Believe it or not, the Washington Redskins didn’t always have to worry about finding a quarterback.
It’s as hard to imagine now as it ever was; in a time when the Washington Redskins quarterback room is occupied by the infamous Mark Sanchez and the not-famous-at-all Josh Johnson.
Believe it or not, there was a time when the Redskins didn’t have to worry about who would be the starting quarterback the next week. Or the next year. Or the year after that.
In the annals of Washington’s history at quarterback, you’ll find all kinds of stories; stories that signal for modest hope in these volatile times. The Redskins didn’t need the same quarterback in the 1980s; they won three Super Bowls with three different signal callers. They didn’t need to use a first-round pick back in 2012, because eventually, Kirk Cousins would reveal himself to them.
While the first round is the safest bet in today’s NFL, to find the ever-glorified franchise quarterback, the Redskins’ history at quarterback is proof that a quarterback can truly come from anywhere, at any time. It was success that broke convention, but the NFL’s unpredictability is what makes it so exciting.
In the next 15 slides, you’ll see the quarterback history of the Redskins. Unpredictability embodied. And you’ll find that there are few teams that can say their history is this, well…
Exciting.
At first glance, it doesn’t seem that the first slide aged very well. But as they say, don’t judge a quarterback by his stat sheet. Mark Brunell didn’t light up the stat sheet with Washington, but he was an exciting quarterback in his own, unique ways.
First off, Brunell was a left-handed passer. You don’t see too many of those today. A now-dying breed in the NFL was somewhat legitimized by Brunell’s long stint as a professional starter. Kenny Stabler, Steve Young and Michael Vick made it cool. You could say Brunell helped make it last.
Ironically, Brunell’s first chance as a starting quarterback came straight out of left field, as the former Washington Husky was traded from the Green Bay Packers to the Jacksonville Jaguars after two years as a backup.
Brunell would go on to achieve most of his personal accomplishments in Jacksonville, accumulating three Pro Bowl berths, two AFC Championship appearances and a cumulative record of 63-54.
It wasn’t until after Brunell’s eighth season as a full-time starter that the then 34-year old was traded to the Redskins, a team desperately searching for competence at quarterback. The lefty gave them that for three seasons (Well, one full season and two half seasons).
During his time in the nation’s capital, Brunell logged a number of accolades, completing the most consecutive passes in a game in NFL history, as well as earning the franchise record for completion percentage in a game.
His short ride in the nation’s capital was tumultuous, full of quarterback controversy, but it was not without excitement. Brunell commanded modest respect, in a time when Redskins quarterbacks were deemed incapable of such a feat.
Gus Frerotte will forever be remembered for “the headbutt”, and rightfully so. But lost in the crash of the cranium is the fact that Frerotte, in his time as a starting quarterback in Washington, was actually a competent signal caller.
Given the team’s lack of success in that regard, from 1992 on, Frerotte’s production, although short-lived, was rather impressive.
Frerotte began his career with the Redskins, in fact; he was drafted by the team in the seventh round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He was selected in the same draft as quarterback Heath Shuler, who the Redskins chose with the third overall pick. Shuler will not be found on this list.
In a sense, Frerotte was a lite version of Kirk Cousins before Kirk Cousins. By his second season, he’d usurped the starting role from the aforementioned Shuler. From 1995 to 1998, Frerotte was the starting quarterback in D.C.
Over that time, he amassed 9,769 yards, 48 touchdowns and 44 interceptions. His only Pro Bowl berth came with Washington in 1996, when he threw for 3,453 yards, 12 touchdowns and 11 picks.
Frerotte would be remembered most, however, for ramming his head into a cement wall after a touchdown on Sunday Night Football, and subsequently spraining his neck and suffering a concussion.
After his stint in D.C. ended, he carved out a long career as a quality backup. For a long time, Frerotte was one of the 64 best quarterbacks in the world. His career is an unheralded one, one where he earned recognition and respect.
