Honestly, looking at nfl qb playoff records is like looking at a funhouse mirror. One minute you think you’re seeing the "best" ever, and the next, you’re staring at a list of Hall of Famers who look surprisingly mediocre once the calendar hits January. We all know the big names, but when you peel back the curtain, the numbers get weird. Fast.
Take Tom Brady. He’s the undisputed king of the hill, sitting on a massive 35-13 postseason record. That’s 48 games. Basically three full seasons of just playoff football. It's ridiculous. But then you look at Peyton Manning. Manning is arguably the greatest regular-season processor the game has ever seen, yet his playoff record is a much more human 14-13.
Does that mean Joe Flacco (10-6) was a "better" playoff quarterback than Peyton? If you just look at the win-loss column, you might be tempted to say yes. But that’s where the trap is.
The Mount Rushmore of Postseason Wins
When you talk about the heavy hitters, you start and end with Brady. There’s nobody even in his zip code right now. But the guys chasing him are where it gets interesting.
Patrick Mahomes is already at 17 wins. He’s only 30. He’s currently sitting at 17-4, which is an .810 winning percentage. To put that in perspective, Joe Montana—the guy we all called "Joe Cool" because he never lost a Super Bowl—finished his career at 16-7. Mahomes passed a legend before his prime was even halfway over.
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Here is how the top of the mountain looks right now:
- Tom Brady: 35-13 (.729)
- Patrick Mahomes: 17-4 (.810)
- Joe Montana: 16-7 (.696)
- Terry Bradshaw: 14-5 (.737)
- John Elway: 14-7 (.667)
- Peyton Manning: 14-13 (.519)
Mahomes is the only one who feels like he has a legitimate shot at Brady’s 35. But even then, he’d need to win about two playoff games a year for the next decade. No easy feat in a league designed for parity.
The Brock Purdy Factor
You’ve gotta mention Brock Purdy here. It sounds crazy because he was "Mr. Irrelevant," but as of early 2026, he’s already tied with guys like Brady and Mahomes for the most wins through their first four seasons. He’s sitting on 6 wins already. If the 49ers keep this pace, he’s going to climb this list faster than anyone expected.
The "One and Done" Reality
We don't talk enough about the losses. Specifically, the "one and dones."
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Peyton Manning holds a record he probably hates: the most losses by a starting QB in playoff history with 13. He also had nine separate seasons where he went "one and done." That’s the reality of nfl qb playoff records—to lose that many games, you have to be good enough to get there every single year.
Aaron Rodgers is another one who feels... different in January. After his most recent 30-6 thumping at the hands of the Texans while playing for the Steelers, his record stands at 12-11. He’s essentially a .500 quarterback when the lights are brightest. For a guy with four MVPs, that feels like a glitch in the system.
Why Winning Percentage Matters (Sorta)
If you want to win a bar argument, bring up Bart Starr. The Packers legend went 9-1 in the postseason. That’s a 90% win rate. Jim Plunkett is another "playoff riser" who went 8-2. These guys weren't always the statistical leaders in the regular season, but they became different humans in the playoffs.
Then you have the "stat kings" like Dan Marino. Marino is a top-five pure passer ever, but his 8-10 playoff record is a permanent stain on his legacy for the "Rings Culture" crowd. He’s one of the few all-time greats with a sub-.500 record in the postseason.
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Road Warriors vs. Home Cooking
Not all wins are created equal. Joe Flacco and Tom Brady are actually tied for the most road playoff wins at seven apiece.
There’s a specific kind of toughness required to go into a hostile environment like Orchard Park or Arrowhead and come out with a "W." Most quarterbacks on this list padded their stats with home-field advantage. When you see a guy like Flacco with 10 wins and seven of them came on the road, it tells you he was a "system breaker."
What to Look for Next
If you're tracking these records, don't just look at the total wins. Look at the context.
- Look at "Eras": Bradshaw played in a different world than Mahomes. Comparing them is like comparing a typewriter to an iPad.
- Check the Defense: Eli Manning is 8-4 in the playoffs. He was elite in those runs, but he also had a pass rush that made life hell for the other guy.
- Keep an eye on the 2022 Draft Class: Purdy is the outlier, but guys like Jalen Hurts (6-4) are quietly building resumes that could land them in the top 15 all-time within three years.
The next time you’re debating nfl qb playoff records, remember that the number of wins usually tells you how good the team was, but the winning percentage tells you how much that quarterback "elevated" them when the margin for error hit zero. Keep an eye on Mahomes this postseason; he's the only one currently chasing ghosts.
For anyone looking to dive deeper into these splits, checking out Pro Football Reference’s "Playoff Game Finder" is the best way to filter by weather, road vs. home, and opponent strength to see who truly showed up when it mattered.