Kansas City Chiefs Quarterbacks
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quarterbacks The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ameri ...
have started for the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
's
Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...
since their franchise began. The team has also had numerous backup quarterbacks that have stolen the spotlight from the starters. Under
Len Dawson Leonard Ray Dawson (June 20, 1935 – August 24, 2022) was an American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL) for 19 seasons, primarily with the Kansas City Chiefs franchise. Aft ...
, the Texans/Chiefs won three
American Football League The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Football Conference. ...
championships and appeared in two
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
championship games. Dawson was named
Most Valuable Player In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
following the Chiefs' victory in
Super Bowl IV Super Bowl IV was an American football game played on January 11, 1970 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was the fourth and final AFL–NFL World Championship Game in professional football prior to the AFL–NFL merger taking eff ...
. Dawson played a total of 13 seasons with Kansas City and retired with many franchise records. Despite having little success in developing and drafting a quality quarterback of their own, the Chiefs have achieved success under many veteran quarterbacks, including
Dave Krieg David Michael Krieg ( ; born October 20, 1958) is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He attended Milton College in his home state of Wisconsin and made the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent. ...
,
Joe Montana Joseph Clifford Montana Jr. (born June 11, 1956) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. Nicknamed "Joe Cool" and "the Comeback Kid", ...
,
Elvis Grbac Elvis M. Grbac (born August 13, 1970) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons, most notably with the Kansas City Chiefs. He played college football at Michigan, where he won the ...
,
Trent Green Trent Jason Green (born July 9, 1970) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for fifteen seasons. He played college football for Indiana University. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in ...
and
Alex Smith Alexander Douglas Smith (born May 7, 1984) is an American former quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He played college football at Utah, where he received first-team All-American honors and won the 20 ...
. The Chiefs have often relied on veteran leadership at the position.Althaus, p. 167 It wasn't until 2017 the Chiefs were able to successfully draft and groom a quarterback of their own,
Patrick Mahomes Patrick Lavon Mahomes II (born September 17, 1995) is an American football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). The son of former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher Pat Mahomes, he initially played co ...
, who brought them their first
AFC Championship The AFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the American Football Conference (AFC) and one of the two semi-final playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football league in the world. ...
title and second Super Bowl victory.


