The NFL is an ever-evolving league, and in recent years, it’s become a pass-heavy one. The quarterback is the most important member of the team, and everything rests on his shoulders at all times. Some QBs fold under the pressure, some manage to play well despite it, and the creme of the crop, they dominate.
Over the last 25 years, there have been some incredible quarterback performances. 2025 seems like a great time to take a look back at some of the most impressive seasons from a QB in the 21st century.
Throughout his 20-year NFL career, New Orleans Saints legend Drew Brees became a symbol of consistency and excellence. He broke a ridiculous number of league and franchise records, including most 5,000-yard seasons (five).
Brees was 32 entering the 2011 season, already with a Hall of Fame career etched out, and he went on the run of a lifetime. Brees led the NFL in completions (468), completion percentage (71.2), yards (5,476), and touchdowns (46). He led the Saints to a 13-3 record, winning eight straight to close the season.
Drew Brees is ridiculously underrated in NFL history. He had an instinct for that game that can’t be taught, and frankly, hasn’t been replicated. His entire career is a highlight reel, but 2011 was on a completely different level. It should also be noted that he did this after gracing the cover of Madden 11, putting the curse to bed quickly. It’s criminal that Brees never won an NFL MVP award.
Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes is a household name in 2025, but for a short amount of time, he was simply “next man up”. After being taken 10th overall in the 2017 NFL Draft, Mahomes sat behind Alex Smith for nearly his entire rookie season. KC traded Alex Smith to Washington in 2018, then Mahomes took the keys and ran with them.
In his first season as an NFL starter, Mahomes threw for 5,097 yards and a league-leading 50 touchdowns. He became the first Chief to win the NFL MVP award and was named First-Team All-Pro. He even went so far as to lead Kansas City to the AFC Championship before being cooled off by Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
In a bubble, 2018 was special for Mahomes, but it was even more special considering what it set up. In the six years after his MVP season, he’d win the award two more times, along with three Super Bowl MVP awards. 2018 was a turning point in NFL history thanks to Patrick Mahomes.
Anyone who didn’t witness Cam Newton’s MVP season missed out on something truly incredible. He was taken first overall by the Carolina Panthers in the 2011 NFL Draft, and immediately impressed. It wasn’t until his fifth NFL season, though, that Newton would earn the moniker of Superman.
Watching number one play in 2015 was like watching someone who was 10 steps ahead of the game. He threw for 3,837 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He also rushed for 636 yards and 10 touchdowns, dominating in the air and on the ground.
Newton would lead the Panthers to a 14-game win streak and would end the season 15-1, while winning the NFL MVP. While he’d never reach that peak again, Cam would play six more seasons in the NFL. Prime Cam Newton truly was different.
The 2007 New England Patriots were a team that struck fear in everybody. The thought of lining up against this team was nauseating, and a dread unlike any other. The 2007 Pats averaged a 19.7 point differential, and finished the regular season with an undefeated 16-0 record.
At the helm of this “evil empire” was Tom Brady. He led the NFL in completion percentage (68.9), passing yards (4,806), yards per attempt (8.3), and touchdowns (50). His 50 touchdowns set the NFL record at the time, and he won his first of three NFL MVP awards.
While the season didn’t end with perfection, as the Pats lost to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII, Brady cemented himself as the league’s biggest star. The most absurd part of this is that these numbers became Brady’s standard. He put up comparable stats to this for the remainder of his career, and well into his 40s.
To understand the scale of Peyton Manning’s 2013 season, it’s important to understand what came before it. In 2011, as a 13-year veteran, Manning underwent neck surgery, and his career was flipped upside down. He wouldn’t play a single game in 2011, the Indianapolis Colts moved on from him, and his Hall of Fame career seemed cut short.
In 2012, Peyton signed with the Denver Broncos, and with everything to prove, he was off to the races. Year one saw him settling in, but year two was when the switch flipped. Denver’s offense led the NFL in points scored (606), total yards (7,317), and touchdowns (76).
Manning threw for a record-breaking 5,477 yards (a record that still stands today), along with 55 touchdown passes. Under his leadership, five different Broncos scored at least 10 touchdowns. Peyton Manning dominated the NFL at the age of 37, and he made it look easy. There’s a reason he’s called The Sheriff.
End Of My NFL Quarterback Rant
The last 25 years have been nothing short of spectacular for football. The biggest thing that these five QBs have in common is their mentality. Not only did they want to win, they needed to be the best. One day, these performances will be outdone, but their impact on the NFL will be felt forever.
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