10 Quarterbacks Who Need a Super Bowl Ring to Complete Their Legacy

There have been a lot of truly great quarterbacks throughout the history of the NFL, but relatively few of them have been able to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.

Among the notables are Dan Marino, Jim Kelly, Fran Tarkenten, and Warren Moon, all four of whom are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Their legacies speak for themselves, but there's no denying that their lack of a Super Bowl ring does leave something to be desired.

Among today's top quarterbacks, this same fate is all but a certainty for a majority of them. They may go on to take their place in football lore, but not all of them will be able to add "Super Bowl Champion" to their respective resumes.

With that in mind, here are 10 quarterbacks who need a Super Bowl ring to complete their legacy.

10. Matt Hasselbeck

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CHICAGO, IL - JANUARY 16: Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck #8 of the Seattle Seahawks looks on in the first half against the Chicago Bears in the 2011 NFC divisional playoff game at Soldier Field on January 16, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Andy Lyons

Ever since Mike Holmgren brought him to Seattle in 2001, Matt Hasselbeck has been a very good NFL quarterback. He's made three Pro Bowls, and was perhaps the key player in the Seahawks' Super Bowl run in 2005.

The Seahawks notoriously came up short against the Steelers in that game, and his career in Seattle could very well have ended with their forgettable loss to the Bears.

Regardless, Hasselbeck is undoubtedly nearing the end of his career. If he retires without a ring, can you honestly say that you will remember him after he's gone?

You can't, can you.

My point exactly.

9. Jay Cutler

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CHICAGO, IL - JANUARY 16: Quarterback Jay Cutler #6 of the Chicago Bears throws the ball in the first half against the Seattle Seahawks in the 2011 NFC divisional playoff game at Soldier Field on January 16, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Andy Lyo

Yes, the Bears went 11-5 this season. And yes, they are on their way to the NFC Championship, and Jay Cutler has a lot to do with their success to this point.

But be honest, do any of you actually count Cutler among the elite quarterbacks in the NFL?

I didn't think so.

That being said, this has been a real "show me" season for Cutler and the Bears. If Cutler ever leads them to a Super Bowl victory, whether it comes this year or not, he will have shut a lot of people up.

In the process, he will also add a pretty major bullet point to his legacy.

8. Mark Sanchez

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CHICAGO, IL - DECEMBER 26: Mark Sanchez #6 of the New York Jets rolls out to look for a receiver against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on December 26, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bears defeated the Jets 38-34. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Image

Mark Sanchez is a tough guy to figure. He is often times quite bad and when he does lead the Jets to victory, it seems like it's more of a case of him not making mistakes.

In fact, I wonder if I'm the only one who equates Sanchez to Eli Manning in the first couple years of his career. I get the feeling that Sanchez is indeed going to win a Super Bowl at some point, and we're all going to be left pondering how the hell he was able to do so.

But you know what, I'll be damned if a Super Bowl victory wouldn't give Sanchez some much-needed respect. That is, in addition to the respect he earned by beating the Patriots.

7. Joe Flacco

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PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 15: Quarterback Joe Flacco #5 of the Baltimore Ravens looks to pass against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Divisional Playoff Game at Heinz Field on January 15, 2011 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Gett

I know for a fact that I'm not the only one that finds Joe Flacco to be a maddeningly frustrating player. He is just so damned good, and the Ravens should be so much better.

Flacco has earned himself a reputation as a choker, but I would like to remind you that it was not him that dropped a wide open pass in the late stages of the fourth quarter against the Steelers on Saturday night.

As such, I would prefer not to label Flacco and the Ravens as chokers. They are snakebit, however, and you're left hoping wondering if they can continue to be relevant with so many aging players on their roster.

One way or another, it seems that the only way Flacco is going to shed his reputation is by winning a Super Bowl.

6. Philip Rivers

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DENVER - JANUARY 02: Quarterback Philip Rivers #17 of the San Diego Chargers takes the field against the Denver Broncos at INVESCO Field at Mile High on January 2, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. The Chargers defeated the Broncos 33-28. (Photo by Doug Pensing

The San Diego Chargers are consistently guilty of being hopeless underachievers, but it is nevertheless pretty hard to direct any blame for this at Philip Rivers.

Indeed, Rivers' statistical brilliance in recent seasons has been significant, as he has thrown for over 4,000 yards each of the last three seasons. He has also been named to two straight Pro Bowls.

