Kansas City Chiefs quarterbacks
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The National Football League's Kansas City Chiefs have had a total of fifteen starting quarterbacks in their franchise's four-decade plus history.[1][2] The team has also had its own controversial history of backup quarterbacks that have stolen the spotlight from the starters.[3][4]
Brodie Croyle is the team's current starting quarterback, as officially announced by head coach Herman Edwards on November 12, 2007.
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[edit] History
[edit] Starting quarterbacks
The Chiefs have had many notable and established quarterbacks on their squad at different times. Hall of Famers Len Dawson and Joe Montana led the Chiefs in both of their dominant eras, while notable backup quarterbacks have also donned the red, white and gold jerseys. In the early 2000s, Trent Green led the Chiefs' high-powered offense to record-breaking feats and multiple 4,000 yard passing seasons.
In the past few decades, the Chiefs have relied on veteran quarterbacks to lead their team.[5] The Chiefs never drafted their own quarterback to develop until Brodie Croyle,[5] was drafted in 2006 and claimed the starting position in 2007. When head coach Herman Edwards arrived in 2006, he stated that he was looking towards implementing younger players into his gameplan, and he was beginning his roster moves at the quarterback position.[5]
Chiefs quarterbacks enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame are in bold.
| Seasons | Quarterback |
|---|---|
| 1960—1961 | Cotton Davidson |
| 1962—1968 | Len Dawson |
| 1969—1975 | Len Dawson/Mike Livingston 1 |
| 1976—1978 | Mike Livingston |
| 1979—1980 | Steve Fuller |
| 1981—1983 | Bill Kenney |
| 1984—1986 | Bill Kenney/Todd Blackledge2 3 |
| 1987 | Bill Kenney/Todd Blackledge/Alex Espinoza/Matt Stevens/Frank Seurer[6] |
| 1988—1991 | Steve DeBerg |
| 1992 | Dave Krieg |
| 1993 | Dave Krieg/Joe Montana |
| 1994 | Joe Montana |
| 1995—1996 | Steve Bono |
| 1997—1998 | Elvis Grbac/Rich Gannon4 |
| 1999—2000 | Elvis Grbac |
| 2001—2005 | Trent Green |
| 2006 | Trent Green/Damon Huard5 |
| 2007—present | Damon Huard/Brodie Croyle |
1: Dawson and Livingston shared duties for most of 1969-1975 due to recurring injuries to Dawson.
2: Todd Blackledge started half of the 1984 season and went 4-4 before Bill Kenney was retained as the starter. In 1985, Blackledge played for the second half of the season, and the first half of the 1986 season.
3: Replacement quarterbacks Matt Stevens, Frank Seurer,[6] and Alex Espinoza played for the Chiefs alongside Kenney and Blackledge following the NFL Players Association strike in 1987. For the first and only time in team history, five different quarterbacks started in 1987 following the player's strike.[7]
4: Rich Gannon and Elvis Grbac both alternated the starting position multiple times from 1997-1998 due to Grbac's injuries.
5: In 2006, Damon Huard filled in for the injured Trent Green after Green suffered a concussion in the first game of the season. Huard was never officially given the starting position. Green returned in week 11 and finished the season with a 4-4 record as starter compared to Huard's 5-3 record.
[edit] Backup quarterbacks
Tom Flores led the Oakland Raiders to two Super Bowl victories years after he had been back up to Len Dawson. Dawson's other backup, Mike Livingston led the Chiefs when Dawson suffered a leg injury in their 1969 Championship season on their way to Super Bowl IV. Warren Moon, a member of the Football Hall of Fame, served as the Chiefs backup for the 1999 and 2000 seasons under Elvis Grbac. Moon had a long career in the CFL and NFL, the Chiefs were the final team Moon played for.
Todd Blackledge, selected from the infamous Quarterback Class of 1983, did poorly with the Chiefs and is simply remembered by Chiefs fans as being a bust—the Chiefs passed on future greats Dan Marino and Jim Kelly—believing that Blackledge instead was the best choice.[5]
[edit] "Quarterback controversies"
[edit] 1997: Gannon/Grbac
Rich Gannon, future league MVP with the Oakland Raiders, started a controversy in the 1997 season when Elvis Grbac started the first nine games and then got hurt. Gannon replaced Grbac and started the next six games, before Grbac opened the season finale. Grbac then started in the playoffs and the Chiefs lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos 14-10.[3] It is now widely agreed that coach Marty Schottenheimer made a mistake by starting Grbac in the playoff game.[3]
Gannon signed with the Chiefs' rival Oakland Raiders following the 1998 season and later went on to be the league MVP by leading the Raiders to Super Bowl XXXVII. Grbac was cut following the departure of head coach Gunther Cunningham and signed with the then-defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens. Grbac only lasted one season in Baltimore after he endured another replacement at the starter's position, this time by veteran Randall Cunningham. Grbac retired following the 2001 season.
[edit] 2006-07: Croyle/Green/Huard
More recently, Damon Huard, whom had previously not started in over five years, helped lead the Chiefs to the verge of the playoffs in the 2006 season and caught attention from all across the nation over his stellar performance.[4] Prior to his ascension to the starting QB position, Huard was a journeyman quarterback whom had been a back-up quarterback for nearly six years. Huard played in 10 games throwing 11 touchdown passes and only 1 interception for a quarterback rating of 98.0. The Chiefs went 5-3 in games with Huard starting, but when Trent Green reclaimed his starting job after returning from a severe concussion, the Chiefs lost to the Indianapolis Colts. Much like the loss to the Broncos nearly a decade before, the Chiefs lost to the eventual Super Bowl champions in the playoffs.