History


Starting quarterbacks

The Chiefs have had many notable and established quarterbacks on their squad at different times. Hall of Famers
Len Dawson Leonard Ray Dawson (June 20, 1935 – August 24, 2022) was an American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL) for 19 seasons, primarily with the Kansas City Chiefs franchise. Aft ...
and
Joe Montana Joseph Clifford Montana Jr. (born June 11, 1956) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. Nicknamed "Joe Cool" and "the Comeback Kid", ...
led the Chiefs in two successful eras and both led the team to playoff appearances in their first seasons. The franchise's first starter was
Cotton Davidson Francis Marion "Cotton" Davidson (November 30, 1931 – December 23, 2022) was an American professional football player who was a quarterback and punter in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL). Davidson attende ...
, who started 25 games for the Texans before being traded in 1962. Team owner
Lamar Hunt Lamar Hunt (August 2, 1932 – December 13, 2006) was an American businessman most notable for his promotion of American football, soccer, and tennis in the United States. He was the principal founder of the American Football League (AFL) and ...
traded Davidson to the
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
for the first-overall selection in the
1963 AFL Draft The 1963 American Football League draft was held in Dallas on Saturday, December 1, 1962. The Kansas City Chiefs drafted as the Dallas Texans, as their relocation would take place a few months later. With the first overall selection, they took B ...
. The franchise used that pick to select future Hall of Fame
defensive tackle A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that will typically line up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the offensive guards, however he may also line up opposite one of the tackles. Defensive tackles are typically the la ...
Buck Buchanan Junious "Buck" Buchanan (September 10, 1940 – July 16, 1992) was an American professional football player who was a defensive tackle with the Kansas City Chiefs in the American Football League (AFL) and in the National Football League (NFL). ...
. In Davidson's absence, free agent quarterback
Len Dawson Leonard Ray Dawson (June 20, 1935 – August 24, 2022) was an American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL) for 19 seasons, primarily with the Kansas City Chiefs franchise. Aft ...
signed with the team on July 2, 1962 after spending a five-year career in the NFL with
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
and
Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
. In Dallas, Dawson was rejoined with head coach
Hank Stram Henry Louis Stram (; January 3, 1923 – July 4, 2005) was an American football coach. He is best known for his 15-year tenure with the Dallas Texans / Kansas City Chiefs of the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (N ...
who served as an assistant coach with
Purdue Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...
, where Dawson played college football. In his first season with the Texans, Dawson led the team to a double-overtime victory over the
Houston Oilers The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston from its founding in 1960 to 1996 before relocating to Memphis, and later Nashville, Tennessee becoming the Tennessee Titans. The Oilers began play in 1960 as ...
in the
AFL Championship Game For its first nine seasons, 1960 through 1968, the American Football League determined its champion via a single playoff game between the winners of its two divisions (although ties in the standings in 1963 (Eastern) and 1968 (Western) necessitat ...
. The victory brought the team's first league championship. Len Dawson was the franchise's most successful quarterback, playing in 182 regular season games (158 starts) for the Texans/Chiefs, and holds many franchise records. He was nicknamed "Lenny the Cool" for his calm composure on the field.Althaus, p. 6Althaus, p. 1 Dawson completed 2,115 of 3,696 passes for 28,507 yards with 237 touchdowns and 178 interceptions, good for an 82.6 career rating. He ranks first in team history in pass attempts, completions, passing yards and touchdowns. He led the Chiefs to 94 regular season wins and three AFL titles. Dawson led the Chiefs to an appearance in the first AFL–NFL Championship Game (later known as "Super Bowl I") against the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
. He was named
MVP In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
of
Super Bowl IV Super Bowl IV was an American football game played on January 11, 1970 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was the fourth and final AFL–NFL World Championship Game in professional football prior to the AFL–NFL merger taking eff ...
when he directed Kansas City to a 23–7 victory over the
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
. Dawson was named to six AFL All-Star teams and one
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...
squad, in addition to being named the AFL Player of the Year in 1962. Dawson was also named the
NFL Man of the Year The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award is presented annually by the National Football League (NFL) honoring a player's commitment to philanthropy and community impact, as well as his excellence on the field. Prior to 1999, it was called s ...
in
1973 Events January * January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 15 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, U.S. ...
. Dawson threw a franchise record six touchdown passes against the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
on November 1, 1964 in a 49–39 victory. In 1966, while still playing for the Chiefs, Dawson became the sports director and anchor for
KMBC-TV KMBC-TV (channel 9) is a television station in Kansas City, Missouri, United States, affiliated with ABC. It is owned by Hearst Television alongside CW affiliate KCWE (channel 29). Both stations share studios on Winchester Avenue in the List o ...
, a local Kansas City
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
affiliate. As of 2009, Dawson is still KMBC's sports director. He would practice and play for the Chiefs during the day and later help anchor news broadcasts at night. After retiring from the NFL in 1975, Dawson began hosting ''
Inside the NFL ''Inside the NFL'' is an American weekly television sports show that focuses on the National Football League (NFL). It originally aired on HBO from 1977 through 2008. Following Super Bowl XLII, HBO announced that it would be dropping the program ...
'' on HBO and worked network broadcasts for
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
.Althaus, p. 3 He joined the Chiefs' radio broadcast team in 1984 and provides color commentary to game broadcasts.
Bill Kenney William Patrick Kenney (born January 20, 1955) is an American former quarterback who spent nine years in the National Football League with the Kansas City Chiefs from 1980 to 1988 and a former politician who spent 8 years as a Missouri State Se ...
was the team's starting quarterback in various times between 1980 and 1988 and compiled a 46–51 record.Althaus, p. 166 Kenney played behind a porous offensive line and holds the franchise record for most times sacked (195). Kenney's All-Pro wide receiver teammate
Carlos Carson Carlos Andre Carson (born December 28, 1958) is a former professional American football player drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round of the 1980 NFL Draft. A , 184 lb wide receiver from Louisiana State University, Carson pl ...
said, "I don't care who you are, it's tough to throw a pass when you're lying on your back." Kenney was selected to the
1984 Pro Bowl The 1984 Pro Bowl was the 34th Pro Bowl, the annual all-star game of the National Football League (NFL), and featured the outstanding performers from the 1983 season. The game was contested by teams representing the National Football Conference ( ...
