ProFootballTalk.com's Top 25 In 25

No. 3 Joe Montana.

He was No. 1 in the USA Today list of the top 25 players over the past 25 years. 

But we can't put him any higher than No. 3.

Yes, Montana was at his best in the games that mattered most.  He won four Super Bowls with the 49ers, and was named the MVP three times.  And that's enough to get him into the top three players of the last quarter century.

Still, he didn't have the overall career longevity and total stats to creep any higher than this spot, in our view.  Super Bowls are won by teams, not individual players.  To be among the very best of the very best, a guy needs to have rings and stats.

Before any Niners fans complain about our decision, compare Montana's career stats to those of other elite quarterbacks. 

Montana is eighth on the list of career passing touchdowns, eclipsed already by Peyton Manning.  And Montana is ninth in total passing yardage, behind guys like Vinny Testaverde and Drew Bledsoe. 

And, also, we ask that all Niners fans withhold passing judgment on our list until they see how another guy from those Montana teams fares in our final countdown.

Click here for No. 2.