11. Steve Young
Steve Young had a winding road to NFL success, but when he got there, he sure made the most of it. This southpaw played two seasons on the USFL’s Los Angeles Express — then suffered through a 3-16 record with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before being traded to the San Francisco 49ers. Once he got to San Francisco he sat on the bench behind SF legend Joe Montana. Young finally took over for Montana and went on to make the Pro Bowl in all seven years he was a starter. Young formed a highly productive partnership with wideout Jerry Rice, connecting on 85 touchdowns and over 10,000 yards during the time they played together.
Young’s performance in Super Bowl XXIX was one of the best ever: The BYU alum completed 24 of 36 passes for 325 yards and six touchdowns before being named MVP of the game. By the time he retired in 1999, Young had two MVP awards and three Super Bowls. If Young played as many seasons as the others on this list, there’s a very good chance he’d be ranked a few spots higher than he is.