But at this point, he just seems like the kind of guy who could end up being the next Dan Marino. The numbers are always going to be there, but not much else.

That being said, you have to think that he'll get his shot at a ring sooner or later.

5. Matt Ryan

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ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 15: Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons looks on from the sideline against the Green Bay Packers during their 2011 NFC divisional playoff game at Georgia Dome on January 15, 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty

Matt Ryan's achievements since entering the league in 2008 should not be overlooked. He pretty much singlehandedly rescued the Atlanta Falcons from the depths of despair after the Michael Vick debacle in 2007.

In Ryan's rookie year out of Boston College, he led the Falcons to an 11-5 record and was named the Offensive Rookie of the Year. This season, he led them to an NFC-best 13-3 record.

However, Ryan's performances in his only two playoff starts are painfully indicative of the fact that he is far from being one of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL. He is very good, to be sure, but he's not the kind of player who can take over a game quite yet.

But if and when Matty Ice wins a Super Bowl, it will be pretty hard to underrate him.

4. Michael Vick

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PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 09: Michael Vick #7 of the Philadelphia Eagles sits on the bench after losing to the Green Bay Packers during the 2011 NFC wild card playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field on January 9, 2011 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Ph

Michael Vick has already done a commendable job of lifting his legacy, which probably could not have sunk any lower after the dog fighting scandal.

For a while there, it looked like he and the Eagles were on the fast track to the Super Bowl. Ultimately, they just ran out of gas.

But, while Vick did manage to win a lot of people back over to his side this season, there are still a lot of people out there who, to put it frankly, hate his guts. Winning a Super Bowl wouldn't necessarily change all of their minds in one fell swoop, but it would certainly help.

3. Peyton Manning

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INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JANUARY 08: Quarterback Peyton Manning #18 of the Indianapolis Colts looks to pass in the first quarter against the New York Jets during their 2011 AFC wild card playoff game at Lucas Oil Stadium on January 8, 2011 in Indianapolis, Ind

Before you walk away from your monitor in utter disgust and start profanely cursing the football knowledge of your humble narrator, I urge you to hear me out.

Yes, I know Manning already has a Super Bowl ring, and that his inclusion on this list is thus something of a waste of space.

But listen, for a guy who is supposedly one of the great quarterbacks to ever play the game, the fact that he only has the one ring just doesn't feel like enough. In fact, you can't even say that he's a good playoff quarterback, as he boasts a 9-10 record in postseason games.

Do any of you actually remember anything about his Super Bowl victory? I know I don't. In fact, when I think of Peyton Manning in the Super Bowl, I remember his pick-six against the Saints more than anything else.

So this may be just me, but I think he needs another ring in order to complete his legacy.

2. Aaron Rodgers

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ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 15: Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers reacts after he threw a 7-yard touchdown to John Kuhn #30 in the third quarter against the Atlanta Falcons during their 2011 NFC divisional playoff game at Georgia Dome on January 15, 2

If you've had the pleasure of watching Aaron Rodgers in the last two weeks, you know as well as I do that the Green Bay Packers quarterback has officially entered the ranks of the truly great quarterbacks in the NFL today.

Make no mistake, he's right up there with Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. After watching the Packers totally dismantle the NFC's No. 1 seed in Atlanta on Saturday night, it's pretty obvious that they are a totally legitimate threat to not only make it to the Super Bowl, but to win it.

If Rodgers does lead the Packers to a Super Bowl victory, we could be looking at the early development of a legend. After all, he's only 27.

1. Donovan McNabb

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PHILADELPHIA - OCTOBER 03: Donovan McNabb #5 of the Washington Redskins celebrates after throwing a first quater touchdown pass against the Philadelphia Eagles on October 3, 2010 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jim Mc

In the last decade of so, you could make the case that no player in the NFL has been as downright unappreciated as Donovan McNabb.

Indeed, despite the fact that he has gotten both plenty of attention and all sorts of individual acclaim, a sense of scorn has always hung over his head. This has a lot to do with the fact that the good folks of Philadelphia tend to be pretty harsh critics.

McNabb has only played in one Super Bowl in his career. That was of course in 2004, when he and the Eagles came ever so close to defeating the Patriots.

Now in the twilight of his career, and with few prospects, McNabb's career is very much in danger of ending without a ring. And to truly cement himself as an all-time great, he absolutely needs one.