These Are The Best Quarterbacks From All 50 States

Millions dream of being a quarterback for their favorite college or pro team. These fifty quarterbacks from across the country go to live out that dream.

No position in American sports is more beloved, debated, and valued than the quarterback. America’s most popular sport has produced plenty of legends at the position, but who is the best from your state?

These quarterbacks either were born in the respective state, or played their high school football there. NFL achievements were given priority, but in some cases, college and even high school accomplishments played a part in deciding who the best quarterback in each state was.

Some states had few, if any, good options, while others had too many to chose from. For some states, there will be honorable mentions listed in the caption.

Alabama: Bart Starr

There were some great quarterbacks to choose from in a state that loves football, but the nod goes to Bart Starr. The Alabama Crimson Tide and Green Bay Packers legend won the first two Super Bowls and five NFL Championships prior to the Super Bowl era en route to a Hall of Fame career.

Honorable Mentions: Ken Stabler, Philip Rivers

Alaska: Connor Feckley

Alaska has produced less NFL talent than arguably any other state, and quarterback is no different. Feckley gets the nod, as he threw for a state record 7,106 yards in high school and another 4,000+ in college at the University of Dubuque.

Arizona: Ryan Fitzpatrick

The Harvard grad holds the NFL record for most teams to start a game at quarterback for with nine, and he ended his career with an impressive 34,990 yards passing and 223 touchdowns. Everyone loved Fitzmagic.

Arkansas: Ryan Mallett

Ryan Mallett was a big-time high school recruit, going to Michigan before transferring back to Arkansas after Michigan hired Rich Rodriguez, who ran a scheme that wouldn’t fit Mallett’s pocket passing. He starred at Arkansas, and was a third round pick of the New England Patriots in 2011. Most of his NFL action was with the Houston Texans, and he finished his career with 1,835 yards passing and nine touchdowns. Mallett sadly passed away in a drowning accent in the summer of 2023.

California: Tom Brady

There’s so much that could be said about the greatest to ever play the position. But, a quick rundown: seven Super Bowls, 89,214 passing yards, 649 touchdowns, all NFL records. He was arguably the league’s best quarterback well into his 40s before retiring following the 2022 season. He’s the best quarterback from a state that is synonymous with quarterback play.

Honorable Mentions: Aaron Rodgers, Tony Romo, Carson Palmer, Dan Fouts, Josh Allen

Colorado: Chad Hutchinson

For a state that has put out its fair share of football talent, the quarterback situation is bleak. The Stanford alum decided to play baseball out of college, then signed with the Cowboys in 2002. He was supposed to be the quarterback of the future, but his career was mediocre at best. In fifteen games, he threw for 2,466 yards and eleven touchdowns to go along with eleven interceptions.

Connecticut: Dan Orlovsky

After UConn moved up to Division 1 FBS, Dan Orlovsky put his home-state program on the map, leading them to their first ever bowl game in 2004. After being drafted into the NFL, his most famous moment is running through the back of the end zone and taking a safety during the Lions’ infamous 0-16 season, but he was a successful backup in the NFL for over a decade. He’s now one of the NFL’s top analysts for ESPN.

Delaware: Nolan Henderson

Options were slim for a state has produced some top-flight NFL players, but not at quarterback. The nod went to Nolan Henderson, who just wrapped up an excellent career at the state’s flagship institution. He threw for 6,444 yards in his career for the Blue Hens, and a school record 56 touchdowns. He entered the NFL Draft in 2023 and went undrafted, but was signed by the Ravens. He’s since been released, but will surely be trying to find his way in professional football soon.

Florida: Matthew Stafford

Stafford played his high school football in Texas, but he was born in Tampa, Florida. And, he’s had a tremendous career. After being selected first-overall by the Lions in 2009, he starred there before being traded to the Rams and winning Super Bowl LVI. The 35-year-old has 54,152 yards and 341 touchdowns in his illustrious NFL career.

