Arch Manning Named His Top 5 Quarterbacks of All Time

21-year-old Arch Manning is entering the 2025 college football season with a tremendous amount of hype. The former 5-star recruit will begin his first year as the full-time starting quarterback for the Texas Longhorns, the preseason No. 1.

It’s the first time in school history this program is starting as the top team, and the year starts in blockbuster fashion at No. 3 Ohio State.

Should Arch and company win against the defending champs in Columbus, his star power will only grow tenfold. Of course, one of the reasons the New Orleans native is so hyped up is due to his family name.

The Manning family is football royalty, having already produced three phenomenal NFL quarterbacks, and is looking to have a fourth one in the near future.

To this point, Arch has kept his cool under immense pressure. However, the young quarterback did turn some heads when asked to name his top 5 greatest quarterbacks in NFL history.

In an interview with Complex Sports, Manning provided his list, while giving a brief overall description of why these players made it into his top 5. Old heads might not love these selections, but many fans will understand them.

Tom Brady

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Tom Brady is by most accounts the greatest quarterback ever, and Arch was old enough to see the six-time All-Pro win four of his seven Super Bowl titles.

For 20 years, the New England Patriots became the greatest dynasty the NFL has ever seen under Brady and head coach Bill Belichick. Shortly after, Tom even won a Lombardi Trophy with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 43 for good measure.

Arch isn’t breaking any barriers with this pick.

Patrick Mahomes

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While Patrick Mahomes might not be in everybody’s top 5 at this point, the Kansas City Chiefs‘ superstar is already one of the greatest quarterbacks ever.

In just seven years as a starter, Mahomes has made it to seven AFC Championships, won five of those games, and collected three Lombardi Trophies. Not to mention, the 29-year-old already has two NFL MVPs and three Super Bowl MVPs on his resume.

Mahomes’ cement is still not dry, but he has already reached heights that few legendary quarterbacks can match.

Peyton Manning

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Another not controversial pick by Arch, and it just so happens to be his uncle. Peyton Manning revolutionized the quarterback position and is just one of two quarterbacks to win Super Bowls for two different franchises.

With his legendary football IQ and accuracy, Peyton set multiple passing records en route to a record-setting five regular-season MVPs. Manning is ultimately an icon of the league who will always be among the greats.

Drew Brees

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Drew Brees He is probably one of the more underrated quarterbacks on this list, but he is, without a doubt, a first-ballot Hall of Famer and by far the greatest player in New Orleans Saints history.

After a few encouraging seasons with the San Diego Chargers, Brees suffered a dislocated right shoulder with a torn labrum and partial rotator cuff tear. San Diego subsequently moved on from the franchise quarterback because of their concerns about Drew ever being the same after this injury.

Brees not only came back stronger than ever, but he became one of the most accurate quarterbacks in NFL history. The 20-year pro still holds several records to this day, such as the highest completion percentage in a season, the most consecutive games with a touchdown pass, and the most career 5,000-yard seasons.

Even when Drew is not mentioned alongside the names of Tom Brady, Joe Montana, and John Elway, he’s still in the same league as them, and maybe closer than many people think.

Eli Manning

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Eli Manning is obviously the one controversial inclusion in Arch’s top 5 list, but it’s not surprising that he’s here. Arch’s uncle is still a New York Giants legend who will eventually get a bust in Canton.

Manning spent his entire career with “Big Blue”, demonstrating remarkable durability and clutch play throughout his tenure. Eli, at one point, had 210 consecutive starts under center, which was one of the longest streaks in NFL history.

In addition to making four Pro Bowls, the former Ole Miss standout retired in the top 10 in both passing yards and touchdowns overall.

Eli will fittingly be most remembered for his legendary postseason moments, particularly in the two Super Bowls he participated in.

In both cases, New York had to navigate very difficult paths just to get to Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLVI before matching up against the New England Patriots.

The first clash is one of the most memorable upsets in sports. The 11–5 Giants were taking on a New England team that had a shot at immortality. The Patriots were 18-0 overall going into this clash, looking to become the greatest team of all time.

But Eli Manning, along with the Giants’ elite defense, stayed in the game until that legendary late-fourth-quarter drive that included David Tyree’s iconic helmet catch and Plaxico Burress’ game-winning touchdown with just 35 seconds left.

The Giants collected their third Lombardi Trophy in this clash before returning to this stage in 2012 and once again winning against the Patriots late.

Like their previous Super Bowl matchup, Manning was the headliner with several down-the-stretch throws to win that game 21-17.

Eli is not considered a top 5 quarterback of all time, but he is justifiably a legend of the game. If Arch has a career like either of his uncles, he will be another rousing success story in this league.