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Peyton Manning: Where does he rank among the best NFL quarterbacks?

Al Davis, the late Oakland Raiders owner, said it best: "Just win, baby." It might even be the unofficial motto of the National Football League – and Peyton Manning.

Now that the Indianapolis Colts have cut ties with former NFL MVP quarterback Peyton Manning, most sports pundits say that what he wants most in his post-Colts career is another Super Bowl ring. Check out where Manning stands in relation to other great signal callers. Looking solely at the total number of regular season wins, here are the NFL's top five winningest quarterbacks.

Michael Conroy/AP/File
In this 2007 file photo, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning reacts to the end result of a play against the New England Patriots during the AFC Championship football game in Indianapolis.

5. Tie: Fran Tarkenton & Tom Brady

  • By Pat Murphy Staff

In a tie for 5th place with 124 victories, you have two totally different quarterbacks. Fran Tarkenton had to scramble for his life early in his career with the expansion Minnesota Vikings. That was followed by a trade to the New York Giants, then Tarkenton was sent back to Minnesota. During his 17-year career, the Hall of Famer led the Vikings to two Super Bowl appearances, resulting in losses to the Oakland Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Tom Brady was a late-round draft pick by the Patriots and didn't see real game action until quaterback Drew Bledsoe was injured during a game in the 2001 season. Five Super Bowl appearances and three NFL championships later, many football observers and pundits already have Brady punching his ticket to the Pro Football Hall of Fame five years after his retirement. But no one is talking about retirement yet. Brady and Peyton Manning are the only two quarterbacks on this Top 5 list who are still playing.

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Mark Sappenfield
Editor

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