10 Old-School QBs Who’d Light It Up with Today’s Soft Rules

Let’s face it—quarterbacks today are basically wrapped in bubble wrap. You so much as breathe on them wrong and there’s a flag, a fine, and possibly a congressional hearing.

So it’s only fair to look back at some guys who played when getting body-slammed was just “part of the game.” These quarterbacks would absolutely feast in today’s version of the NFL, where even a gentle shove can turn into 15 yards and a new set of downs.

10. Carson Palmer

He had a cannon and poise, but the hits he took were brutal. Give him today’s rules, and we’d be talking about him like a top-tier playoff staple.

9. Jeff Garcia

Garcia was always on the run, usually for his life. If defenders had to pull up like they do now, he could’ve picked teams apart with his mobility and toughness.

8. Randall Cunningham

He was electric as it was—now imagine him without having to dodge headhunters every other snap. With today’s protections, he’d be an MVP machine.

7. Jim Everett

He got hit so much that he once flinched at a reporter mid-interview. Under today’s rules, he could’ve had a full-on redemption arc.

6. Marc Bulger

St. Louis let him get sacked into oblivion behind a leaky line. In today’s QB-friendly world, he’d be throwing darts from a clean pocket every week.

5. Tony Romo

Always beat up, never protected like he should’ve been. If today’s rules had been around, we might be talking about him as more than just a great broadcaster.

4. Andrew Luck

He got pounded early in his career and still balled out. He might still be playing if today’s safety-first mindset had kicked in sooner.

3. Steve Young

One of the toughest QBs ever, and he paid for it with hit after hit. Let him slide around with today’s flags flying? Defenses wouldn’t stand a chance.

2. Troy Aikman

He took more hits than a crash test dummy. If roughing the passer had been called like it is now, the guy might’ve played five more seasons.

1. Dan Marino

He already had a quick release, but now imagine defenders barely allowed to touch him. Give Marino today’s rules, and you might need to rewrite the record books.