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 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.

For more information on Chiefs quarterbacks, see History of Kansas City Chiefs quarterbacks.

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The Chiefs have had 55 different quarterbacks attempt a pass, 38 different starting quarterbacks, and 19 different quarterbacks start least 10 games. Eleven of the Chiefs starting quarterbacks have led the Chiefs to the playoffs, however, only five have won a playoff game.[1] Patrick Mahomes is the team's current starting quarterback. Mahomes has been the full-time starting quarterback since the beginning of the 2018 season, when he broke multiple single season team records and became the first Chiefs player to win MVP. Cotton Davidson was the team's first starting quarterback. He played all 14 games for the Texans in their inaugural 1960 season.[2] Davidson played with the franchise from 1960 to 1962,[3] and was traded in 1963 to the Oakland Raiders.[4] Len Dawson signed with on July 2, 1962 and played for the franchise for 14 seasons.[4][5] With Dawson as the team's starter, the Texans/Chiefs won three American Football League championships and appeared in two Super Bowl championship games.[5] Dawson was named Most Valuable Player after the Chiefs' victory in Super Bowl IV and retired in 1975 with several franchise records.[5][6] Three quarterbacks currently in the Pro Football Hall of Fame have started at least one game for Kansas City: Dawson, Joe Montana, and Warren Moon. The most quarterbacks started in one season was five in 1987, however, this was primarily due to the player strike that led to teams using replacement players. Mahomes and Dawson are the only quarterbacks to lead the Chiefs to the Super Bowl, I and IV for Dawson and LIV for Mahomes, with the Chiefs winning IV and LIV.

Starting quarterbacks by season
Patrick Mahomes, the current starter since 2018
Alex Smith was the team's starter from 2013–2017
Chase Daniel started one game each in 2013 and 2014
Matt Cassel's 15 starts in 2009 were the most for one Chiefs starting quarterback since Trent Green's complete season in 2005.
Tyler Thigpen was the third different starting quarterback for the Chiefs in the 2008 season.[7]
Trent Green was the team's starter from 2001 to 2006
Damon Huard (left) and Brodie Croyle (right) split the starting quarterback duties in the 2007 season.
Elvis Grbac (#11) in huddle
Len Dawson started games for the Chiefs from 1962 to 1975

Regular-season

The number of games started in the season by each player is listed in small parentheses. Statistics do not include postseason starts.

SeasonQuarterback(s)Reference(s)
Dallas Texans 1960–1962
1960Cotton Davidson (12) / Hunter Enis (2)[3][8][9]
1961Cotton Davidson (12) / Randy Duncan (2)[10][11]
1962Len Dawson (14)[12][13]
Kansas City Chiefs 1963–present
1963Len Dawson (13) / Eddie Wilson (1)[14][15]
1964Len Dawson (14)[16]
1965Len Dawson (12) / Pete Beathard (2)[17][18]
1966Len Dawson (14)[19]
1967Len Dawson (14)[20]
1968Len Dawson (13) / Jacky Lee (1)[21][22]
1969Len Dawson (7) / Jacky Lee (1) / Mike Livingston (6)[23][24]
1970Len Dawson (12) / Mike Livingston (2)[25]
1971Len Dawson (13) / Mike Livingston (1)[26]
1972Len Dawson (12) / Mike Livingston (2)[27]
1973Mike Livingston (8) / Len Dawson (6)[28]
1974Len Dawson (8) / Mike Livingston (6)[29]
1975Mike Livingston (7) / Len Dawson (5) / Tony Adams (2)[30][31]
1976Mike Livingston (14)[32]
1977Mike Livingston (11) / Tony Adams (3)[33][34]
1978[a]Mike Livingston (14) / Tony Adams (2)[35]
1979Mike Livingston (4) / Steve Fuller (12)[30][36][37]
1980Steve Fuller (13) / Bill Kenney (3)[30][38][39]
1981Bill Kenney (13) / Steve Fuller (3)[40]
1982[b]Bill Kenney (6) / Steve Fuller (3)[41]
1983Bill Kenney (16)[42]
1984Todd Blackledge (8) / Bill Kenney (8)[30][43][44]
1985Bill Kenney (10) / Todd Blackledge (6)[45]
1986Todd Blackledge (8) / Bill Kenney (8)[46]
1987[b][c]Todd Blackledge (2) / Matt Stevens (2) / Doug Hudson (1)
Bill Kenney (8) / Frank Seurer (2)		[30][47][48][49][50]
1988Bill Kenney (5) / Steve DeBerg (11)[30][51][52]
1989Steve DeBerg (10) / Ron Jaworski (3) / Steve Pelluer (3)[30][53][54][55]
1990Steve DeBerg (16)[56]
1991Steve DeBerg (15) / Mark Vlasic (1)[30][57][58]
1992Dave Krieg (16)[30][59][60]
1993Joe Montana (11) / Dave Krieg (5)[30][61][62]
1994Joe Montana (14) / Steve Bono (2)[30][63][64]
1995Steve Bono (16)[65]
1996Steve Bono (13) / Rich Gannon (3)[30][66][67]
1997Elvis Grbac (10) / Rich Gannon (6)[30][68][69]
1998Elvis Grbac (6) / Rich Gannon (10)[70]
1999Elvis Grbac (16)[71]
2000Elvis Grbac (15) / Warren Moon (1)[30][72][73]
2001Trent Green (16)[74][75]
2002Trent Green (16)[76]
2003Trent Green (16)[77]
2004Trent Green (16)[78]
2005Trent Green (16)[79]
2006Trent Green (8) / Damon Huard (8)[80][81]
2007Damon Huard (10) / Brodie Croyle (6)[82][83]
2008[d]Brodie Croyle (3) / Damon Huard (2) / Tyler Thigpen (11)[84][85][86]
2009Matt Cassel (15) / Brodie Croyle (1)[87]
2010Matt Cassel (15) / Brodie Croyle (1)[88]
2011Matt Cassel (9) / Tyler Palko (4) / Kyle Orton (3)[89]
2012Matt Cassel (8) / Brady Quinn (8)[90]
2013Alex Smith (15) / Chase Daniel (1)[91]
2014Alex Smith (15) / Chase Daniel (1)[92]
2015Alex Smith (16)[93]
2016Alex Smith (15) / Nick Foles (1)[94]
2017Alex Smith (15) / Patrick Mahomes (1)[95]
2018Patrick Mahomes (16)[96]
2019Patrick Mahomes (14) / Matt Moore (2)[97]
2020Patrick Mahomes (15) / Chad Henne (1)[98]