But if you want to see the headbutt, here’s that.
The Redskins’ history at quarterback spans across several NFL eras. That is clear in the different standards for success in each era. Perhaps no quarterback is a better representation of that reality than Norm Snead.
Drafted No. 2 overall in the 1961 NFL Draft by the Redskins, Snead only played three seasons with the burgundy and gold. However, in that time, he was able to earn two Pro Bowl bids: One in 1962 and another in 1963.
Snead’s Pro Bowl seasons wouldn’t be considered anything close in today’s era of football. In 1962, Snead amassed 2,926 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and 22 interceptions. In 1963, he doubled his touchdown output when compared to his interception numbers, totaling 27 interceptions to 13 touchdowns.
Look past the stats, however, and you’ll find that Snead withstood the circumstances admirably. The coverage rules for defensive backs were much more lax in that era of football. Snead still found a way to accumulate over 3,000 yards in 1963. In 1962, he had three fourth-quarter comeback victories, hinting to his talent, hidden by the team in one of its more dysfunctional times.
Snead left the Redskins at the age of 25, joining their NFC East rivals in the Philadelphia Eagles. There, he’d spend most of his career, earning a third Pro Bowl berth. Later with the New York Giants, he’d earn a fourth, leading the league in completion percentage in 1972.
Had the order of this list been determined by accomplishments with all teams, rather than simply the Redskins, perhaps Snead would be a bit higher? Still, Snead accomplished much in his short time in Washington. He was a more than adequate quarterback to kick off the RFK era in the nation’s capital.
The list of great quarterbacks in Washington’s history as a franchise is a long one, but far longer is would be the list of disappointments at the position. Cleveland’s famous quarterback jersey, with the names of all the busts over the past few decades, would have a rival in Redskins Park.
Among the busts to walk through the doors in Ashburn, you’ll find names such as Heath Shuler, Patrick Ramsey, John Beck, Rex Grossman, Donovan McNabb, and many more mixed among them. The Redskins quarterback woes have been well-documented and poorly received over the years. Thus, some quarterbacks have been included in the bunch, albeit undeservedly.
One such quarterback is Jason Campbell. Drafted at No. 25 overall in the 2005 NFL Draft, Campbell was brought to Washington to end the sorry procession of signal callers that featured Ramsey and Mark Brunell, who was more a victim of dysfunction than anything else.
That dysfunction was very clear, as the franchise had two first-round quarterbacks drafted within three years of each other in the same quarterback room. They tried to force a solution to their quarterback woes. Because of Campbell, it almost worked.
More from Riggo's Rag
- What will Emmanuel Forbes bring to the Washington Commanders?
- Highlighting the best Commanders 2023 NFL Draft betting props
- 3 late Commanders rumors drawing buzz ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft
- 4 bold predictions for the Commanders 2023 NFL Draft
- Commanders News: Chase Young trade, draft day, CB riser and Sam Howell
Campbell sat out his rookie season, but in 2006, after a slow start from Brunell, Campbell was given the opportunity to take his starting job. He did so swiftly, throwing for 10 touchdowns and six interceptions in seven games.
Campbell, a 6-foot-5 signal caller with a 4.7 40-yard dash time, showcased his talent often in the early goings.
His combination of arm talent and pocket mobility gave fans hope that the Redskins’ quarterback issues would be solved by Campbell. In 2008, he peaked, leading the team to a 6-2 record through its first eight games.
From there, however, Campbell’s situation crumbled. The Redskins stumbled to an 8-8 finish. In his final year with the Redskins, he put up 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions, doing just enough to get a chance with the Oakland Raiders via trade. His career fizzled from there, and he was relegated to a backup role until 2014.
Campbell’s career is an intriguing one. Too often, he’s labeled a bust, but the franchise’s sorry state under Dan Snyder has been the undoing of more than one talented thrower, as you’ll see shortly.
