All-Time Steelers QBs Ranked: Bradshaw #1, Roethlisberger #2

Jim Finks

#44 · Pittsburgh Steelers
Retired 7 Years In The NFL
🏆 Pro Bowl (1952)
Jim's
HAIR
16.4
HeyTC AI Rating

Questions about Jim Finks or the Steelers?

Jim Finks Legacy

HEYTC AI
Jim Finks was the ultimate football architect, a quarterback who traded his helmet for a clipboard and turned perennial doormats into dynasties. The guy who edged out Johnny Unitas for Steelers starter in '55, led the league in passing, then reinvented himself as GM, building Minnesota's Purple People Eaters for four Super Bowls, laying bricks for Chicago's '85 monsters, and finally delivering New Orleans its first playoff glory and division crown. No quick fixes—just patient genius that reshaped franchises. Jim Finks passed in 1994, leaving an executive legacy etched in Hall of Fame bronze.
Jim Finks passed away on May 8, 1994 at the age of 66.

Jim Finks Rating Breakdown

Season
Subpar
Fantasy
Average
Playoffs
Non-Factor
Overall
NPC
7 years with the Steelers

Jim Finks Career Stats via Wikipedia

0 Pass Yards
55 Touchdowns
88 INTs
0.0% Comp %
16.4 HAIR

Frequently Asked Questions About Jim Finks

Is Jim Finks in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

No, Jim Finks the quarterback isn't in Canton— that's the executive version of him, inducted in 1995 for his wizardry with the Vikings, Bears and Saints. The Steelers signal-caller who slung 55 TDs amid 88 picks from '49-55 never made the cut, a tough break in an era when 8,622 yards and a 54.7 rating meant grit but not glory.

How would Jim Finks perform in today's NFL?

Finks would feast under today's rules—no more mugging receivers or 12-man fronts daring the pass. His 1952 explosion of 2,307 yards and 20 TDs showed arm talent that'd translate to a solid backup gig, maybe 3,500 yards a year behind a pocket protector like a modern O-line. Still, those 88 picks scream interception magnet in a timing-based game.

How does Jim Finks compare to Terry Bradshaw?

Finks was the gritty setup act to Bradshaw's Super Bowl rockstar—both Steelers QBs, but Finks' 16.4-ish rating (era-adjusted pain) vs. Terry's 81.63 is like comparing a '50s pickup to a Ferrari. Finks slung 55 TDs in leather helmets; Bradshaw delivered four rings. Respect the pioneer, but Canton's got the king.