Post-season records
QuarterbackRecord
Patrick Mahomes6–1
Len Dawson4–4
Joe Montana2–2
Steve DeBerg1–2
Alex Smith1–4
Todd Blackledge0–1
Dave Krieg0–1
Steve Bono0–1
Elvis Grbac0–1
Matt Cassel0–1
Trent Green0–2

Most games as starting quarterback

Only the top 10 are listed below.

Rank Name Seasons GS GP W L T Pct
1 Len Dawson 1962–7515818394568.620
2 Trent Green 2001–06888848400.545
3 Bill Kenney 1980–887710634430.442
4 Alex Smith 2013–17767650260.658
5 Mike Livingston 1968–79759030431.412
6 Steve DeBerg 1988-91525731201.606
7 Elvis Grbac 1997–2000474926210.553
Matt Cassel 2009–124819280.404
9 Patrick Mahomes 2017–present46463880.826
10 Steve Fuller 1979–82315213180.419
Steve Bono 1994–963721100.677

As of week 17 of the 2020 season

Team Career Passing Leaders

Below are the top five quarterbacks in each category throughout their tenure with the Chiefs. Stats are complete through week 17 of the 2020 NFL Season.

Yards[99]
Name Yards
Len Dawson 28,507
Trent Green 21,459
Alex Smith 17,608
Bill Kenney 17,277
Patrick Mahomes 14,152
Touchdowns[100]
Name TDs
Len Dawson 237
Trent Green 118
Patrick Mahomes 114
Bill Kenney 105
Alex Smith 102
Quarterback rating (minimum 500 attempts) [101]
Name Rating
Patrick Mahomes 108.7
Alex Smith 94.8
Trent Green 87.3
Joe Montana 85.0
Damon Huard 83.3

Notes

a : Since the 1978 NFL season, all teams have played 16-game schedules.[102]
b : Strikes by the National Football League Players Association in the 1982 and 1987 seasons resulted in shortened seasons (9 and 15-game schedules, respectively).[103]
c : 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 only time in team history, five different quarterbacks started in 1987 following the player's strike.[30][47][104]
d : By Week 3 of the 2008 season, Brodie Croyle, Damon Huard, and Tyler Thigpen had all started one game each.[84] Both Croyle and Huard suffered injuries in their respective starts in Weeks 1 and 2.[84][105] Thigpen started the Chiefs' Week 3 game against the Falcons,[7] Huard started in Weeks 4 and 5. Croyle returned to start in Week 7 and suffered a season-ending knee injury.[85] Both Croyle and Huard were placed on injured reserve following the game, leading to Thigpen's second start, against the Jets in Week 8.[106] Thigpen was the starting quarterback through the remainder of the season.

References
General
  • Herb, Patrick, Kuhbander, Brad, Looney, Josh, and Moris, Pete, eds. 2008 Kansas City Chiefs Media Guide, Kansas City Chiefs Football Club, Inc., 2008
Specific
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