Cook’s Top 5: Green Bay Packers Quarterbacks

I could end up being wrong.

But it’s pretty likely that no NFL team has had three better quarterbacks play the majority of their careers under contract to them than the Green Bay Packers. Bart Starr & Brett Favre are legends of the sport, and Aaron Rodgers is pretty much there already, we just can’t say it yet because there’s no sign he’s slowing down. Green Bay fans have been incredibly lucky to see these men lead their team to greatness.

It’s enough to forget about all those years where one of these three men wasn’t Packers quarterback. Hell, the last time that was the case was early-September 1992. Don’t worry, we’ve still got five people to count down as we rank the Greatest Packers Quarterbacks of All Time.

5. Don Majkowski

The Magic Man is most known these days for being the man that was replaced by Brett Favre due to injury. Before that, he was another young quarterback that had shown some potential early before getting bitten by the injury bug. 1989 was the high point of Majkowski’s career, as he was selected to the Pro Bowl after leading the NFL with 4,318 passing yards. He threw 27 touchdown passes, and the Packers won ten games for the first time since 1972. Unfortunately, things fell apart after that. Majkowski tore his rotator cuff to end his 1990 season, then got benched after finding little success during 1991. He got another shot in 1992, but tore a ligament in his left ankle during a game with the Cincinnati Bengals. That was the last time Don Majkowski started for the Green Bay Packers.

He spent four seasons as a backup with the Colts & Lions before retiring at the age of 32. He still sits in the top 5 for most Packers passing records.

4. Lynn Dickey

Dickey didn’t exactly preside over one of the Packers’ more successful time periods. Green Bay only won one division championship and made one playoff appearance during Dickey’s time as quarterback, and it was during the strike-shortened 1982 season. 1983 saw Dickey’s best season, and one of the best seasons by a Packers quarterback. Dickey’s 4,458 passing yards set a team record that lasted until 2011. His 32 touchdown passes that season stood as a Packers record until 1994, and his 29 interceptions…well, that was tied in 2005. It was a busy season!

1984 saw Dickey throw for 3,195 yards & 25 touchdowns, but his production went down in 1985 and he ended up retiring after getting cut before the 1986 season.

3. Bart Starr

Some old school Packers fans will take issue with this one. After all, Starr won five NFL Championships, including the first two Super Bowls. He still has the highest quarterback rating in postseason interesting, which is really impressive considering he played most of his postseason games on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field. His career completion percentage of 57.4% wouldn’t make him starter-worthy in 2021, but at the time he retired it was the best in league history.

He was a one-time MVP. He was selected to four Pro Bowls & was first-team All-Pro once. Yes, he won five NFL Championships, but take a look at some of those Packers teams he was on. Paul Hornung. Jim Taylor. Forrest Gregg. Jerry Kramer. On the other side of the ball, you had Ray Nitschke, Herb Adderly, Willie Davis, Willie Wood, Dave Robinson Henry Jordan. Oh, and Vince Lombardi was coaching them all. Not to completely discredit Starr for the greatness he achieved because he was surrounded by greatness, but he had more Hall of Famers to work with than the top two guys on this list ever did.

2. Brett Favre

Yes, Brett Favre leads the Packers in all-time passing yards & touchdowns. He has the highest Approximate Value of any Packer, and was certainly one of the most popular & discussed players in league history. It goes to show just how stacked this top three is when Favre is the third best.

I have a feeling that some will try to tell me that Favre was a much better QB than Aaron Rodgers. This is based off of personal feelings and emotion, as facts just don’t bear that out. When it comes to awards, they’re very similar. Favre was selected to nine Pro Bowls during his time as a Packer, just like Aaron Rodgers. Favre was a three-time MVP during his time with the Packers, just like Aaron Rodgers. Favre & Rodgers were also both three-time first-team All-Pros. Oh, and both men have won one Super Bowl.

The main difference between Favre & Rodgers? Favre was an ol’ gunslinger that liked to have fun out there. He played the game like he was out in the backyard, chucking it down the field without pesky things like rhyme or reason in the way. This is showcased by Favre’s 336 interceptions, an all-time league record by a pretty wide margin. Meanwhile, Rodgers is clinical. Everything he does is with precision & accuracy. He’s only thrown over ten interceptions in a season twice, both within the first three years of his time as a starter.

Basically, the difference between Aaron Rodgers & Brett Favre is that Aaron Rodgers is smart. Also, Rodgers has played 58 fewer games than Favre and is on pace to break his franchise touchdown record next season & his passing yards record in three seasons. Assuming that he doesn’t get mad at the whole “drafting Jordan Love to replace him” thing and demand a trade.

1. Aaron Rodgers

Welp.

Thanks for reading! Join us next time when we look at the Houston Texans!