List of Kansas City Chiefs starting quarterbacks

The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League. In 1963, the team moved to Kansas City, Missouri and were renamed the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs have had 31 starting quarterbacks in their franchise's 48-year history. The team has also had numerous backup quarterbacks that have successfully led the team in the starter's absence.cite web | title=Thinking about quarterbacks| last=Gretz | first=Bob | work=Kansas City Chiefs official website| url=http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2003/09/12/thinking_about_quarterbacks | date=2003-09-12 | accessdate=2008-07-19] cite web | title=Quarterbacks and controversy| last=Gretz | first=Bob | work=Kansas City Chiefs official website| url=http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2006/11/01/gretz_quarterbacks__controversy/ | date=2006-11-01 | accessdate=2008-07-19]

Under quarterback Len Dawson, the Texans/Chiefs won three American Football League championships and appeared in two Super Bowl championship games. Dawson was named Most Valuable Player following the Chiefs' victory in Super Bowl IV. Three future Hall of Famers played for Kansas City including Dawson, Joe Montana, and Warren Moon.

Cotton Davidson was the team's first starting quarterback and played with the franchise from 1960–1962. In the 2008 season (currently in progress), the Chiefs used three starting quarterbacks in as many weeks–Brodie Croyle, Damon Huard, and Tyler Thigpen.cite web | title=Several '08 picks should make immediate impact | last=Williamson | first=Bill | work=ESPN | url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=williamson_bill&id=3448409 | date=2008-06-18 | accessdate=2008-07-19] cite web | title=Chiefs' Huard replaced by Thigpen after injury | work=Associated Press| url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3587431 | date=2008-09-14| accessdate=2008-09-14] Thigpen started the Chiefs' Week 3 game against the Atlanta Falconscite web | title=Chiefs QB Thigpen to start vs. Falcons | work=Associated Press | url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3593861 | date=2008-09-17 | accessdate=2008-09-17] and Huard started in Weeks 4 and 5

Starting quarterbacks by season (1960–2008)

The team's primary starting quarterback, or the quarterback that started at the beginning of the season, is listed first. The number of games started in the season is listed in small parentheses. Statistics do not include post-season starts.

Notes

note label|Dawson|a|a: Dawson and Livingston shared duties for most of 1969–1975 due to recurring injuries to Dawson.
note label|Sixteen|b|b: Since the 1978 NFL season all teams have played 16-game schedules.
note label|Strike|c|c: Strikes by the National Football League Players Association in the 1982 and 1987 seasons resulted in shortened seasons (9- and 15-game schedules, respectively).
note label|Blackledge|d|d: Blackledge started the first six games of the 1984 season before Kenney was retained as the starter after a thumb injury. In 1985, Blackledge played for the second half of the season, and the first half of the 1986 season.
note label|Replacements|e|e: Replacement quarterbacks Matt Stevens, Frank Seurer, and Doug Hudson started 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.cite web | title=Kansas City Chiefs History–1980's | work=Kansas City Chiefs official website| url=http://www.kcchiefs.com/history/80s/ | accessdate=2008-07-19]
note label|Grbac|f|f: Gannon and Grbac both alternated the starting position multiple times from 1997–1998 due to Grbac's injuries.
note label|Huard|g|g: In 2006, Huard filled in for an injured Green after Green suffered a concussion in the first game of the season and threw 11 touchdowns and only one interception. Green returned in week 11 and finished the season with 7 touchdowns and 9 interceptions.
note label|In Progress|h|h: The 2008 season is in progress, and through Week 2, Brodie Croyle and Damon Huard have both started one game each. Both Croyle and Huard suffered injuries in their respective games.cite web | title=Chiefs' Huard replaced by Thigpen after injury | work=Associated Press| url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3587431 | date=2008-09-14| accessdate=2008-09-14] Thigpen started the Chiefs' Week 3 game against the Falcons, and Huard started in Weeks 4 and 5. Croyle is expected to return in the Chiefs' October 19 game against Tennessee.

ee also

*History of Kansas City Chiefs quarterbacks
*List of Kansas City Chiefs players

References