The 10 best quarterbacks in the history of the Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens have been one of the most successful teams in the league over the last three decades, but they have exactly been known as a quarterback factory. Before the transition from Joe Flacco to Lamar Jackson, Baltimore was consistently struggling with top quarterback play.

The Ravens' quarterback history has been dominated by those two recent figures. Before that, there were plenty of struggles and busts mired in the Ravens QB graveyard. Whenever the Ravens received above-average play under center, they were double-digit winners often.

For better or worse, these 10 players have established themselves as the best quarterbacks in franchise history. All it takes to make your way on this list is one or two stretches of immediate brilliance, preferably in the postseason.

Criteria for selection

These quarterbacks were chosen based on a combination of:

• Statistical Achievements
• Impact on Success
• Longevity
• Memorable Moments

The top 10 quarterbacks in Baltimore Ravens history

10. Jeff Blake

Blake and his famous deep balls managed to pile up some prolific numbers in his time, but that was mostly spent during his time with the Bengals in the late 1990s. Blake came to the Ravens as a stopgap in 2002, and the results were so mixed that he didn't end up lasting the full season.

Blake threw 13 touchdowns against 11 interceptions in 2002. Blake would eventually make way for Chris Redman. Getting Blake at the peak of his powers would have been a much more advantageous move for the Ravens, as he was on the back nine of his career.

9. Anthony Wright

Wright's story is equal parts inspiring and tragic. Handed the Ravens' QB1 job in 2003 after a Kyle Boller injury, Wright led a spectacular comeback against the Seahawks that preceded a 5-2 run and postseason appearance. Wright looked like the answer at quarterback for a brief moment, but a shoulder injury cost him all of the 2004 season.

Wright was able to win a backup job after the injury, but he was never the same. The Boller experiment was in full bloom, which would have limited Wright's opportunities, but it's a shame that he was never to truly become the player he showed he could be for very long.

8. Elvis Grbac

Baltimore was of the mindset that inning another Super Bowl with Trent Dilfer was not reasonable, prompting a change under center. Grbac, who was a Pro Bowl player in the past with the Chiefs, looked like the perfect player to step in and replace Dilfer.

Grbac signed a five-year contract worth $30 million and was instantly expected to keep the Ravens in the championship pursuit. His lone season with Baltimore was a mixed bag. On one hand, he helped the Ravens go 10-6 and beat the Dolphins in the playoffs. On the other, he threw 18 interceptions against 15 touchdowns.

After one season, Grbac was released after he refused to renegotiate his contract. Grbac came to Baltimore with tons of hype at his back, and he had to leave with his tail between his legs after being unable to fulfill his potential.

7. Tony Banks

Banks is the quarterback who was so bad at one point that Baltimore would go multiple games without scoring a touchdown. While his career with the Ravens ended on a sour note, the former Michigan State second-rounder appeared to have jump-started his career after leaving the Rams with an excellent 1999 campaign.

Banks threw 17 touchdowns in just 10 starts with the Ravens in 1999, Banks was supposed to take off in 2000. Instead, he was unable to accomplish much in the first half of the season and was replaced by Dilfer. At least the Ravens had enough sense to eventually make the switch.

6. Trent Dilfer

A former No. 6 overall pick who was fairly below average in six seasons with the Buccaneers, Dilfer tried to get back on track when he signed with the Ravens as a backup. He was put in the starting lineup after Banks faltered, and he didn't look back. Dilfer's stats were, as the kids nowadays say, "mid," but he kept leading the Ravens to wins.

Dilfer tossed 12 touchdowns and 11 picks in eight starts with Baltimore, making enough timely throws in the postseason. Dilfer may not have been the best quarterback, nor was he a long-term option for Baltimore, but he did his job when it mattered most, and that's worthy of praise.

5. Kyle Boller

After years of stopgap options at quarterback, the Ravens took Boller 11th overall in 2003 after the Cal product blew them away in pre-draft scouting. At 6-3 and 230 pounds with athleticism an absolute cannon for a right arm, Boller appeared to be everything the Ravens needed to help their passing game take flight.

Boller never had the best coordinators or wide receivers around him, but he also didn't have the accuracy and playmaking skills needed to become a star quarterback. Baltimore gave him four seasons to try and fix things, and he ended up with nearly as many interceptions (44) as touchdowns (45).

4. Vinny Testaverde

Testaverde was the starter when the Browns relocated to Baltimore. While he only won eight games in two seasons as the Ravens' primary starter, he didn't have a ton to work with. When Flacco and Lamar Jackson were tearing up the team's record books, they were breaking all of Testaverde's records.

Testaverde threw 51 touchdowns in just two seasons with the Ravens, a mark that still has him No. 3 on the team's all-time list. However, he won just eight starts and lost 20 with the brand-new Ravens. Baltimore would suffer through some lean QB years after he left, while Testaverde helped the Jets make the AFC Championship game.

3. Steve McNair

McNair was tragically shot and killed in 2009 at just 36 years old. While his exceptional football life was primarily spent with the Tennessee Titans, McNair was under center for one of the greatest seasons in Ravens history, taking them just a few inches shy of the Super Bowl.

McNair was not the MVP he was in Tennessee, but he did throw 16 touchdowns and lead Baltimore to a 13-3 record in his first season with the team. His mobility was decreased, but his rocket arm was still able to help Baltimore domiante the regular season.

However, 2007 was not ideal for McNair. An injury effectively ended his career and Baltimore's season. While the end was sour, McNair's 2006 campaign is one of the finest in Ravens history.,

2. Joe Flacco

Taking a first-round quarterback is always risky, but taking one out of an FCS school in Delaware sounded like lunacy. Nevertheles, the 6-6 Flacco and his bazooka of an arm not only helped the Ravens get consistent high-level quarterback play for the first time in franchise history, but he made them champions again.

Beyond being a champion and an all-time great playoff performer, Flacco's passing records are so far above all his non-Lamar contemporaries that they are almost comical. As a Raven Flacco threw for more yards than Jim Kelly and Troy Aikman in their careers. He has more Ravens TD passes than the total numbers of Kurt Warner and Joe Namath.

The fact Flacco is still a valuable pro backup speaks to just how good he is. No matter what else happens in his career, he will be a Raven above all else. Jackson has some work to do as he tries to break his records.

1. Lamar Jackson

While Flacco has a ring and all of the franchise passing records, he doesn't have two MVPs while narrowly missing out on becoming the first player in NFL history to win that award unanimously twice. Jackson's 2019 and 2023 seasons are some of the best a quarterback has ever had.

Jackson is on pace to obliterate the all-time rushing record for a quarterback, and he's doing it while often challenged for the best passer rating in the league. Everyone who said he lacked the arm talent and pocket presence needed to become a starter in the NFL has egg on their face.

Jackson will need a championship to finally silence the doubters who claim he can't win the big one, but even the most steadfast hater can attest to the fact he is an all-time talent poised to receive a gold jacket when his time comes.