. After retiring from professional football, Kenney became a
State Senator A state senator is a member of a state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. Description A state senator is a member of an upper house in the bicameral legislatures of 49 U ...
for the
Missouri Senate The Missouri Senate is the upper chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 34 members, representing districts with an average population of 174,000. Its members serve four-year terms, with half the seats being up for election every two yea ...
. The Chiefs made a mistake in drafting quarterback
Todd Blackledge Todd Alan Blackledge (born February 25, 1961) is a former American football quarterback in both the NCAA and National Football League. In college, he led the Penn State Nittany Lions to a national championship. A member of the famed Class of 19 ...
in the
1983 NFL Draft The 1983 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 26–27, 1983, at the New York She ...
believing that Blackledge was a better choice than
Jim Kelly James Edward Kelly (born February 14, 1960) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons with the Buffalo Bills. He also spent two seasons with the Houston Gamblers of the United State ...
and
Dan Marino Daniel Constantine Marino Jr. (born September 15, 1961) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons with the Miami Dolphins. After a successful college career at Pittsburgh and be ...
. Blackledge never started a full season for Kansas City while Kelly and Marino played Hall of Fame careers. Blackledge started 24 total games in Kansas City, but inconsistent play led to him sharing time with
Bill Kenney William Patrick Kenney (born January 20, 1955) is an American former quarterback who spent nine years in the National Football League with the Kansas City Chiefs from 1980 to 1988 and a former politician who spent 8 years as a Missouri State Se ...
from 1984–1987. In the 1987 season, the Chiefs used five starting quarterbacks for the only time in franchise history. Doug Hudson was the last quarterback drafted by the team to start a game until
Brodie Croyle John Brodie Croyle (; born February 6, 1983) is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL) in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football for the Un ...
started in 2007. In Hudson's only game, he was sacked in the endzone for a
safety Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are ...
by the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
' Jim Ryan. The sack and fumble is the only recorded statistic for his career. In 1988, the Chiefs traded two draft selections and
safety Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are ...
Mark Robinson to the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
in exchange for veteran quarterback
Steve DeBerg Steven Leroy DeBerg (born January 19, 1954) is an American retired professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 years. Early life DeBerg is an alumnus of Savanna High School in Anaheim, Califo ...
. DeBerg spent four seasons with the Chiefs, leading the team to 2 postseason appearances (in
1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of Humankind, humanity on Earth, Astroph ...
, he did so despite playing with a broken finger). DeBerg compiled 11,873 passing yards, 67 touchdowns and 50 interceptions with the Chiefs with an 81.8
passer rating Passer rating (also known as passing efficiency in college football) is a measure of the performance of passers, primarily quarterbacks, in gridiron football. There are two formulas currently in use: one used by both the National Football Leag ...
. DeBerg's best year was 1990 with a 101.2 quarterback rating, passing for 3,444 yards, 23 touchdowns and only 4 interceptions. On April 21, 1993, Kansas City acquired quarterback
Joe Montana Joseph Clifford Montana Jr. (born June 11, 1956) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. Nicknamed "Joe Cool" and "the Comeback Kid", ...
, safety
David Whitmore David Lawrence Whitmore (born July 6, 1967 in Daingerfield, Texas) is a former American football safety in the National Football League for the New York Giants, the San Francisco 49ers, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Philadelphia Eagles. He pla ...
, and a third-round draft pick in the
1993 NFL Draft The 1993 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 25–26, 1993, at the Marriot Ma ...
(
Will Shields Will Herthie Shields (born September 15, 1971) is an American former professional football player who was an offensive guard in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. He played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, earnin ...
) by sending their first-round selection to the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
. Montana had already agreed on a three-year, $10 million contract before getting traded. Montana would lead the Chiefs to the
AFC Championship Game The AFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the American Football Conference (AFC) and one of the two semi-final playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football league in the world. ...
, a feat they would not accomplish again until
2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
. He was also selected to the
1994 Pro Bowl The 1994 Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 1993 season. The game was played on February 6, 1994, at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The final Score was NFC 17, AFC 3. Andre Rison of the Atlanta Falcons was the game's MVP. This wa ...
. In 1994, Montana led the Chiefs into
Mile High Stadium Mile High Stadium (originally Bears Stadium until 1968) was an outdoor multi-purpose stadium located in Denver, Colorado from 1948 to 2001. The stadium was built in 1948 to accommodate the Denver Bears baseball team, which was a member of the ...
to face
John Elway John Albert Elway Jr. (born June 28, 1960) is an American professional football executive and former quarterback who is the president of football operations for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). Elway played college f ...
and the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
on ''
Monday Night Football ''ESPN Monday Night Football'' (abbreviated as ''MNF'' and also known as ''ESPN Monday Night Football on ABC'' for simulcasts) is an American live television broadcast of weekly National Football League (NFL) games currently airing on ESPN, AB ...
''. Elway performed some of his late-game magic but it was Montana who stole the show in a game later known as the "Monday Night Shootout." The two teams entered the fourth quarter tied at 21, and a Chiefs field goal put the team on top 24–21. After a turnover by the Broncos, Kansas City appeared ready to run out the clock behind
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...
Marcus Allen Marcus LeMarr Allen (born March 26, 1960) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the Los Angeles Raiders. Considered one of the greatest goal line and short-y ...
. Allen fumbled, leaving the Broncos with possession of the ball, and Elway led the Broncos to a touchdown to give Denver a 28–24 lead. However, with 1:29 remaining, Montana led the Chiefs 75 yards down the field to score the last minute go ahead touchdown, and the Chiefs snapped an 11-game losing streak to Denver with a 31–28 victory. After the departure of Elvis Grbac in 2001, the Chiefs acquired Trent Green in a trade with the St. Louis Rams. In his first season, Green struggled and was called "a big disappointment." Phil Kloster famously nicknamed him "Tr-INT" after he had a particularly rough outing versus Denver in which he threw 4 interceptions to Deltha O'Neal. This was later picked up from Chiefs fan page Chiefsplanet by Jason Whitlock who printed the moniker in the Kansas City Star and took the nickname to fame. By his third season, Green led the Chiefs to a 13–3 record in 2003 and was called the "mastermind of the Chiefs' high-powered offense." In 2004, Green threw for 4,591 yards and a league-high 556 passing attempts. Green was selected to two