Perhaps, if drafted into a better, more stable situation, Campbell could have prospered. But what he accomplished, with so little help, is worth admiring.
Brad Johnson would be higher on this list if he was being ranked on his Super Bowl championship with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Lombardi Trophy is something only four quarterbacks on this list earned with the Redskins.
But there’s a reason Johnson is only at No. 11, just as there’s a reason Rich Gannon isn’t on this list. Gannon may have won the MVP award in Oakland, but because he threw three touchdowns and seven interceptions in four games with the Redskins, he can’t be listed as one of the greatest Redskins quarterbacks.
Had Johnson’s first season in Washington not happened, he’d likely be off this list as well. But in two seasons with the Redskins, Johnson accomplished things that many Redskins quarterbacks weren’t able to do in twice the time.
In 1999, Johnson broke the franchise record for completions in a season, throwing for 4,005 yards, 24 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. The next year, he achieved less personal success, but led the Redskins to a 7-4 record in 11 games. By 2001, he was in Tampa Bay, where he would soon become a Super Bowl winning signal caller.
Because his stint in D.C. was so short, Johnson isn’t one of the well-remembered Redskins quarterbacks. But in his time in the nation’s capital, he worked toward cementing his legacy as an unabashed winner, accumulating a record of 17-10 in two seasons with the team.
In the slump after the illustrious Joe Gibbs era, Johnson brought success back to Washington. For that, he is great. Not only a great quarterback, but a great Redskins quarterback.
As you comb through the history books, you’ll find that the Redskins’ quarterback history has had many short-lived, but productive stints from quarterbacks who come and go. The franchise quarterback has proven elusive, but for much of their success in the past, they didn’t need one. The tenure of Jay Schroeder is one example.
Schroder was drafted by the Redskins in the third round of the 1984 NFL Draft. He was intended to be groomed as a long-term backup, but when Joe Theismann suffered a career-ending injury midway through Schroeder’s second season, the UCLA product was forced into the spotlight.
In five games, he led the team to a 4-1 finish and a cumulative record of 10-6. He did enough to earn the starting job for the next year. And that season, he shined.
1986 was a career year for Schroeder, one he ultimately wouldn’t be able to top. He threw for 22 touchdowns and 22 interceptions on 51 percent completion, churning out throwing yards week in and week out.
By season’s end, he’d led the team to a 12-4 record and amassed 4,109 passing yards. It was a franchise record for passing yards in a season, a record that would not be broken until 2015, when Kirk Cousins threw for 4,166.
Schroeder acquired his lone Pro Bowl berth that year, but the success would not last. 10 games into the 1987 season, Schroeder suffered an injury. He was replaced by Doug Williams, who would eventually go on to win the Super Bowl, earning the starting job for the next season.
Schroeder was then traded to the then-Los Angeles Raiders, where he went on to have an under-appreciated career as a starting quarterback. But while he left, his single-season passing yards record stood for almost three decades.
If people were conflicted on whether Baker Mayfield was tall enough to play quarterback in the NFL, then there would have been petition to convert Eddie LeBaron to kicker back in the day.
Eddie LeBaron was a quarterback for the Redskins. And he was 5-foot-7. Nicknamed “The Little General”, LeBaron’s claim to fame, to start his career, was his height. But luckily for him, he managed to carve out a legacy for himself, earning a spot in Washington’s Ring of Honor.
Accomplishing such a feat was particularly hard for LeBaron; the former Korean War serviceman had a tough act to follow in Sammy Baugh. The start of his career as a starting quarterback marked the arrival of an era where the Redskins went without a playoff berth for two decades.
Amidst the lack of team success, however, LeBaron managed to gain a reputation as one of the better players in the league. In seven years with Washington, he earned three Pro Bowl bids.
Omitting his disastrous 1953 season, he threw 56 touchdowns to 61 interceptions, a good mark in the past era of the NFL. While he may have played in a down decade for the Redskins, LeBaron never slouched. At 5-foot-7, he couldn’t afford to.
