Top 10 Oakland Raiders Quarterbacks of All-Time

1. Ken Stabler, 1970-1979

W-L Record: 76-30-1

Playoff W-L Record: 7-4

Passing Stats: 19,078 yards, 59.9% completion rate, 150 TD’s, 143 INT’s.

Of course this was never a question and there should be no suspense at this point. Ken Stabler is the Raiders all-time leading passer, holding the record for the most starts at quarterback, most passing yards, most attempts, and most passing touchdowns in Raider history. The team won over 71% of his starts, and went to the playoffs five consecutive years with him at the helm, winning its first Super Bowl title after the 1976 season. Stabler was a four-time Pro Bowler, and was first-team All-Pro in 1974, when he was named MVP of the league. He was second-team all-pro in 1976, but of course that year he won the Super Bowl.

Stabler was the heart and soul of the rebellious 70’s John Madden Raiders. He was a mobile lefty who could get out of the pocket and make plays with his legs in an era where quarterbacks stood in the pocket. He wore his hair long and didn’t always shave his facial hair in an era where quarterbacks were still expected to look like Johnny Unitas. He partied all night with various women and read the playbook “by the light of the jukebox” and was in many regards the small-market Joe Namath. But he had far more on-field success than Namath, and in fact was the most accurate passer of his era, completing nearly 60% of his passes in an era when most starting QB’s were happy to complete 53%. He also threw over 20 TD’s in a season four times, in an era where it was rare for a quarterback to accomplish this more than once, and in fact he led the league in TD passes twice.

Stabler was a finalist for the NFL Hall of Fame three times, but has since been snubbed. While many quarterback contemporaries of his with less production, or less success, are in Canton, he remains off the list. It is perhaps fitting that he, the greatest Raider quarterback of them all, is also the Hall of Fame’s most glaring omission. One of two senior nominees this years, Stabler is a finalist again, and many believe this is the year for him to get in. Unfortunately he won’t live to see it, as Stabler passed away on July 9th of this year.