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...
games in 2003 and 2005. Green's 81-game start streak for the Chiefs from 2001–2006 is a franchise record at the position. His 88 career starts for the Chiefs is second behind Dawson. Green is the Chiefs' career leader in
passer rating Passer rating (also known as passing efficiency in college football) is a measure of the performance of passers, primarily quarterbacks, in gridiron football. There are two formulas currently in use: one used by both the National Football Leag ...
(87.3), average gain per attempt (7.7), 300-yard passing games (24), completion percentage (61.94), and completions of 20 or more yards (274). He is the only quarterback in Chiefs history to throw a "perfect game" registering a 158.3
passer rating Passer rating (also known as passing efficiency in college football) is a measure of the performance of passers, primarily quarterbacks, in gridiron football. There are two formulas currently in use: one used by both the National Football Leag ...
against
Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
on December 14, 2003. In the past few decades, the Chiefs have relied on veteran quarterbacks to lead their team. The Chiefs never drafted their own quarterback to develop until
Brodie Croyle John Brodie Croyle (; born February 6, 1983) is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL) in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football for the Un ...
was chosen in the
2006 NFL Draft The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City, New York, at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with ad ...
and claimed the starting position in
2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
. In the years prior to drafting Croyle (1960–2005), the Chiefs had drafted 30 quarterbacks and each led the team to victory just 57 times, or 15%. When head coach
Herman Edwards Herman Edwards Jr. (born April 27, 1954) is an American football coach and former cornerback who was most recently the head football coach at Arizona State. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons, primarily with the Phil ...
was hired in
2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
, he stated that he was looking towards implementing a "youth movement" into his game plan, and he began his roster moves at the quarterback position. Croyle was the team's starting quarterback heading into the 2008 season, however, he suffered an injury and
Damon Huard Damon Paul Huard (born July 9, 1973) is a former American football quarterback. He is the director of community relations and fundraising for the University of Washington football program, his alma mater. Huard was signed by the Cincinnati Be ...
played in Croyle's absence. Huard started the Chiefs' game in Week 2, but he himself suffered an injury and
Tyler Thigpen Tyler Beckham Thigpen (born April 14, 1984) is a former American football quarterback. Thigpen was drafted out of Coastal Carolina University in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft (217th overall) by the Minnesota Vikings. He was the first ...
substituted for the remainder of the game. Thigpen started for the Chiefs in Huard and Croyle's absence against the Falcons. Croyle returned in Week 7 to start against the
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
but suffered a season-ending knee injury. Following the injuries to Croyle and Huard, Thigpen became the ''
de facto ''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with ''de jure'' ("by la ...
'' starting quarterback. After a poor first career start for Thigpen against Atlanta, a game in which he threw three interceptions, the Chiefs implemented the
spread offense :''"Spread offense" may also refer to the four corners offense in basketball.'' The spread offense is an offensive scheme in gridiron football that typically places the quarterback in the shotgun formation, and "spreads" the defense horizontall ...
. With the absence of RB Larry Johnson, the central part of the Chiefs' offense in years past, offensive coordinator
Chan Gailey Thomas Chandler Gailey Jr. (born January 5, 1952) is a former American football coach. Most recently in 2020, he was the offensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). Gailey has previously served as the head ...
adjusted the offense to mimic the spread formation run by Thigpen at
Coastal Carolina Coastal Carolina University (CCU or Coastal) is a public university in Conway, South Carolina. Founded in 1954 as Coastal Carolina Junior College, and later joining the University of South Carolina System as USC Coastal Carolina, it became an in ...
. It was considered by many in the NFL as a gamble, since there have been doubts over the spread offense's longterm success at the professional level. It was also a new direction for head coach
Herman Edwards Herman Edwards Jr. (born April 27, 1954) is an American football coach and former cornerback who was most recently the head football coach at Arizona State. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons, primarily with the Phil ...
, who has long had a reputation for favoring more conservative, run-oriented offenses. After it was implemented, Edwards began seeing his team gain confidence with every game it played in that wide-open system, as the Chiefs began to become competitive once again on offense. The switch to the spread offense paid off for Thigpen and his abilities. Prior to the Chiefs implementing the spread offense, Thigpen had been playing erratically with the Chiefs, and he suddenly became poised and effective running the new offense. In Thigpen's second career start, he passed for 280 yards with a 69.4% completion rate, with two touchdowns and no interceptions against the
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
, nearly leading the Chiefs to win over the heavily favored Jets. Thigpen's passer rating climbed from 44.3 to 76.9 in the five games following his initial start at Atlanta. The Chiefs scored more than 10 points just twice in their first six games, but scored more offensive points than that in every game since, and twice topped 25 points. Thigpen won his first game as the Chiefs' starter on November 30 against the Oakland Raiders, leading Kansas City to a 20–13 victory. Thigpen finished 15-for-22 for 162 yards and ran for 48 more. The offensive gameplan finally paid off and resulted in a victory which ended a 7-game losing streak for the Chiefs. Thigpen ended the season starting nine games for Chiefs with a 1–8 record. Six of the losses were within 7-point or less margins. He registered 21 total touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and 2,994 all-purpose yards. On February 28, 2009, the Chiefs acquired QB
Matt Cassel Matthew Brennan Cassel (born May 17, 1982) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. A member of seven NFL teams, Cassel's most notable stints were with the New England Patriots an ...
and LB
Mike Vrabel Michael George Vrabel (; born August 14, 1975) is an American football coach and former linebacker who is the head coach of the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State, where he earned con ...
from the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
for the #34 overall selection in the
2009 NFL Draft The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 25 and 26, 2009. T ...
