Everybody loves quarterback rankings and tier lists. Or at least, loves to argue over them.
One of the hottest QB ranking topics in the NFL space lately has been where former Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford ranks all-time. This debate comes after another former Lions QB, Dan Orlovsky, suggested on ESPN's "Get Up" that another Super Bowl ring could place him in the top-5 or top-7 QBs ever.
Whether intentional or not, NFL Throwback on YouTube took full advantage of the discourse, releasing their video ranking the top-100 QBs of all-time. A couple of former Lions, and of course the current Lions' QB, made the list.
NFL Throwback has Jared Goff ranked #47 all-time. Goff's ranking sandwiches him between two Philadelphia Eagles legends, Donovan McNabb (#48) and Randall Cunningham (#46). The ranking places Goff seventh among active QBs, which is in the ballpark of his typical QB rankings for 2026.
Goff being a top-50 QB all-time may feel shocking to some, given the notable flaws in his game. Look deeper, and him being ranked in the 40s makes perfect sense.
The case for Goff as a top-50 QB all-time
Goff's career being ranked favorably is nothing new. In December, USA Today ranked Goff #19 on their list of the 25 best QBs of the past 25 years.
Expanding to all-time, NFL Throwback notes Goff leading all of football in passing yards since 2017, adding that Goff "hasn't stopped playing at a high level." NFL Throwback also brings up Goff's Super Bowl appearance with the Los Angeles Rams and later leading the Lions and their high octane offense to their "best era since the 1950s."
At age 31, going on 32, Goff already ranks highly in career passing marks. Goff is 27th all-time in passing yards (39,622) and 25th in touchdown passes (256). With 90 regular-season wins, Goff has a shot to become the 21st, 22nd, or 23rd QB ever to reach to 100 win mark depending on whether or not Patrick Mahomes (95) or Josh Allen (88) can get there first.
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Goff also has five Pro Bowl nods, none of which were undeserving bottom-of-the-barrel selections that were prevalent among AFC QBs before the NFL axed the Pro Bowl game. For all the warranted flack the Pro Bowl gets, it's still extremely tough for a QB to make it to five Pro Bowls even with alternates/replacements, so Goff making it there is worth commending.
Using a different metric to rank QBs across eras, Pro Football Reference's Hall of Fame Monitor has Goff at 51st (54.7) among all QBs who debuted after 1955. The average Hall of Famer has a rating of 110, so Goff still has a ways to go if he wants Canton considerations.
And that's the thing: Goff being ranked in the top-50 is not a declaration that he's a Hall of Famer. In NFL Throwback's list, Hall of Famers start to become prevalent around #30 (Dan Fouts). Goff's #47 ranking could be considered a high-end Hall of Good, maybe pushing low-end Hall of Very Good, which feels about right with where his career is at now.
Former Lions QBs also make the list
Goff isn't the only Lion to make this list. Daunte Culpepper (#91) and Jeff Garcia (#81) also make the list at the tail end. Not that their time in Detroit helped their cause. Culpepper and Garcia combined for a 1-14 record with the Lions, with Garcia playing in 2005 and Culpepper playing in 2008 and 2009. Culpepper was also notably one of the Lions' starting QBs during the 0-16 season.
The G.O.A.T. backup QB, Earl Morrall, ranked #65, while Dave Krieg was just behind him at #68. Morrall joined the Lions in the Bobby Layne trade, but found success after leaving Detroit. Morrall won an MVP and multiple championships, including one with the undefeated 1972 Dolphins, where he started 11 games during that run. Krieg was only with the Lions in 1994, starting seven games, but his 14 TDs to 3 interceptions, a career-best 101.7 passer rating, and a 5-2 record helped lead the Lions to the playoffs.
Current Lions QB coach Mark Brunell also made the list at #73. Although Brunell never played for the Lions, he's been with the team since 2021 and is often credited for his role in Goff's career revitalization in Detroit.
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None of those former Lions were likely the ones Lions fans would be seeking out in this list. Instead, they want to see where Layne and Stafford ranked. For Layne, he comes in at #27 between Len Dawson (#28) and Warren Moon (#26). Stafford isn't too far ahead at #23. Similar to Goff, Stafford is between two franchise legends, this time the Buffalo Bills, ranking between Jim Kelly (#24) and Josh Allen (#22).
Both Layne and Stafford are Hall of Famers. Well, Stafford will eventually be one after winning a Super Bowl and regular season MVP in his post-Detroit days with the Rams. Layne, however, found his biggest success with the Lions, earning multiple First-Team All-Pro selections along with bringing Detroit multiple NFL championships.
The #50 has become synonymous with Layne, thanks to his infamous curse. 50 years after his alleged curse of futility presumably expired, the Lions have had remarkable consistency at the QB position. When Goff takes his first snap Week 1, it will mark 18 consecutive season where either he or Stafford are QB1 in Detroit.
That's 18 consecutive seasons led by two QBs NFL Throwback now considers top-50 all-time. And Goff still has plenty of time to reach Layne and Stafford's place in the top-30 in future top-100 rankings.
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