Rams legends like Kurt Warner ranked among top-20 quarterbacks ever
A panel of NFL writers across 12 different outlets have ranked the top-30 quarterbacks of the Super Bowl era and Rams legend Kurt Warner has checked in at 19th overall. Warner comes in just behind Warren Moon at 18 and just ahead of Bart Starr at 20.
Matthew Stafford also made the list, but barely cracked it at 30th overall.
On Warner, PFF’s Sam Monson highlighted how his story alone is worthy of inclusion on the all-time list:
“As much as there is a tendency to distill football down to statistics sometimes, there is still room for the story, and Kurt Warner has one of the best stories in NFL history, so much so that he is a member of more than one Hall of Fame thanks to his professional career. An undrafted free agent, Warner was released before he ever got a shot in the NFL. He stocked shelves at a grocery, played Arena football, and was then sent to NFL Europe before finally sticking on a roster in the NFL with the Rams. Even then, Warner needed an injury to starter Trent Green to get the opportunity to lead the Rams, and he led them to not only a Super Bowl, but to one of the most explosive offensive outputs in NFL history. Warner’s career was a consistent story of perseverance, which showed up again during his time with the Arizona Cardinals. Given up on as a starter, Warner won back the job and took the Cardinals to a Super Bowl, narrowly missing out on another ring in one of the best games in NFL history.” – Sam Monson
Nobody ranked Warner in the top-15 (his best ranking was 16th) but nobody unranked him either. Warner is behind the likes of Troy Aikman, Jim Kelly, and Dan Fouts. Does he deserve to be higher?
Stafford’s inclusion was on shakier ground, but SB Nation’s Jarrett Bailey thinks he’s worthy:
“For the longest time, Stafford was a Michelin-star chef in a dive bar. His talents were evident throughout the entirety of his career, but his feet were stuck to the floor known as the Detroit Lions of the late 2000s and 2010s. And despite the organization seemingly attempting to remain in perpetual turmoil, Stafford emerged as one of the best quarterbacks of his era. He topped 5,000 yards in 2011, which marked his first of seven consecutive seasons with at least 4,000 passing yards. As soon as Stafford left Detroit, he won a Super Bowl, despite never winning a playoff game prior to being traded to the Los Angeles Rams. While the prime years of his career likely featured several glasses of scotch, his play has aged like a fine wine as he continues to keep the Rams in the Super Bowl conversation at age 37.” – Jarrett Bailey
The Rams have had other legendary quarterbacks on the roster, like Bob Waterfield and Norm Van Brocklin, but both played before the Super Bowl era. Popular QBs like Roman Gabriel and Jim Everett will also fall short of the top-30.
But with two of the top-30, both of whom were acquired by the Rams near or after turning 30, that’s not bad for the franchise.