. Cassel competed with Thigpen for the starting quarterback position during training camp and won decisively. Matt Cassel did not have immediate success as the starter for Kansas City, as he led the team to a 4–12 season in 2009, throwing for 2,924 yards and 16 touchdowns, while also throwing 16 interceptions. The next year as the starter, he showed marked improvement, and helped the Chiefs attain a 10–6 record in 2010 by throwing for 3,116 yards, 27 touchdowns, and only 7 interceptions. Cassel's effective quarterback play helped the Kansas City Chiefs win the AFC West and return to the postseason, where they faced the Baltimore Ravens. The game ended with a loss, however, with the final score being 30–7. Cassel began the 2011 season as the starting quarterback, however during a loss in Week 10 against the Denver Broncos, he injured his hand and did not play the rest of the season. He was replaced by
Tyler Palko Tyler Palko (born August 9, 1983) is a former American football quarterback. Palko was the starting quarterback at the University of Pittsburgh from 2004 to 2006. The left-handed thrower was not selected in the 2007 NFL Draft, but was signed by ...
, who had only thrown six passes in his career up to that point. He started four games for Chiefs, and led them to a 1–3 record before being benched in a 37–10 loss to the Jets in Week 14.
Kyle Orton Kyle Raymond Orton (born November 14, 1982) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for Purdue, where he started four straight bowl games. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Dr ...
, the former Denver Broncos quarterback, was chosen to start the Week 15 game against the formerly unbeaten 13-0 Green Bay Packers, and led them to an improbable upset. The next game, Orton led the Chiefs to a close loss in overtime against the Oakland Raiders, ending their hopes of a playoff bid. They finished the season at 7–9, with nine games started by Cassel, four by Palko, and three by Orton. The Chiefs began their 2012 season with high hopes, but they were quickly dashed, as both Cassel and late season replacement
Brady Quinn Brayden Tyler "Brady" Quinn (born October 27, 1984) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played college football at Notre Dame, where he won the Maxwell Award, and w ...
, also a former Broncos quarterback, split the 2012 season even with 8 games started each. The team tied with the
2012 Arizona Cardinals The 2012 season was the Arizona Cardinals' 93rd in the National Football League, their 25th in Arizona, and their sixth and final season under head coach Ken Whisenhunt. After a surprising 4–0 start, which included a major upset of the New Engl ...
for most interceptions (20) with Cassel throwing 12 and Quinn throwing 8. The Chiefs ended with the worst record in the NFL in offensive passing and finished the season with a 2–14 record. Subsequently, head coach
Romeo Crennel Romeo Crennel (born June 18, 1947) is a former American football coach, who was the senior advisor for football performance for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). A former long-time coaching assistant to Bill Parcells, Cre ...
and general manager
Scott Pioli Scott Pioli (born March 31, 1965) is an American football executive who most recently worked as the Assistant General Manager for the Atlanta Falcons. He was an NFL analyst for NBC Sports' ''Football Night in America'', NBC Sports Network's Pro ...
were both fired, and the Chiefs brought in former Eagles head coach
Andy Reid Andrew Walter Reid (born March 19, 1958) is an American football coach who is the head coach for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). Reid was previously head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles from 1999 to 2012. From 200 ...
and John Dorsey to be head coach and general manager. In 2013, a trade made by Dorsey brought in former No. 1 overall pick
Alex Smith Alexander Douglas Smith (born May 7, 1984) is an American former quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He played college football at Utah, where he received first-team All-American honors and won the 20 ...
. Around the same time, the Chiefs also released Matt Cassel. Alex Smith took the former 2-14 team and led them to a 9–0 start and an 11–5 record, as a strong defense and a decent offense led them to a playoff berth. Alex Smith also recorded 3,313 yards, twenty-three touchdowns, and only seven interceptions. However, the Chiefs were stunned as they lost in the Wildcard Round to the fourth seeded Indianapolis Colts 45-44 after leading by 38-10 early in the 3rd quarter. The next season, the Chiefs put up a second straight winning season under the new Andy Reid/Alex Smith system, however their 9–7 record was not enough to make the playoffs. Alex Smith again finished with a similar season, putting up 3,265 yards, eighteen touchdowns, and six interceptions. In the following season, the Chiefs started with a 1–5 record, however improved quarterback play and defense led the Chiefs on an improbable 11-game winning streak, culminating with the team's first playoff win since 1993, where they beat the
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
by a score of 30–0. The Chiefs, however, fell short of an
AFC Championship Game The AFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the American Football Conference (AFC) and one of the two semi-final playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football league in the world. ...
bid as the Chiefs lost to the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. Alex Smith recorded his career high in passing yards that season, however, with 3,486 yards, and also had twenty touchdowns and seven interceptions. In 2016, Alex Smith started his fourth straight season as Chiefs quarterback. He was injured in Week 8 against the Indianapolis Colts, however he only missed one game and backup quarterback
Nick Foles Nicholas Edward Foles (born January 20, 1989) is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arizona and was selected in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft ...
led them to a 19–14 win over the
Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
the following week. In Week 12, Alex Smith also led the Chiefs to a 30–27 overtime win against the defending Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos, and put the Chiefs at 8–3 on the season. In 2017, the Chiefs drafted
Patrick Mahomes Patrick Lavon Mahomes II (born September 17, 1995) is an American football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). The son of former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher Pat Mahomes, he initially played co ...
with the 10th selection in the draft. Mahomes spent almost all of that season as the backup to Smith, and on December 31, 2017, with the Chiefs' playoff seeding already secured and most of the starters resting until the following week's Wild Card Round matchup with the
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
, Mahomes made his NFL debut as the starting QB, leading the Chiefs to a 27–24 victory over the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
. The Chiefs traded Alex Smith to the Washington Redskins after the season and named Mahomes as the starting QB for 2018. Mahomes quickly showed off his talents on the field, setting an NFL record with 10 TD passes in his first 3 games and throwing for 300 yards in 8 of the first 9 games of the 2018 season. Mahomes ultimately finished the 2018 season with 5,097 passing yards and 50 touchdowns, becoming the youngest player since
Dan Marino Daniel Constantine Marino Jr. (born September 15, 1961) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons with the Miami Dolphins. After a successful college career at Pittsburgh and be ...
in 1984 to throw for that many yards, and the second player in NFL history, along with
Peyton Manning Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and four with th ...
, to throw for 5,000 passing yards and 50 touchdowns in the same season. For his performance, he was named the
NFL MVP The National Football League Most Valuable Player Award (NFL MVP) is an award given by various entities to the American football player who is considered the most valuable in the National Football League (NFL) during the regular season. Organizati ...
, and he also received several other awards and accolades.