On March 6, Chiefs general manager Carl Peterson announced that Trent Green was asked to restructure his contract to remain with the team.[8] Green was also granted permission to explore options of a trade to another team.[8][9][10] The February contract agreement with Huard, who would have been an unrestricted free agent, was the first public indication that Green’s job was in danger.[8][11] The first team to have contacted the Chiefs' front office was the Miami Dolphins,[12] but Miami had reportedly backed off of talks for a period of time due to a disagreement in negotiations. The Dolphins initially offered a seventh round draft pick to the Chiefs, but the Chiefs declined, instead seeking a second round pick in exchange for Green.[13] The Detroit Lions[13] and Cleveland Browns[13] were also interested in Green, whom are both looking for a veteran quarterback. Green had told the Chiefs that Miami was his preference[13][10] being that he previously worked under both head coach Cam Cameron and longtime quarterbacks coach Terry Shea. On draft day, the Chiefs and Dolphins could not reach a deal to trade Green.
Leading up to the 2007 NFL Draft, Green was offered to the Dolphins in exchange for a fourth round draft pick, while the Dolphins changed their offer to a sixth round pick.[14] Green attended all of the team practices in Spring 2007 despite months of voicing his intention to play in Miami.[15] Once the team's organized team activities's started in May, Green voiced his frustration and the controversy drew attention from all across the nation.[16] Within the lockerrooms, teammates voiced their concerns and gave support for Green, including left guard Brian Waters.[15]
Criticism was drawn to the Chiefs' apparent neglect to trade Green,[16] especially towards Carl Peterson's failure to execute the trade.[17][18]
Green stated that he was being treated unfairly on and off the field and that the 2007 quarterback competition was "weighted" towards Croyle.[15][19] Head coach Herman Edwards voiced his own displeasure with Green's outspoken comments and simply said that he was "trying to create competition."[20]
The changes had become apparent to Green, whom learned of the dismissal of quarterbacks coach Terry Shea from Brodie Croyle, and has also pointed out numerous occasions where Coach Edwards has expressed the intention to start a younger quarterback to go along with the others in the AFC West.[15] Green's agent had also said that the Dolphins were willing to be "flexible" in the trade negotiations, but the Chiefs organization was not reportedly returning their calls in late May.[21]
On June 5, the Chiefs agreed to trade Green to the Miami Dolphins for a conditional fifth round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, pending a physical from Green.[10] The pick could have been upgraded to a fourth-rounder if Green reached certain predetermined playing time and performance levels.[10] Green was placed on injured reserve in the middle of the season, securing a fifth-round choice for the Chiefs.
On August 25, 2007, Damon Huard was officially named the 13th starting quarterback of the Chiefs.[22] However, following an unproductive first half of the season, due in part to the Chiefs' offensive woes, Brodie Croyle was named the starter on November 12. Huard was injured in a game the previous day against the Denver Broncos, and Croyle filled in for the remainder of the game. Croyle started his first NFL regular season game against the Indianapolis Colts at the RCA Dome on November 18, 2007, but the Chiefs barely lost the game 10-13.
The Chiefs finished the season losing 9 consecutive games (a club record) and ended 4-12. Brodie Croyle started six of the last seven games for the Chiefs, losing all six.
[edit] References
- ^ Excluding the three starting quarterbacks from the 1987 NFL season (Espinoza, Stevens, and Seurer) who played following the 1987 NFL Players Strike.
- ^ Gretz, Bob. Thinking about quarterbacks KCChiefs.com, 12 September 2003; retrieved 7 February 2007.
- ^ a b c Gretz, Bob. Quarterbacks and controversy KCChiefs.com, 1 November 2006
- ^ a b Gretz, Bob. Huard performing a tough act to follow KCChiefs.com, 26 October 2006.
- ^ a b c d Gretz, Bob. The quarterback myth KCChiefs.com, 27 April 2006.
- ^ a b 1987 Kansas City Chiefs season at Database Football
- ^ Kansas City Chiefs History 1980's
- ^ a b c Teicher, Adam. Chiefs grant request for Green to seek opportunity with another team Kansas City Star, 7 March 2007.
- ^ Joint statement from Chiefs president Carl Peterson and Jim Steiner KCChiefs.com, 6 March 2007.
- ^ a b c d Pasquarelli, Len. Green goes to Dolphins from Chiefs in trade ESPN.com, 5 June 2007.
- ^ Associated Press. Chief to be chopped? Green asked to restructure deal ESPN.com, 6 March 2007.
- ^ Salguero, Armando. Dolphins discuss deal for Green Miami Herald, 7 March 2007.
- ^ a b c d Teicher, Adam. Browns may go for Green Kansas City Star, 29 March 2007.
- ^ Teicher, Adam. Trent Green still a Chief Kansas City Star, 30 April 2007.
- ^ a b c d King, Jason. It's not easy being (Trent) Green Kansas City Star, 22 May 2007.
- ^ a b Merrill, Elizabeth. QB situation not a distraction for Edwards ESPN.com, 2 May 2007.
- ^ Whitlock, Jason. Where's Trent's love? Kansas City Star, 13 May 2007.
- ^ Whitlock, Jason. Two sides to sad Green story Kansas City Star, 24 May 2007.
- ^ Teicher, Adam. Green expresses frustration; Chiefs re-sign Allen Kansas City Star, 22 May 2007.
- ^ King, Jason. Herm refutes Green's assertion that quarterback competition stacked against him Kansas City Star, 23 May 2007.
- ^ Associated Press. Green's agent says Chiefs won't return calls ESPN.com, 24 May 2007.
- ^ Huard named starting quarterback Kansas City Star, 25 August 2007.
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