Georgia: Cam Newton

One of the most physically gifted quarterbacks ever, Newton has made his mark at both the college and NFL levels. After transferring from Florida to Auburn, he willed the Tigers to the 2010 national championship. The Panthers made him the first-overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, and he won an MVP in 2015, leading the Panthers to a Super Bowl appearance.

Hawaii: Marcus Mariota

Marcus Mariota has let many of his believers down in the NFL, but he’s still had an oustanding career overall as a quarterback. He led Oregon to the national championship game in a Heisman-winning season in 2014, before being selected second-overall in the 2015 NFL Draft. He led the Titans to multiple winning seasons, but was never the efficent passer he was in college. The current Eagles backup has 15,656 yards and 92 passing touchdowns in his career to go with just over 2,000 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns.

Idaho: Jake Plummer

“Jake the Snake” starred at Arizona State before being taken in the 2nd round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He spent six seasons as the starter in Arizona, before going to Denver, where he made a Pro Bowl in 2005 and led the Broncos to the AFC Championship Game. He finished his career with 161 touchdowns and 161 interceptions.

Illinois: Donovan McNabb

At his peak, Donovan McNabb was one of the league’s best quarterbacks for the Philadelphia Eagles. The 2nd-overall pick out of Syracuse in 1999 out of Syracuse made six Pro Bowls with the Eagles and led them to four straight NFC Championship games from 2001-2004, making Super Bowl XXXIX. He finished his career with 37,276 yards and 234 touchdowns in his career.

Indiana: Jay Cutler

One of the most enigmatic NFL quarterbacks in recent memory, Cutler led Vanderbilt to its win over Tennessee since 1982 in 2005, and was selected in the first round by the Denver Broncos in 2006. He spent three years there, and then spent eight in Chicago as the starter, leading them to the NFC Championship Game after the 2010 season. Cutler finished his career with 35,133 passing yards and 227 touchdowns, a good career, but never fully reaching his massive potential.

Iowa: Kurt Warner

One of the great Cinderella stories in NFL history, Warner went from the arena league in 1997 to winning MVP and the Super Bowl two seasons later with the St. Louis Rams in 1999. He won another MVP in 2001, where the team made another Super Bowl appearance, and led the Arizona Cardinals to the Super Bowl following the 2008 season. The Hall of Fame selection in 2017 finished his NFL career with 32,344 passing yards and 208 touchdowns.

Kansas: John Hadl

Hadl starred for the Kansas Jayhawks before signing with the then-AFL franchise San Diego Chargers despite being also drafted by the NFL. that paid off, as he won an AFL championship in 1963 with the Chargers. He was named first-team All-Pro with the Los Angeles Rams in 1973, and finished a great NFL career with 33,503 yards and 244 touchdowns. Hadl passed away in December of 2022.

Kentucky: Phil Simms

Simms attended little-known Morehead State, but played well enough for the Giants to make him the 7th overall pick in 1979. That was a great decision, as he was a two-time Super Bowl Champion and the MVP of Super Bowl XXI. Simms finished his career with 33,462 yards and 199 touchdowns. His Hall of Fame candidacy has been hotly debated, though he may make it in as a broadcaster, anyway.

Louisiana: Peyton Manning

This was an easy solution, as Manning beat out his brother, Eli, and four-time Super Bowl champion Terry Bradshaw to rep Louisiana. As good as those two were, it wasn’t even close. The two-time Super Bowl Champion was the quarterback prospect of the century when the Colts took him with the first pick in the 1998 NFL Draft. He won five MVP’s, made All-Pro teams ten times, and threw for a then-record 71,940 yards and 539 touchdowns when he retired following the 2015 season, when he retired a Super Bowl Champion. Peyton Manning is synonymous with a quarterback that had the total package as a passer and field general. NFL teams are still looking for the next Peyton Manning

Honorable Mention: Terry Bradshaw, Eli Manning

Maine: Quinton Porter

Maine is not known for producing football players, to say the least. But, Quinton Porter is the most successful quarterback from the state. Porter was the starter for parts of the 2003 and 2005 seasons at Boston College, and finished his career there with 3,203 yards and 23 touchdowns. After bouncing around in the NFL without attempting a pass. He led the CFL in rushing touchdowns in 2011 with the Hamilton Tiger Cats.

