The 6 Best All-Time New York Giants Quarterbacks

It’s been a while since the New York Giants fans had something to cheer for. So, remembering the Giants’ past bright spots can be a morale booster in times like this. To this end, we honor the great former Giant quarterbacks who thrilled us with big wins and accomplishments.

According to a consensus of NFL experts, these men are the best quarterbacks in NY Giants franchise history.

6. Kerry Collins (1999–2002)

After Phil Simms retired in 1993, the Giants went through a string of inconsistent signal-callers until they signed veteran quarterback Kerry Collins from the New Orleans Saints in 1999. Collins spent half of his first season with the Giants as a back-up to Kent Graham.

In the following year, Collins helped turn a losing team into a Super Bowl-bound team with a 12–4 record. But unfortunately, they lost Super Bowl XXXV to the Baltimore Ravens. Then, in 2002, Collins threw for 4,073 yards to set a new franchise single-season passing record, later broken by Eli Manning. His five-season career with the Giants produced 16,875 passing yards in 68 starts.

5. Jeff Hostetler (1985–1991)

Jeff Hostetler’s overall play was unremarkable for most of his seven years with the Giants. However, many fans remember Hostetler for saving the 1991 season when Phil Simms received a foot injury in week 15.

After guiding the Giants to a rocky end to the regular season, Hostetler emerged as a post-season hero by throwing two touchdown passes to help the Giants destroy the Chicago Bears with a 31–3 win in the NFC East Divisional playoff game. He also threw for one touchdown and 222 yards in the Giant’s 20–19 Super Bowl XXV victory over the Buffalo Bills.

4. Charlie Conerly (1948–1961)

Not many New York Giant fans are old enough to have seen number 42 play in Yankee Stadium. Nevertheless, Conerly’s 14-year career with the Giants resulted in:

• 19,488 yards passing
• Two Pro Bowl appearances in 1950 and 1956
• NFL Most Valuable Player in 1959
• NFL Championship win in 1956
• Two NFL Championship appearances in 1958 and 1959

After Conerly initially enrolled in Ole Miss in 1942, he suspended his college football career and joined the WWII war effort in the South Pacific as a United States Marine. He returned to Ole Miss in 1946.

3. Y. A. Tittle (1961–1964)

Y. A. Tittle spent the last four years of his 17-year Hall of Fame career as a NY Giant. During his first three seasons with the Giants, he delivered his all-time best performances to lead the team to three consecutive trips to the NFL championship games. His four-year Giants stats include 15,382 passing yards, 96 touchdowns, and an average 82.8 quarterback rating.

For his performances from 1961 to 1963, Tittle received three Pro Bowl selections, two first-team All-Pro honors, and two NFL MVP awards. In 1963 he set the NFL season record for touchdown passes with 36. This stood for over 20 years until Dan Marino broke it with 48 touchdown passes in 1984.

2. Phil Simms (1979–1993)

Phil Simms began his 15-year NFL career with the NY Giants as a first-round draft pick from Morehead State University. Although he played a decent rookie season with 1,743 passing yards, injuries made the next four years painfully forgettable.

Then, in 1984, Simms finally shook off his injuries and led the Giants to the playoffs with 4,044 passing yards and 22 touchdown passes, earning a Pro Bowl selection and Pro Bowl MVP that year. However, his crowning achievement was his MVP performance in the 1987 Super Bowl XXI win against the Denver Broncos. His stats in the 39–20 victory featured:

• 22 of 25 passes for 268 yards and three touchdowns
• A Super Bowl record of 10 consecutive completions
• 150.9 passer rating
• 88 percent accuracy

1. Eli Manning (2004–2019)

Eli Manning’s overall record of 117 wins and 117 losses does not impress, but he is undoubtedly the best quarterback in Giant history. He has the most of everything, including the most Super Bowl wins (2), the most passing yards (57,023), the most touchdown passes (366), and the most completions (4,895).

The stat that draws the most respect is the Giants franchise record of 210 consecutive starts and 234 total starts. But, just as impressive, Eli is the only player in the Giants’ 95-year history to play 16 years with the franchise. His accolades include two Super Bowl MVP trophies, four Pro Bowls, and four Player of the Week selections.

The Final Tally

You may be wondering why great quarterbacks like Fran Tarkenton and Curt Warner didn’t make the list. While these quarterbacks had outstanding careers, their time with the Giants was just a stopover before retirement. So, we chose these quarterbacks because of their contributions to the New York Giants. Collectively, they give the NY Giants fans a legacy to be proud of.