Colin Cowherd ranks the top five QBs in every decade since 1970

There's little debate that the National Football League is a quarterback-driven league.

That stands to reason because nobody on the field (save for the center, responsible for snapping the football) touches the pigskin more in a given game than the QB.

This week, Eric Eager of Pro Football Focus released his list of the top 10 signal-callers in the NFL.

The latter half of the list generated some buzz, but there was very little controversy surrounding his top five of Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Josh Allen, in that order.

As Colin Cowherd opined on "The Herd," this has been the norm since he started watching the league in the '70s.

Typically, five QBs are head and shoulders above the rest, with a select few possibly in the conversation. Beyond that, the vast majority of teams would prefer to improve at the position, according to Cowherd.

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"The way the NFL has always worked for quarterbacks: There's been five guys running the league, maybe one or two other guys worth mentioning," Cowherd said. "Everybody else is looking to upgrade, and they just don't want to tell you."

To prove his point, Cowherd listed the top five QBs from every decade in which he has watched the game.

Here's what he came up with:

1970s

Cowherd's top five: Terry Bradshaw, Ken Stabler, Roger Staubach, Bob Griese, Fran Tarkenton

Super Bowl wins: Bradshaw (1974, 1975, 1978, 1979), Staubach (1971, 1977), Griese (1972, 1973), Stabler (1976)

Cowherd's take: "Bradshaw, Stabler, Staubach ran the league. Then Griese was part of a great ⁠— he wasn't as dynamic ⁠— but part of a great team. And then Fran Tarkenton ran around for years. ... Those Minnesota teams didn't win Super Bowls, [but] they were in the conversation every year. ... There were one or two others worth mentioning. Everybody else was looking for a better quarterback."

1980s

Cowherd's top five: Joe Montana, Dan Fouts, John Elway, Dan Marino, Joe Theismann

Super Bowl wins: Montana (1981, 1984, 1988, 1989), Theismann (1982)

Cowherd's take: "The '80s … Fouts was part of the No. 1 passing offense. Montana was winning the Super Bowls. Elway and Marino were turning heads. Theismann ⁠— part of the greatest structure."

1990s

Cowherd's top five: Troy Aikman, Brett Favre, John Elway, Jim Kelly, Steve Young

Super Bowl wins: Aikman (1992, 1993, 1995), Elway (1997, 1998), Young (1994), Favre (1996), Warner (1999)

Cowherd's take: "And then you go to the '90s. It's the same thing. It's Aikman, Favre, Elway, Kelly ran the league. And at the end, here came Steve Young to replace Montana. ... At that point now, Marino was too old [and] not as effective."

2000s

Cowherd's top five: Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Brett Favre, Kurt Warner

Super Bowl wins: Brady (2001, 2003, 2004), Manning (2006), Brees (2009)

Cowherd's take: "It was Peyton and Tom in their prime, Drew Brees in his prime, Brett Favre leaving his prime and Kurt Warner was emerging. It wasn't Big Ben [Roethlisberger]. They were winning with defense. Warner was part of these wild offenses."

2010s

Cowherd's top five: Tom Brady, Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning

Super Bowl wins: Brady (2014, 2016, 2018), Rodgers (2010), Wilson (2013), Manning (2015)

Cowherd's take: "Brady getting old but still winning. Russell, Aaron, Brees getting old [but] still winning and Peyton Manning. By the way, say what you want about old Peyton Manning, he just kept figuring out ways to win his division, win the AFC and get to Super Bowls." 

2020s (so far)

Cowherd's top five: Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Josh Allen

Super Bowl wins: Brady (2020)

Cowherd's take: "What do you know? It's the same thing right now. You get an old Tom Brady clinging to it. Like an old Peyton, he just knows how to win. And then you've got your four other guys, your Mahomes, your Josh Allen, your Aaron Rodgers, your Russell Wilson. It's been like that my whole life."

For Cowherd's full breakdown, check out the video below:

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