Maryland: Doug Flutie

Doug Flutie put Boston College football on the map nationally when his Hail Mary to beat Miami in 1984 was caught en route to the Heisman Trophy. Flutie chose the USFL over the NFL originally, and dominated the CFL before re-emerging in the NFL with the Bills and Chargers. He made a Pro Bowl in 1998 and finished his NFL career with 14,715 yards and 86 touchdowns, and 270 touchdowns in the CFL.

Massachusetts: Matt Hasselbeck

Yet another Boston College quarterback, Hasslebeck starred in Chestnut Hill before being taken by the Packers in the sixth round in 1998 to back up Brett Favre. After being acquired by former Packers coach Mike Holmgren in Seattle, he made three Pro Bowls and led the team to the Super Bowl following the 2005 season. He finished his career with 35,638 passing yards and 212 touchdowns.

Michigan: Drew Stanton

Michigan is another state that has produced a good amount of NFL talent, but not a lot of it is at quarterback. Stanton is the cream of the crop. He starred at Michigan State, throwing for over 6500 yards and had 57 career touchdowns. He was drafted by the home-state Detroit Lions and played fourteen NFL seasons, tallying 4,059 yards and 20 touchdowns in his career as mostly a back-up.

Minnesota: Chris Weinke

The former minor league baseball player was the oldest winner ever of the Heisman Trophy when he won the award in 2000, the year after leading the Florida State Seminoles to the national championship. Still, his age meant he dropped to the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft, where he was selected by the Panthers. He spent six seasons in Carolina, and finished his NFL career with an underwhelming 3,904 passing yards and 15 touchdowns to go against 26 interceptions. Still, Heisman Trophies are forever.

Mississippi: Brett Favre

One of the greatest players ever at the position, Favre is the position’s ultimate ironman, starting an astounding 297 straight games, most with the Green Bay Packers. He starred at Southern Miss before being selected in the second round by the Falcons, only for the team to trade him to Green Bay prior to his second season. The Super Bowl XXXI champion won three straight NFL MVP’s from 1995-1997, and made eleven Pro Bowls with six All-Pro selections. Gunslinger personified, he retired in 2010 at 41 as the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards, passing touchdowns, completions, and yes, interceptions.

Missouri: Blaine Gabbert

Blaine Gabbert starred at his home-state school, as he threw for 6,822 yards and 40 touchdowns in two years as the starter at Mizzou, before being selected in the first round by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2011. It never worked out for him as a starter, but he’s been a solid backup in the league for years now, winning Super Bowl LV as Tom Brady’s backup in Tampa Bay. He’s currently the backup in Kansas City, and has 9,302 yards and 51 touchdowns in his NFL career.

Montana: Ryan Leaf

One of the all-time what if’s in the history of the position, Ryan Leaf starred at Washington State, and was first-team All-American in 1997, throwing for nearly 7000 yards in just two years as a starter there. So good and so talented was Leaf that there was a genuine debate whether he or Peyton Manning, long considered a lock to go first overall, should be the first pick. The Colts made the right decision, and after Leaf went right behind Manning to the Chargers, he became arguably the biggest draft bust in NFL history. Leaf’s life off-the-field spiraled out of control, he developed an unfortunate substance abuse problem, and finished his NFL career with 3,666 yards with 14 touchdowns against 36 interceptions. Oh, what could have been.

Nebraska: Eric Crouch

It’s a state that loves football as much as any other, but they have had no real success in the NFL at quarterback. So, the nod goes to Eric Crouch who led Nebraska to the BCS national title game in 2001 and won the Heisman Trophy as an option quarterback. He never played a down in the NFL, but his career at Nebraska was legendary. Crouch had 88 total touchdowns and just under 8,000 total yards as a Cornhusker. The program has never been the same since he graduated.

