4 Greatest Quarterbacks in Falcons History

4 Greatest Quarterbacks in Falcons History

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Established 54 years ago in 1965, the Atlanta Falcons franchise has yet to win their first Super Bowl. They've had their fair share of success though, with two conference championships and some pretty outstanding players, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

Having said that, here are the top four greatest quarterbacks in Falcons history.

4. Chris Chandler (1997-2001)

The first quarterback to ever get Atlanta to a Super Bowl, Chris Chandler was a journeyman throughout his career, switching teams seven times. His best years were by far with the Falcons, during which he accumulated 87 touchdowns off 13,268 passing yards. His quarterback rating was an 87.4 with Atlanta.

3. Michael Vick (2001-06)

The most impactful Falcons quarterback was certainly Michael Vick. He paved the way for many athletic QB's in the early 2000's, really highlighting what an elite rushing QB can offer. Although his passing stats were never top-tier, Vick got Atlanta to the playoffs with his exciting play and his ability to run the football himself, racking up 3,859 yards and 21 touchdowns on the ground over six seasons. His short tenure in Atlanta is the only thing holding him back from landing higher on this list.

2. Steve Bartkowski (1975-85)

Steve Bartkowski never made it to the big dance, but he was an all-time great Atlanta Falcon regardless, and his number is now retired with the organization. Totaling 23,470 passing yards while spending almost his entire career with this franchise, Bartkowski had some ups and downs, but his peaks were great. He led the NFL in touchdowns in 1980, and in passer rating in 1983. He was also a two-time Pro Bowl player and won Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 1975. The team wasn't always successful during his tenure, but they did finish top-five in the NFL in scoring in back-to-back seasons under Bartkowski (1980 and 1981).

1. Matt Ryan (2008-present)

The top Falcons quarterback of all-time is the current one, and it's not even close. Matt Ryan was drafted with the third overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, and he has been the face of the franchise ever since bursting onto the scene by winning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Ryan was always known as a consistent quarterback until his breakout MVP season in 2016, when he took the Falcons to their second Super Bowl. He was First-Team All-Pro that season, as well as the Offensive Player of the Year and league MVP. The four-time Pro Bowler holds the franchise records for both passing yards (51,186) and touchdowns (321), with a quarterback rating of 94.6. Matty Ice will go down as a Falcons legend when he eventually retires.

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Michael Obermuller is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Michael Obermuller also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username king_mizzard. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.