Backup quarterbacks

Notable backup quarterbacks have also led the Chiefs to success after substituting for their starting quarterback, including
Mike Livingston Michael Paul Livingston (born November 14, 1945) is a former American football player, a quarterback in the American Football League and National Football League for twelve seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. Early years Born and raised in Dal ...
,
Rich Gannon Richard Joseph Gannon (born December 20, 1965) is an American former football quarterback who played 18 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Subsequently, he was a sports commentator with CBS Sports for 16 years. Gannon was born in ...
, and
Damon Huard Damon Paul Huard (born July 9, 1973) is a former American football quarterback. He is the director of community relations and fundraising for the University of Washington football program, his alma mater. Huard was signed by the Cincinnati Be ...
. When
Len Dawson Leonard Ray Dawson (June 20, 1935 – August 24, 2022) was an American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL) for 19 seasons, primarily with the Kansas City Chiefs franchise. Aft ...
was injured during the Chiefs’ 1969 season, second-year quarterback
Mike Livingston Michael Paul Livingston (born November 14, 1945) is a former American football player, a quarterback in the American Football League and National Football League for twelve seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. Early years Born and raised in Dal ...
won all six of his starts in Dawson's absence. Dawson returned late in the season to lead the Chiefs on way to
Super Bowl IV Super Bowl IV was an American football game played on January 11, 1970 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was the fourth and final AFL–NFL World Championship Game in professional football prior to the AFL–NFL merger taking eff ...
. Livingston, surrounded by a much weaker cast when he got another chance to start, never enjoyed much success again.
Tom Flores Thomas Raymond Flores (born March 21, 1937) is a former American football coach and quarterback. After his retirement as a coach, he was a radio announcer for more than twenty years. Flores won a total of four Super Bowls in his playing and c ...
was also on the Chiefs' 1969 team that won
Super Bowl IV Super Bowl IV was an American football game played on January 11, 1970 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was the fourth and final AFL–NFL World Championship Game in professional football prior to the AFL–NFL merger taking eff ...
, but never played in a game for the Chiefs. He went on to coach the
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
to two
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
victories in the 1980s.
Warren Moon Harold Warren Moon (born November 18, 1956) is an American former football quarterback who played professionally for 23 seasons. He spent the majority of his career with the Houston Oilers of the National Football League (NFL) and the Edmonto ...
was on the Chiefs' roster for the 1999 and 2000 seasons under Elvis Grbac and started one game in Grbac's absence. Moon was inducted into the
Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coach ...
in 2006.
Ron Jaworski Partner owner , highlights= * Pro Bowl (1980) * Bert Bell Award (1980) * Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame ;NFL record * Longest touchdown pass: 99 yards (tied) , statlabel1= TD– INT , statvalue1=179–164 , statlabel2=Yards , statvalue2=28,19 ...
finished his career as a Chief in 1989, and started three games.


Quarterback controversies


Gannon and Grbac

A
quarterback controversy The following terms are used in American football, both conventional and indoor American football, indoor. Some of these terms are also in use in Canadian football; for a list of terms unique to that code, see ''Glossary of Canadian football''. ...
began in the 1997 season when
Elvis Grbac Elvis M. Grbac (born August 13, 1970) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons, most notably with the Kansas City Chiefs. He played college football at Michigan, where he won the ...
started the first nine games and suffered an injury, leading to
Rich Gannon Richard Joseph Gannon (born December 20, 1965) is an American former football quarterback who played 18 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Subsequently, he was a sports commentator with CBS Sports for 16 years. Gannon was born in ...
's substitution for the next six games. Grbac would return in the team's season finale. Gannon won five consecutive starts down the stretch to help the Chiefs earn home-field advantage with a 13–3 record. Grbac wasn't much of a leader, in fact he once made the comment "I can't catch the ball and throw it, too." although he was a talented thrower. Gannon was an aggressive leader who demanded the most of his players. Grbac was selected by coach
Marty Schottenheimer Martin Edward Schottenheimer (; September 23, 1943 – February 8, 2021) was an American football linebacker and coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) from 1984 to 2006. He was the head coach of the Kansas City ...
to start the team's playoff game against the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
, a game which the Chiefs would lose 14–10. Chiefs fans were deeply divided over whether Gannon or Grbac should lead the team, and Gannon backers were none too happy when he was let go and signed with the Raiders in 1999. After joining the Raiders, Gannon knocked the Chiefs out of playoff contention in the 1999 season when the Raiders defeated the Chiefs by a score of 41–38 in overtime. Grbac was released by the Chiefs after the 2000 season and signed with the then- defending Super Bowl champion
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
. Grbac only lasted one season in Baltimore and retired in the offseason. In 2002, Gannon would be named the NFL's Most Valuable Player and led the Raiders to an appearance in
Super Bowl XXXVII Super Bowl XXXVII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Oakland Raiders and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers to decide the National Football League (NFL) cham ...
.


Quarterback instability under Herman Edwards (2006–2008)