Nevada: Tony Graziani

Graziani was on the 1994 Oregon team that went to the Rose Bowl, and a great junior season in 1995 led to him getting drafted in the 7th round in 1997. He had jsut 999 passing yards and two touchdowns against eigt interception in his NFL career. But, he made a living in the Arena Football League, throwing for 494 touchdowns and winning an Arena Bowl in 2008.

New Hampshire: Greg Landry

The New Hampshire native starred at UMass, and the Lions made him a first-round pick in 1968. It paid off quickly, as he was named first-team All-Pro in 1971. And, he won NFL Comeback PLayer of the Year in 1976, as well. Ultimately, he finished his career with 16,052 passing yards and 98 touchdowns, not a bad tally for a state that puts out very little football talent.

New Jersey: Joe Flacco

Joe Flacco started his college career at Pitt, before transferring and starring at Delaware. The Ravens picked him in the first round in 2008, and that was a great pick. Flacco went on to lead the team to plenty of winning seasons, and had one of the best postseasons of all-time following the 2012 season. That culminated in a victorious Super Bowl MVP performance in XLVII. Flacco stayed in Baltimore through 2018, and bounced around since. He’s currently unsigned, and has 42,230 passing yards and 232 touchdowns in his NFL career.

New Mexico: Colt McCoy

McCoy was born in New Mexico, and is by far the state’s best quarterback ever. His career as a Texas Longhorn was legendary. He went 45-8 as a starter in Austin, throwing for over 13,000 yards and 112 touchdowns with another 20 on the ground. McCoy led the Longhorns to the BCS title game in 2009, suffering an injury early in the team’s loss to Alabama. He was a third round pick of the Browns, and has been a fringe starter or backup his entire NFL career. McCoy has 7,975 yards and 34 touchdowns in his career.

New York: Vinny Testaverde

The 1986 Heisman Trophy winner for Miami (FL) was the first-overall pick for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1987 NFL Draft, setting up a long NFL career with plenty of up-and-downs. He made two Pro Bowls, played for eight different teams in a twenty-one-year career, and threw for 46,233 yards and 275 touchdowns in his NFL career.

North Carolina: Carson Wentz

Raised in North Dakota, Wentz was born in North Carolina, and has had a pretty good football life. He starred at North Dakota State, throwing for 5,100 yards and had 58 total touchdowns with two FCS titles as a starter before the Eagles made him the second-overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. He made an All-Pro team in 2017, and likely would’ve been the MVP if not for a late-season injury that season. But, the Eagles went on to win the Super Bowl that year with Nick Foles filling in, and he was never the same. The Eagles cut ties with him following the 2020 season, and unsuccessful stints with the Colts in 2021 and the Commanders in 2022 has him out of football. Wentz has 22,129 yards and 151 touchdowns in his career.

North Dakota: Brooks Bollinger

A born and raised North Dakotan, Bollinger starred at Wisconsin, where he finished with over 5,200 yards and 64 total touchdowns in his career. He was taken in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Jets, and had a cup of coffee in the NFL. He played in 21 games, throwing for 9 touchdowns with 2,226 passing yards.

Ohio: Ben Roethlisberger

The best quarterback from one of the best football states in the Union, Roethlisberger starred at Miami (OH), throwing for over 10,829 yards and 80 touchdowns before the Steelers made him a first-round pick in the famous quarterback class of 2004. He was instantly successful, winning Rookie of the Year in 2004 and a Super Bowl the next year. He would add another Super Bowl three seasons after that, and made six Pro Bowls in his career. The NFL all-time leader in 500-yard passing games and games with a perfect passer rating finished his soon-to-be Hall of Fame career in 2021 with 64,088 yards and 418 touchdowns.

