Editor’s note: As part of NFL’s Greatest Quarterback, fans will decide the best QB in each team’s history. Since we will be narrowing down to just one quarterback overall, Fran Tarkenton will be included in the Vikings poll.
Charlie Conerly: The Ole Miss product started for the Giants for 14 years. He was a two-time Pro Bowler, but never put up gaudy stats during his NFL tenure.
Conerly led the Giants to an NFL Championship in 1956. They made two more championship games in 1958 and 1959, but lost to the Colts in both games.
Y.A. Tittle: Tittle played for years in Baltimore and San Francisco, but his best seasons were in New York, where he was traded at 35-years old. With the Giants, Tittle made the NFL Championship and the Pro Bowl in 1961, 1962 and 1963. New York never won an NFL title under Tittle.
The former LSU Tiger was named league MVP in 1963 when he threw for 3,145 yards, 36 touchdowns and just 14 interceptions while completing 60.2 percent of his passes. He was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971.
Phil Simms: Simms is one of three Giants quarterbacks to have his number retired by the New York franchise. He led the Giants to five postseason beths, which included a Super Bowl win after the 1986 season.
Simms (for at least one more season) leads the Giants in career passing yards. He’s been passed by Eli Manning in touchdowns and completions. He was just a two-time Pro Bowler, but won the MVP for his performance in Super Bowl XXI.
Simms battled injuries throughout his career but powered through 1993 with one final Pro Bowl-worthy season before retiring following a shoulder surgery.
Eli Manning: For years after Simms retired, the Giants couldn’t seem to find a decent starting quarterback. After wading through the depths of the league’s worst starting quarterbacks (Dave Brown and Danny Kanell) the Giants finally found Manning in 2004.
Manning was drafted by the Chargers, but made it clear before the draft that he didn’t want to play in beautiful weather near the beach. He was traded to the Giants for Philip Rivers and multiple draft picks.
Manning has since won two Super Bowls and two Super Bowl MVPs. He’s a three-time Pro Bowler and has started every Giants game since Nov. 21, 2004. Manning is known for his up and down play from game to game and season to season, but when he’s on, he’s among the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