Trent Green had proven himself incredibly durable in his tenure with the Chiefs, and had started every game for the Chiefs since they acquired him in a 2001 trade. Green suffered a severe concussion in the 2006 season opener, when he was hit outside the pocket by
Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
defensive end
Robert Geathers Robert Lee Geathers, Jr. (born August 11, 1983) is a former American football defensive end. He played college football at the University of Georgia. He was selected by the Bengals in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft. Geathers played his e ...
. The injury would sideline him for the next eight games. He considered retirement but said
neurosurgeon Neurosurgery or neurological surgery, known in common parlance as brain surgery, is the medical specialty concerned with the surgical treatment of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, spinal cord and peri ...
s and neurophysiologists told him he faced no increased risk of
Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegeneration, neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in short-term me ...
or
dementia Dementia is a disorder which manifests as a set of related symptoms, which usually surfaces when the brain is damaged by injury or disease. The symptoms involve progressive impairments in memory, thinking, and behavior, which negatively affe ...
if he resumed playing with the team.
Damon Huard Damon Paul Huard (born July 9, 1973) is a former American football quarterback. He is the director of community relations and fundraising for the University of Washington football program, his alma mater. Huard was signed by the Cincinnati Be ...
took over in Green's absence while Green recovered, and coach
Herman Edwards Herman Edwards Jr. (born April 27, 1954) is an American football coach and former cornerback who was most recently the head football coach at Arizona State. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons, primarily with the Phil ...
stated that Green would reclaim the position when he got healthy. The situation with Huard was compared to the Gannon–Grbac controversy from seven years earlier. Until he replaced Green in week one, Huard had thrown one pass in a game since 2000 and started in six games. Huard played in ten games throwing 11 touchdown passes and only one interception for a quarterback rating of 98.0 with the Chiefs. The Chiefs went 5–3 in games with Huard starting, but when
Trent Green Trent Jason Green (born July 9, 1970) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for fifteen seasons. He played college football for Indiana University. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in ...
reclaimed his starting job, he managed a 4–4 record and threw 7 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. When Green returned, the opinions of Chiefs fans were divided. Half wanted Damon Huard while others remained loyal to Green. Edwards eventually chose Green to start the team's playoff game against the
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
. Edwards had said that if Green struggled, he wouldn't hesitate to substitute Huard into the game: The Chiefs' offense stumbled in the 23–8 loss, and Green threw for 107 yards on 14-of-24 passing with two interceptions. Kansas City's initial first down came with 3:34 remaining in the third quarter, and managed 126 total yards on offense. In late January, Chiefs
general manager A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...
Carl Peterson Carl D. Peterson (born May 26, 1943) For more than 50 years, Carl Peterson was a creative force in the world of American Football, starting at the high school level, through small college ball, to major college football, and on to professional fo ...
told Green that he would have to restructure his contract to remain with the team and to brace for a lesser role on offense. Green was also granted permission to explore options of a trade. The February 2007 contract agreement with Huard, who would have been an unrestricted free agent, was the first public indication that Green's job was in danger. The first team to have contacted the Chiefs' front office about acquiring Green was the
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
, but Miami disagreements prolonged trade talks. 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. The
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
and
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
were also interested in Green, whom were both looking for a veteran quarterback. Green had told the Chiefs that Miami was his preference for a trade, being that he previously worked under both head coach
Cam Cameron Malcolm "Cam" Cameron (born February 6, 1961) is an American football coach. He is the former offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach of the LSU Tigers football program. Cameron attended Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana and playe ...
and longtime quarterbacks coach
Terry Shea Terry is a unisex given name, derived from French Thierry and Theodoric. It can also be used as a diminutive nickname for the names Teresa or Theresa (feminine) or Terence or Terrier (masculine). People Male * Terry Albritton (1955–2005), Am ...
. On draft day, the Chiefs and Dolphins could not reach a trade agreement. Green voiced his frustration, and criticism was drawn to the Chiefs' apparent neglect to trade Green. Green stated that he was being treated unfairly on and off the field and that the 2007 quarterback competition was "substantially weighted" towards
Brodie Croyle John Brodie Croyle (; born February 6, 1983) is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL) in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football for the Un ...
, who was drafted in 2006. Green voiced his reluctance to be a backup to Croyle and Huard.
Head coach A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manager", as in assoc ...
Herman Edwards Herman Edwards Jr. (born April 27, 1954) is an American football coach and former cornerback who was most recently the head football coach at Arizona State. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons, primarily with the Phil ...
voiced his own displeasure with Green's outspoken comments and simply said that he was "trying to create competition." The changes had become apparent to Green, whom learned of the dismissal of quarterbacks coach
Terry Shea Terry is a unisex given name, derived from French Thierry and Theodoric. It can also be used as a diminutive nickname for the names Teresa or Theresa (feminine) or Terence or Terrier (masculine). People Male * Terry Albritton (1955–2005), Am ...
from Croyle. He had also pointed out numerous occasions where Edwards had expressed the intention to start a younger quarterback to go along with the others in the
AFC West The American Football Conference – Western Division or AFC West is one of the four divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The division comprises the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Las ...
. Green's agent had also said that the Dolphins were willing to be "flexible" in the trade negotiations, but the Chiefs organization were reportedly ignoring their calls in late May. On June 5, the Chiefs agreed to trade Green to the Miami Dolphins for a conditional fifth round pick in the
2008 NFL Draft The 2008 NFL Draft was the 73rd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 26 and April 27, ...
. The pick could have been upgraded to a fourth-round selection if Green reached certain predetermined playing time and performance levels. A season-ending concussion sent Green to the disabled list, securing a fifth-round choice for the Chiefs. On August 25, Huard was named the Chiefs' starting quarterback for the season opener against the
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
. However, following an unproductive first half of the season 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 The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
at the
RCA Dome The RCA Dome (originally Hoosier Dome) was a domed stadium in Indianapolis. It was the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons (1984– 2007). It was completed at a cost of $77.5 million, as part of the Indiana Convention Ce ...
on November 18, 2007, but the Chiefs lost the game 13–10. The Chiefs finished the season losing 9 consecutive games (a club record) and ended with a 4–12 record, their worst in 30 years. Croyle started six of the last seven games for the Chiefs, losing all six. In 2008, Croyle started the Chiefs' opening game against the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
, but suffered a shoulder injury. Huard played for the remainder of the game and started the team's Week 2 matchup against the
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
. Huard was injured in the game and replaced by
Tyler Thigpen Tyler Beckham Thigpen (born April 14, 1984) is a former American football quarterback. Thigpen was drafted out of Coastal Carolina University in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft (217th overall) by the Minnesota Vikings. He was the first ...
. Thigpen was the third Chiefs starting quarterback in the 2008 season. The Chiefs prepared Croyle throughout their bye week in order to return in Week 7 against the
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
. Croyle suffered a season-ending knee injury in the game, and when Huard substituted, he suffered a thumb injury leading to Thigpen finishing the game at quarterback. After the game, it was confirmed that both Croyle and Huard were placed on injured reserve, and Thigpen was announced as the starter against the Jets in Week 8. The Chiefs signed both
Ingle Martin Harry Ingle Martin IV (born August 15, 1982) is an American former college and professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons during the late 2000s. Martin played college football for ...
and
Quinn Gray Quinn Fordham Gray Sr. (born May 21, 1979) is a former American football quarterback who played for four seasons in the National Football League and one season each in the United Football League and NFL Europe. He played college football at Flor ...
to replace both Croyle and Huard on the depth chart. Thigpen started the remaining ten games of the season, but the Chiefs finished with a franchise-worst 2–14 record and continued to lack stability at the QB position under head coach Herman Edwards.