Honorable Mentions: Russell Wilson, Len Dawson

Oklahoma: Sam Bradford

Bradford starred as the homegrown kid at Oklahoma, leading the Sooners to the national title game in a Heisman-winning 2008 season. An injury cut his junior season to just two games, but the Rams still made him the first-overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. Early returns were good, as Bradford won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. But, repeated injuries and inconsistent play hampered what could’ve been a great career. He finished his NFL career with 19,449 passing yards and 103 touchdowns.

Oregon: Justin Herbert

Justin Herbert is only in the midst of his fourth NFL season, but he’s already the best quarterback in Oregon history. He starred for the Oregon Ducks, starting 42 games and throwing for over 10,000 yards with 108 total touchdowns, leading the Ducks to the Rose Bowl in 2019. The Chargers made him the sixth-overall pick in the 2020 Draft in a very good quarterback class, and he’s been magnificent. Herbert already has 15,975 passing yards and 107 touchdowns against just 37 interceptions. The 2020 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year is one his way to a Hall of Fame career.

Pennsylvania: Joe Montana

No state has produced as many top-tier quarterbacks as Pennsylvania, but Joe Montana is the cream of the crop. Montana led Notre Dame to the 1977 national title, and was selected in the third round by the 49ers in 1979. Pairing with the famed inventor of the West Coast offense in Bill Walsh and with arguably the greatest football player ever, wide receiver Jerry Rice, Montana was the quarterback of a dynasty in San Francisco. He won four Super Bowls in San Francisco, was three-time Super Bowl MVP, two-time regular season MVP, and until Tom Brady came around was known as the most clutch quarterback to ever play. After suffering a catastrophic injury and being replaced by Steve Young, he finished his career with two good seasons in Kansas City in 1993 and 1994. Montana finished his NFL career with 40,551 passing yards and 273 touchdowns.

Honorable Mentions: Dan Marino, Johnny Unitas, George Blanda, Jim Kelly, Matt Ryan

Honorable Mentions:

Rhode Island: Joe Reed

Another state that doesn’t produce a lot of NFL talent, Joe Reed takes the mantle for Rhode Island. The Mississippi State alum was picked in the 11th round of the 1971 draft, and played eight seasons for the 49ers and Lions. He finished his NFL career with 2,825 yards and 18 touchdowns to go against 31 interceptions.

South Carolina: Mason Rudolph

Mason Rudolph starred at Oklahoma State, spending three years as the starter in Stillwater. He threw for over 13,000 yards and had 107 total touchdowns for the Cowboys, before being drafted in the third round of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Rudolph has mostly been a backup and filled in for an injured Ben Roehtlisberger for nine starts in 2019. Currently, he has 2,366 passing yards with 16 touchdowns in his NFL career.

South Dakota: Norm Van Brocklin

One of the most prolific passers of the mid-20th century, Van Brocklin starred at Oregon, leading the Ducks to a share of the then-Pacifc Coast Conference in 1948. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams, and won an NFL Championship in 1951 with the team and won a second with the Eagles in 1960. The 1960 MVP and four-time All-Pro selection still holds the NFL record for most passing yards in a game with 554. He is an inductee of both the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Tennessee: Trevor Lawrence

Though he moved to Georgia to play high school football, Lawrence was born in Tennessee. And, he’s already the best quarterback to come from the state at just 24 years old. Lawrence was the consensus top recruit in the country in the class of 2018, and led the Clemson Tigers to a national title as a true freshman. In Total, he went a remarkable 34-2 at Clemson, and had 98 total touchdowns against just 17 interceptions. Lawrence was the shoo-in first-overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, and after a slow start, has shown that he was well worth the selection. Lawrence made a Pro Bowl in his second season, and led a playoff comeback win against the Chargers after trailing 27-0. So far, he has 9,689 passing yards and 46 touchdowns in just 42 games so far.

