The Lions have suffered. Ask any Detroit fan, even Eminem, and that fact becomes abundantly clear. With the arrival of the Dan Campbell era, the franchise has found itself in a newly competitive position, though.
Even in the darkest days for Detroit, quarterback wasn't the question mark. Problems with depth, a historically bad defense, and draft-day misses are the best explanations for their scuffles in the 2000s.
The quarterback position has generally been good, actually, for Detroit. From Matthew Stafford to Jared Goff, here are the Lions' top five quarterbacks of all time.
5. Scott Mitchell (1994-1998)
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Mitchell's legacy was muddied by the lack of results that came after his monumental three-year, $11 million contract signed with the Lions in 1994.
It was not entirely his fault, though, playing on a team that failed to extend four-time Pro Bowl center Kevin Glover to protect Mitchell and running back Barry Sanders in the trenches.
That said, he also enjoyed a prolific 1995 season, leading the Lions to a 10-6 record and throwing to then-franchise record 4,338 yards and 32 touchdowns.
Manning a high-octane offense with wide receiver Herman Moore, Mitchell was an excellent signal caller for his era of Lions football.
4. Greg Landry (1968-1978)
Landry's dual-threat ability was well ahead of his time, as he not only threw for 16,052 yards and 98 touchdowns but also rushed for 2,655 yards and 21 touchdowns.
He's perhaps best known for his 1976 bounce-back year, where he ranked fourth in the NFL with an 89.6 passer rating and threw for 17 touchdowns (6th in the NFL), winning Comeback Player of the Year in the process.
Before questions about his level of play, Landry was a strong starting quarterback, electrifying fans with a 76-yard quarterback sneak against the Packers in 1970 and making a Pro Bowl in 1971.
3. Jared Goff (2021-Present)
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Okay, say what you will about the Goff-Stafford trade with the Rams, but Goff has filled the Stafford-sized shoes quite admirably in his first six years in Detroit.
The fellow former No. overall draft pick will be known as the man who guided Detroit to its first playoff win in 32 years, against Stafford and the Rams no less, and who has been an emblem of consistency and efficiency during his time in Michigan.
Goff holds the highest consistency percentage (67.9%) and passer rating (100.2) of any quarterback in Lions history. That's more than enough to warrant a top spot on this list, and it's not unreasonable to say that a Super Bowl ring could put him firmly in the conversation for No. 1.
2. Bobby Layne (1950-1958)
Before the franchise's 32-year playoff win drought, and even before the AFL/NFL merger, there was a dominant quarterback in Detroit.
Layne's path to Detroit was long and winding, being selected No. 3 out of Texas before playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Bulldogs for one season each, then joining Detroit for nine seasons.
In those nine seasons, Layne put together quite the resumé. He won a whopping three NFL championships in 1952, 1953, and 1957 (still the last championship for the franchise - don't ask). It would have been a three-peat in 1954, but Layne "slept too much" the night before losing 56-10 to the Browns.
Layne made five Pro Bowls while in Detroit and was one of the most impressive signal callers in franchise history. Not bad, too, for one of the best pitchers in Texas Longhorns baseball history.
1. Matthew Stafford (2009-2020)
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Stafford is still the undisputed king of Lions quarterbacks. He's a consistent signal caller who endured years of difficult play around him yet handled his business with a professional attitude.
Watching the Georgia product -- drafted No. 1 overall in 2009 -- throw to Calvin Johnson was must-see TV in the mid-2010s, and even though Stafford failed to record a playoff win in the Motor City (0-3), he was as reliable as anyone while playing under four different head coaches and four different offensive coordinators in 12 years.
Stafford also holds franchise records for passing yards (45,109) and passing touchdowns (282).
When he was traded to the Rams for Goff, many Lions and Rams fans were torn up about it, but the trade seems to have worked out for both sides, perhaps more so for the Rams, who won the Super Bowl in Stafford's first season in SoCal.
More Detroit Lions Rankings
- 5 Best Running Backs in Lions History
- 5 Best Wide Receivers in Lions History
