Ranking the Top 5 Baltimore Ravens Quarterbacks of All Time

The Baltimore Ravens became an NFL franchise in 1996 after Art Modell, then the owner of the Cleveland Browns, elected to relocate his team. Part of the deal was to part way with the Browns’ history and records and keep them in Cleveland for an expansion team that entered the league in 1999.

During their run as a franchise, the Ravens have had plenty of success, winning a pair of Super Bowls. They’ve also had their fair share of top-notch quarterbacks to lead the way.

But who’s the best of the best when it comes to Ravens QBs? Is it based on individual accolades and stats? Or is it based on consistency and championships?

We looked back at every quarterback in Ravens history and narrowed the list to five. Two stand out above the rest: Lamar Jackson and Joe Flacco. Both are deserving of the top spot, but only one grabbed it. Who was our choice? Let’s take a look.

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1 Joe Flacco

Joe Flacco’s career with the Ravens was highlighted by his MVP performance in Super Bowl 47

No, Joe Flacco doesn’t have an NFL MVP award in his trophy case. Truth be told, he didn’t even have a Pro Bowl season during his 11 years as the starter in Baltimore. He does, however, own a Super Bowl ring and was a player who came up big when it counted.

The Ravens selected the Delaware star with the 18th overall pick in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft, and he wasted no time making an impression. As a rookie, Flacco started all 16 games and led the Ravens to an 11-5 record.

He then led the team to a berth in the AFC Championship Game after becoming the first rookie quarterback to win his first postseason start on the road, defeating the Miami Dolphins in the Wild Card Round.

Flacco was as tough and durable as they come. He started all 16 games in each of his first seven seasons and nine of his first 10. He never had a losing record during those first seven seasons.

Flacco came up big in 2012, leading the Ravens to a 10-6 record. As usual, he shined in the postseason, and his biggest playoff moment came against the heavily favored Denver Broncos. With his team trailing 35-28 with less than a minute to play, Flacco launched a 70-yard touchdown pass to Jacoby Jones for a play known as the “Mile High Miracle.” The play sent the game into overtime, where the Ravens won 38-35.

Baltimore then knocked off Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game. Flacco then led the Ravens to a 34-31 victory in Super Bowl 47 against the San Francisco 49ers, throwing three touchdown passes en route to winning Super Bowl MVP.

Flacco compiled a regular-season record of 96-67 during his time with the Ravens and went 10-6 in the playoffs.

2 Lamar Jackson

It shouldn’t take long for Lamar Jackson to climb to No. 1 on the list of all-time greatest Ravens QBs

It shouldn’t take long for Jackson to surpass Flacco as the team’s best quarterback ever, but for now, he’s an extremely close second. A big part of Jackson being second is that he’s only been in the league for six seasons. Another reason is his lack of playoff success.

Jackson is an outstanding dual threat at quarterback. One of the most exciting players in the NFL, Jackson won the first of his two MVPs in just his second year in the NFL in 2019 after going 6-1 as a rookie a year earlier.

The Ravens selected Jackson with the final pick in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft and following his seven starts as a rookie, the Louisville alum became the unquestionable starter in 2019 and led Baltimore to a 13-2 record, leading the NFL with 36 touchdown passes and throwing for 3,127 yards. He also did plenty of damage on the ground by rushing 176 times for 1,206 yards and seven scores.

Jackson is a stat machine. For those who claim he’s just a running quarterback, Jackson is already second to Flacco on the team’s all-time passing list with 15,887 yards. His 125 career touchdown passes are also second.

Jackson earned his second MVP during the 2023 season after going 13-3 and throwing for a career-high 3,678 yards with 24 touchdown passes, adding 821 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground.

Jackson has never had a losing season with the Ravens and is 58-19 as the team’s starter in the regular season. It’s only a matter of time before he surpasses Flacco as the top QB in Ravens history, but his 2-4 mark in the postseason isn’t helping his case.

3 Steve McNair

Steve McNair played just two seasons with the Ravens but led them to a division title in 2006

After Flacco and Jackson, Baltimore’s quarterback list thins out pretty quickly. This isn’t to say that Steve McNair wasn’t a great quarterback, but he played just two seasons with the Ravens and is No. 3 on this list.

After a stellar career with the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans, McNair hooked on with the Ravens for the 2006 season. He started all 16 games in Baltimore and guided the Ravens to a 13-3 record and an AFC North title.

He threw for 3,050 yards and added 16 touchdown passes while completing 63.0% of his passes that year, but the Ravens fell to the Indianapolis Colts in the playoffs.

McNair played one final season with the Ravens in 2007, starting just six games and going 2-4. He went 15-7 in his two seasons with the franchise and is fifth on the team’s all-time passing list with 4,163 yards.

4 Trent Dilfer

Trent Dilfer helped turn around the Ravens in 2000 and led them to a Super Bowl title

If you thought McNair making the top three after just two seasons as the starting quarterback for the Ravens was odd, you’ll likely be floor by Trent Dilfer’s place at the No. 4 spot.

Dilfer started just eight regular-season games in Baltimore after spending the first six seasons of his NFL career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After those six years in Tampa, where he finished with a record of 38-38, he signed with the Ravens to back up Tony Banks.

But after Banks stumbled in the early part of the season, Dilfer took over and helped the Ravens finish with a 12-4 record, going 7-1 in his eight starts. Led by a tenacious defense, the Ravens stifled opposing offenses, allowing Dilfer not to have to carry the load. In his eight starts, Dilfer threw for 1,502 yards and added 12 touchdown passes, completing 59.3% of his passes.

Dilfer and the Ravens went unblemished in the postseason and posted a 34-7 victory over the New York Giants in Super Bowl 35. Dilfer completed 12 of his 25 passes for 153 yards and a touchdown in the victory but was released after the season.

Dilfter finished his career by playing four years with the Seattle Seahawks and then one year each with the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers.

5 Kyle Boller

Kyler Boller is third on the Ravens’ all-time passing list

If you didn’t know who the all-time Ravens passing leader is after Flacco and Jackson, you’re probably not alone. It’s Kyle Boller.

Boller played the first five seasons of his eight-year career with the Ravens, who selected him in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft with the 19th overall pick.

As a rookie, the Cal product made nine starts and went 5-4. In his second season, he started all 16 games and helped the Ravens finish with a 9-7 mark, throwing for a career-high 2,559 yards and adding a career-best 13 touchdown passes.

Turf toe kept Boller out of action for seven games in 2005, and he went 4-5 in his nine starts. The beginning of the end of his Baltimore career came in 2006, when the Ravens brought in McNair, who started all 16 games.

Boller played the 2009 season with the St. Louis Rams and the final two seasons of his career with the Oakland Raiders. He made five starts in those three years and went 0-5. With the Ravens, he compiled a record of 20-22.

All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless stated otherwise.

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