The HOF list includes every quarterback with 1,500 passing attempts (the minimum needed to qualify for official NFL records). A total of 150 quarterbacks make the cut, from No. 1 Steve Young (96.81) to former NFL and AFL passer Frank Tripucka (51.18), at No. 150.
We took the Hall of Fame list and added the career years of every player on the list. (
See our entire version of the list here.) This simple addition gives us an illuminating look into the history of pro football and the evolution of the passing game in particular. Simply note that, at the start of the 2008 season,
16 of the Top 20 passer-rating leaders were active in 2007. This statistical anomaly tells us that, thanks to a series of rules favoring offense, it's easier than ever to pass the ball in the NFL.
The bottom line is that it's unfair to compare passers from the Dead Ball Era against passers in today's Live Ball Era.
