Washington Redskins: 15 best quarterbacks of all-time

One is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. One is not. One was beloved. The other was not.

Billy Kilmer was the other quarterback in Washington. Back when the fans swooned for the character that was Sonny Jurgensen. The front office brought Kilmer in to be Jurgensen’s succession plan.

At 32 years old, Kilmer wasn’t much of a long-term option. However, he was younger and more durable than Jurgensen, who was on the tail end of an illustrious career.

Thus, Kilmer was tabbed the future starter. But fans didn’t have to like it. And they didn’t have a reason to. Kilmer had accrued some success as the New Orleans Saints’ starter in the years prior, but he was coming off a season in which he threw 17 interceptions to just six touchdowns. It’s safe to say his stock was low. But early in the 1971 season, Kilmer had a chance to raise it.

When Jurgensen was lost to an injury, Kilmer took the reigns and he ran with them. He won five-straight games after taking the starting job, leading the Redskins to a playoff berth. From that point on, Kilmer was Washington’s starting quarterback for seven years.

For the sheer duration of his time in Washington, Kilmer deserves praise. One thing Redskins quarterbacks haven’t seemed to have an affinity for doing historically is sticking around.

But Kilmer is best known for throwing out a dud in the Super Bowl against the Miami Dolphins. His one Pro Bowl berth is the beginning and the end of the awards he won in the NFL. It was a career without bounty. But Kilmer did enough to be remembered.