5 Best Quarterbacks in Baltimore Ravens History

The history of football in Baltimore is perhaps muddier than some of the other cities in the NFL. Fans in Charm City were first ingratiated to the sport with the Colts from 1953 to 1983, winning one Super Bowl ring in two appearances.

The Ravens were born in 1996 following a 13-year intermission caused by the team’s relocation to Indianapolis and an unsuccessful expansion into Baltimore by the CFL.

Since their rebirth, the team has been rather successful, boasting the fifth-highest win percentage of any team since ’96, trailing only the Patriots, Packers, Steelers, and Eagles. The Ravens have won two Super Bowl rings and eight division titles and have remained a perennial threat to run up those tallies in the 2020s.

Here are the top five quarterbacks in Ravens history.

5. Trent Dilfer (2000)

Perhaps one of the few signal-callers to make any franchise list on the merits of just one year, Dilfer came to Baltimore after six middling years in Tampa Bay and had not only the best season the young franchise had seen before, but a season that still endures in the minds of Ravens fans who know their history.

Originally Tony Banks’ backup, Dilfer inherited an offense stuck in neutral, taking over as the starter after four straight weeks without the team scoring an offensive touchdown. Dilfer took the Ravens to a 7-1 record with 1,502 yards and 12 touchdowns, but went 4-0 in the postseason en route to a 34-7 rout over the Giants in Super Bowl XXXV.

Dilfer later acknowledged in an interview that he played through an osteitis pubis injury that season, an asterisk that places further respect on his one-season accolades with the Ravens.

4. Vinny Testaverde (1996-1997)

Another short-time quarterback with solid individual numbers, Testaverde lacked the starting record and the playoff accolades as Dilfer (because the upstart Ravens didn’t even come close to the playoffs during their first few years).

Testaverde, a veteran who spent his first nine years in Tampa Bay and Cleveland, was the first quarterback for the Ravens. While the team went a measly 4-12 in their first season, it was certainly to no fault of Testaverde, who threw for 4,177 yards and 33 touchdowns to 19 interceptions in his first of two seasons in Baltimore.

Across two seasons, Testaverde threw for 7,148 passing yards, which ranks fourth in franchise history along with 51 touchdowns, which ranks third.

3. Steve McNair (2006-2007)

Continuing the theme of veteran quarterbacks who dropped in for the Ravens, McNair comes in at No. 3, a longtime Titan in the twilight of his career.

While he joined Baltimore during his age 33 season, McNair was a part of what was then the best Ravens team ever by regular season record, the 2006 squad that went 13-3 and handily won the AFC North.

While the historic defense, led by Ed Reed and Ray Lewis, had much to do with their success, McNair held it down with 3,050 yards and a 63% completion percentage.

McNair’s 15-7 record as a starting quarterback is fourth best in franchise history, and indirectly played a massive role in the Ravens finally finding a franchise quarterback (see below).

2. Joe Flacco (2008-2018)