It’s been a long time since the New York Giants gave their fans something to truly shout about. During the down years, it’s often tough to remember the good times, but it doesn’t mean they’ve never happened.Â
Here we look back at the best quarterbacks in NY Giants history to prove that it hasn’t always been so bleak.
Number 5. Charlie Conerly
Kicking off our list of the best quarterbacks in NY Giants history is Charlie Conerly. Conerly joined the Giants way back in 1945 as the 127th draft pick. From there on out, it was only ever the Giants for the Ole Miss graduate.
He remained with the franchise his entire 14-year professional career, racking up a grand total of 19,488 passing yards and making two Pro Bowl teams; the second of those Pro Bowl honors arrived in 1956, which was the year Conerly led the team to the NFL Championship.Â
Number 4. Y A Tittle
The inclusion of Y A Tittle takes us forward a few years from the inaugural campaign of Conerly but only by a few years; Tittle joined the NFL in 1948, although it wasn’t until 1961 that he landed in NY. He would only strut his stuff for four years at Yankee Stadium, but boy did he leave a mark.Â
The first three years saw him earn Pro Bowl nods along with leading the league in touchdown passes in 62 and 63. It wasn’t just the more standard recognition that came Tittle’s way whist a Giant, though. He was also named the NFL MVP in 1963; part of that award might have been to acknowledge the seven touchdown passes he threw against the Redskins. He was only the fourth man to achieve such a feat, and, to this day, nobody has converted more.
Number 3. Benny Friedman
Hall of Famer Benny Friedman spent hardly any time with the Giants, but you have to be extremely blinkered to ignore just how good he was; some would go as far as to label him as a game-changer of American Football. In the year prior to his move to the Giants, he led the league in passing touchdowns and rushing touchdowns.Â
It was a first that someone had achieved both, but unsurprising, really given Friedman practically invented the raking forward throws you see today. His time in NY lasted just three years with no major franchise success, but he’s a figure that cannot be ignored.Â
Number 2. Phil Simms
The silver medal on our list goes to Phil Simms. Simms was the seventh overall pick in 1979 after starring for Morehead State and instantly started to make an impression on the team with 11 starts in his inaugural campaign.Â
He remained with the Giants through to his retirement in 1993 and – even allowing for the 1982 and 1983 seasons where he played just two games combined (starting none), he racked up a grand total of over 33,000 passing yards. It’s not all about yards thrown, though, and Simms delivered on the biggest stage of all, guiding the franchise to Super Bowl glory in 1986 and again four years later. The first win saw Simms walk away with both the league and Bowl MVP awards.
Number 1. Eli Manning
Topping our list of the best quarterbacks in NY Giants history is Eli Manning. There is actually a lot of similarity between Manning and Simms; both were Giants from start to finish, both led the team to two Super Bowls, and both are forever engrained in the memory.Â
The big thing that sees Manning into first place is the host of records he holds, which range from the most yards thrown through to the most touchdown passes and most completions. Even with the hype that comes with being the number one pick, you could argue Manning’s displays over the years still defied the NFL betting odds.
There you have it, the best quarterbacks in NY Giants history. Click here for the top five quarterbacks in NFL history!
Do you think any of these Giants legends should be included in the top 5? Comment below!