Texas: Patrick Mahomes

The state more synonymous with football than any other gave us a quarterback who has a realistic shot of challenging Tom Brady for the status of the greatest ever at the position. After thriving in the air raid under coach Kliff Kingsbury at Texas Tech, Mahomes was taken in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. He sat for a year behind Alex Smith, and was instantly a superstar, winning NFL MVP in his first year as a starter. Since, he’s added another MVP and two Super Bowl titles with two Super Bowl MVP’s. He’s a ridiculous 81-21 as a starter, including an 11-3 mark in the playoffs. At just 28, Mahomes already has 26,499 passing yards and 207 touchdowns, with an NFL-record passer rating of 104.8 Absolutely no accomplishment is off the table for Patrick Mahomes.

Honorable Mentions: Drew Brees, Vince Young, Bobby Layne, Andrew Luck, Y.A Tittle

Utah: Steve Young

Born in Utah, Young starred at Brigham Young in Lavell Edwards’ pass-happy offense. He threw for 7,733 yards and 56 touchdowns at BYU, before eschewing the NFL and signing with the USFL”s Los Angeles Express. That didn’t work out, and he ended up playing two years with the Buccaneers before being traded to the 49ers to back up Joe Montana. Young was made the starter for good in San Francisco in 1992, and he had a legendary run. He won a Super Bowl in 1994, was MVP in 1992 and 1994, and was named All-Pro six times. The Hall of Famer ended his NFL career with 232 touchdowns to go along with 33,124 passing yards. He also added an impressive 4,234 rushing yards to go along with 43 touchdowns.

Vermont: Joe Shield

The pickings were slim for Vermont. Joe Shield played his college football at Division III Trinity before being drafted by the Packers in the 11th round of the 1985 NFL Draft. He played in three games, never attempting a pass.

Virginia: Michael Vick

Michael Vick was a high school sensation in Newport News, Virgina, before committing to Virginia Tech and turning the program into a powerhouse. Vick led the Hokies to the brink of a national title in his redshirt freshman season in 1999, finishing third in the Heisman Trophy voting. The Falcons made the freakishly talented Vick the first-overall pick in the 2001 NFL Draft, and he was a burgeoning star for the team until he was caught involving himself in a dogfighting ring, a situation that earned him him a prison sentence of 21 months in federal prison. He returned to the league with the Philadelphia Eagles, makign a Pro Bowl and winning NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 2010. For his career, Vick had 22,464 passing yards with 133 touchdowns, and an NFL quarterback record of 6,109 rushing yards. It’s a classic case of what could have been.

Washington: John Elway

Despite never leading the Cardinal to a bowl game, Elway was considered a can’t-miss prospect at Stanford, and forced a trade after being selected first-overall by the Baltimore Colts in 1983 to the Denver Broncos before ever playing a down in the NFL. That move paid off for the Broncos, as Elway went on to an incredible career. The nine-time Pro Bowl selection was NFL MVP in 1987 and finished his career with back-to-back Super Bowl wins in 1997 and 1998. He finished his career with 51,475 yards passing, 3,407 yards rushing, and 333 total touchdowns.

West Virginia: Joe Gilliam

Another state with slim pickings, Gilliam was taking in the 11th round out of Tennessee State, where he was named a Little All-American, in 1972. Mostly a backup, he won two Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers, nearly supplanting Hall of Fame selection Terry Bradshaw. Gilliam finished his career with 2,103 passing yards and nine touchdowns to go against 17 interceptions.

Wisconsin: Dave Krieg

Dave Krieg is one of the great underdog stories in NFL history. He played his college ball at Milton, a small private school in Wisconsin that played NAIA football and no longer exists. He went undrafted, but defied the odds in a big way. Krieg was a three-time Pro Bowl selection for the Seattle Seahawks, and is a member of their Ring of Honor. For his career, he had an awfully impressive 38,147 passing yards and 261 touchdowns.

Wyoming: Tom Farris

Wyoming is obviously not a football powerhouse, and the best quarterback to come out of the state is Tom Farris. Farris was selected in the 11th round of the 1942 NFL Draft out of Wisconsin. But, his NFL career was put on hold to serve his country as a member of the Coast Guard in World War II. Upon the end of his service, he spent three years playing professional football, playing in 33 games and having 108 passing yards and one touchdown pass.