Franchise records

The following is a list of franchise records accomplished by Texans/Chiefs quarterbacks from 1960–2018.


Career

*Games started, total: Len Dawson, 158 (1962–1975). *Games played, total: Len Dawson, 182 (1962–1975). *Games started, consecutive: Trent Green, 81 (2001–2006). *Passing yards: Len Dawson, 28,507 (1962–1975). *Touchdown passes: Len Dawson, 237 (1962–1975). *Most passes had intercepted: Len Dawson, 178 (1962–1975). *Most consecutive games, touchdowns passes: Patrick Mahomes, 31 (October 6, 2019 to October 17, 2021).https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MahoPa00/gamelog/ *Highest passer rating: Trent Green, 87.3 (2001–2006). *Passing attempts: Len Dawson, 3,696 (1962–1975). *Passing completions: Len Dawson, 2,115 (1962–1975). *Passing completion percentage: Trent Green, 61.94 (2001–2006). *Most 300-yard passing games: Trent Green, 24 (2001–2006). *Regular season wins: Len Dawson, 94 (1962–1975). *Times sacked (compiled since 1972): Bill Kenney, 195 (1980–1988). *Longest pass completion: Trent Green to
Marc Boerigter Marc Robert Boerigter (; born May 4, 1978) is a former professional Canadian and American football player. He is one of 13 players to have caught a 99-yard reception in the NFL. Early life and college football career Born in Hastings, Nebras ...
, 99 (December 12, 2002 vs. San Diego Chargers). *Lowest percentage, passes had intercepted: Elvis Grbac, 3.04 (1,548-47) (1997–2000).


Season

*Touchdown passes: Patrick Mahomes, 50 (2018). *Touchdown passes, rookie: Steve Fuller, 6 (1979). *Yards gained:, Patrick Mahomes, 5,097 (2018). *Yards gained, rookie: Steve Fuller, 1,484 (1979). *Passes had intercepted: Trent Green, 24 (2001). *Passes had intercepted, rookie: Steve Fuller, 14 (1979). *Fumbles: Steve Fuller, 16 (1980). *Times sacked (compiled since 1972): Steve Fuller, 49 (1980). *Passing attempts: Bill Kenney, 603 (1983). *Passing completions: Patrick Mahomes, 369 (2018). *Most 300-yard passing games: Patrick Mahomes, 10 (2018). *Most passing attempts, rookie: Steve Fuller, 270 (1979). *Most passing completions, rookie: Steve Fuller, 146 (1979).


Game

*First quarterback to throw and catch a touchdown pass: Tyler Thigpen (November 2, 2008 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers). *Youngest quarterback to start: Patrick Mahomes (December 31, 2017 vs. Denver Broncos). *Oldest quarterback to start: Warren Moon, 44 (November 26, 2000 vs. San Diego Chargers). *Touchdown passes: Two players tied–'' Len Dawson; Patrick Mahomes, 6 (November 1, 1964 vs. Denver Broncos; September 16, 2018 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers + November 19, 2018 vs. Los Angeles Rams). *Highest passer rating: Trent Green, 158.3 (December 12, 2002 vs. Detroit Lions). *Passes attempted: ''Two players tied–''Joe Montana; Steve Bono, 55 (October 9, 1994 vs. San Diego Chargers; December 12, 1994 vs. Miami Dolphins). *Passes attempted, no interceptions: Trent Green, 47 (December 7, 2003 vs. Denver Broncos). *Passes completed: Elvis Grbac, 39 (November 5, 2000 vs. Oakland Raiders). *Passes completed, consecutive: Len Dawson, 16 (September 9, 1967 vs. Houston Oilers). *Yards gained: Elvis Grbac, 504 (November 5, 2000 vs. Oakland Raiders). *Times sacked: Steve Fuller, 10 (November 2, 1980 vs. Baltimore Colts). *Most passes had intercepted: Todd Blackledge, 6 (October 20, 1985 vs. Los Angeles Rams).


See also

* List of Kansas City Chiefs starting quarterbacks *
List of Kansas City Chiefs players This is a select list of players from the Kansas City Chiefs American football, football team from the National Football League. ''For more information, see Kansas City Chiefs#Notable players, Kansas City Chiefs.'' Current roster Chiefs quarter ...


References

;General * Althaus, Bill (2007). ''The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly: Kansas City Chiefs: Heart-Pounding, Jaw-Dropping, and Gut-Wrenching Moments in Kansas City Chiefs History'', Triumph Books. * Herb, Patrick, Kuhbander, Brad, Looney, Josh, and Moris, Pete, eds. ''2008 Kansas City Chiefs Media Guide'', Kansas City Chiefs Football Club, Inc., 2008 ;Specific {{Kansas City Chiefs starting quarterback navbox Kansas City Chiefs