ultimately led the Chiefs to a 12-4 record and an appearance in the AFC Championship Game. In that game, he was out-dueled by Tom Brady's Patriots in a 37-31 overtime thriller. He was just 23 years old that season.

4. Dan Marino: Dolphins, 1984

Simply put, Dan Marino was ahead of his time. In 1984, he became the first player to ever throw for 5,000 yards in a season and is still the only one to have done so before the start of the 21st century. Marino also threw 48 touchdown passes that year, which was also an NFL record until Manning threw 49 in 2004. He led the Dolphins to a 14-2 record and was ultimately bounced by Joe Montana's 49ers in the Super Bowl.  

5. Drew Brees: Saints, 2011

Before Manning set the single-season record for passing yards in 2013 with 5,477, Brees did it two seasons prior with 5,476. He led the Saints to a 13-3 record and finished the year with 46 passing touchdowns to go with his record-setting yardage total. The Purdue product is one of six players ever to record a season with 5,000 passing yards and 40 touchdown passes, joining Brady, Mahomes, Manning, Marino, and Matthew Stafford. This was the second of his NFL record five 5,000-yard passing seasons. Brees would lead New Orleans to the divisional round of the playoffs, where they'd lose to the 49ers.

6. Tom Brady: Buccaneers, 2021

Brady's second season with Tampa Bay, which came at the age of 44, was one of the best of the seven-time Super Bowl-champion's career. Throwing for an NFL-high (and career-high) 5,316 yards and 43 touchdowns, Brady led the Buccaneers to a 13-4 record and their first NFC South division title in 14 years. Of course, this came one year after Brady & Co. won Super Bowl LV.

7. Kurt Warner: Rams, 1999

Once undrafted in 1994 out of Northern Iowa, Warner would eventually turn the NFL world upside down in the last year of the 20th century, leading the Rams to a Super Bowl triumph. Throwing for a then-Super Bowl-record 414 yards and two touchdowns, Warner helped the Rams knock off the Tennessee Titans, 23-16. In the regular season, Warner totaled 4,353 passing yards, 41 passing touchdowns, 13 interceptions and a 109.2 passer rating, while completing 65.1% of his passes. Warner's touchdown total, passer rating and completion percentage led the NFL.

8. Aaron Rodgers: Packers, 2011

Rodgers and the Packers put together a scintillating 2011 regular season, as they posted an NFL-best 15-1 record. Meanwhile, Rodgers totaled 4,643 passing yards, 45 passing touchdowns, six interceptions and an NFL-record 122.5 passer rating, all while completing 68.3% of his passes. He put up those numbers despite being rested in Green Bay's final game of the regular season. Rodgers won MVP honors.

9. Jalen Hurts: Eagles, 2022

In what was his second full season as their full-time quarterback, Hurts led the Philadelphia Eagles to Super Bowl LVII. In the regular season (15 games), Hurts totaled 3,701 passing yards, 22 passing touchdowns, six interceptions and a 101.5 passer rating, all while completing 66.5% of his passes. He also rushed for 760 yards and 13 touchdowns, ultimately coming in second in the chase for league MVP. While it was in a losing effort, Hurts totaled 304 passing yards, 70 rushing yards and four combined touchdowns (three rushing, one passing) against the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl.

10. Lamar Jackson: Ravens, 2019

In what was his first season as the Baltimore Ravens' full-time quarterback, Jackson put together an MVP campaign. Across 15 games, Jackson totaled 3,127 passing yards, an NFL-best 36 passing touchdowns, six interceptions and a 113.3 passer rating, while completing 66.1% of his passes. He also rushed for 1,206 yards — which stands as the NFL record for a quarterback — and seven touchdowns, helping Baltimore finish an NFL-best 14-2.

Honorable Mention:

  • Patrick Mahomes (2022)
  • Peyton Manning (2004)
  • Cam Newton (2015)