The standards for greatness change over time, through both the evolution of the league itself and the evolution of the circumstances surrounding each franchise.
Heading into the 2012 NFL Draft, the Redskins were looking for any kind of hope at all. Dan Snyder and Bruce Allen had sent the organization into swirling dysfunction. The team had not won a playoff game since 1991. They chose Robert Griffin III as the spark to bring life to the franchise, picking him No. 2 overall.
And in his rookie season, Griffin did not simply light a spark. He ignited a flame.
If the quarterbacks on this list were to be ranked by excitement, then Griffin would have an argument to be at the No. 1 spot. Griffin’s game in his first season earned him NFL Rookie of the Year honors. A late-season winning streak led Washington to a playoff matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. Even with a loss, the future seemed to be bright.
Then, however, Griffin suffered a torn ACL in that playoff game. Mismanaged by coaches, he came back the next season far from himself. Griffin was benched with three games left in the 2013 campaign for Kirk Cousins, who threw four touchdowns and seven interceptions in Griffin’s absence.
By 2016, Griffin was gone from Washington. Now, he’s a backup wit the Baltimore Ravens, waiting for his chance to grace the stat sheets again.
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.
Kirk Cousins left a sour taste in the mouths of Redskins fans when he left in the offseason of 2018 to sign with the Minnesota Vikings for record-making money. The franchise tag fiasco put a stain on Cousins’ legacy in D.C. Perhaps that’s a problem, because his story is a fascinating one.
Imagine being a Power 5 quarterback, having achieved modest success in college. Enough success to envision yourself receiving a chance to be a starter at the next level. Cousins entered draft season in that situation with those aspirations. When he was drafted in the fourth round to the Redskins, who drafted Robert Griffin III with the No. 2 overall pick, those aspirations should have died.
But they didn’t.
Washington Commanders
Cousins worked and he waited. And soon enough, his opportunity came.
In 2014, after an injury sustained by Griffin, Cousins received his a chance to rebound from his ugly showing at the end of the 2013 season. He did so, throwing 10 touchdowns to nine interceptions in five starts.
He was eventually benched, but the sample size would be enough to influence Jay Gruden’s decision on a starting quarterback the next summer. He chose Cousins in 2015 and the job was the former Michigan State Spartan’s to lose.
At first, it seemed as if Cousins was another undeserving backup thrust into the spotlight too soon. In his first six games of 2015, he threw six touchdowns to eight interceptions.
In the seventh game, however, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cousins exploded, throwing for over 300 yards and scoring four total touchdowns in an epic comeback victory, known now as the famous “You Like That” game.
In the nine games after the comeback in Tampa, Cousins eventually eclipsed 4,000 yards, throwing 23 touchdowns to just three interceptions. He led the Redskins on a 7-3 season-ending run, earning a playoff spot by winning the NFC East.
In the next two seasons, Cousins achieved sustained success. During his time with Washington, while he only made the playoffs once, he threw for over 16,000 yards, 99 touchdowns and 55 interceptions. He mastered the system, playing on two-straight franchise tags. In the summer of 2018, he helped reset the quarterback market.
Today, Cousins’ legacy is still being written. He has a chance to lead his Vikings to the playoffs and prove wrong his detractors, who still have ample ammunition yet. Still, his disenchanting departure from D.C. should not cloud his reputation. He is a rare kind of quarterback; the one who became a franchise quarterback, rather than being drafted as one.
The third and final figure in the Redskins’ 1980s quarterback trinity, Mark Rypien was drafted the same year Doug Williams was signed back from the USFL. The two would converge paths for only four years, however, before Rypien locked down the starting job.
Drafted in the sixth round, Rypien was on injured reserve for his first two seasons, winning a ring in 1987 as a result. In 1988, Rypien got his first whiff of the Redskins quarterback gig when Williams was lost to injury after 10 games. In six games, Rypien would put up massive numbers, effectively cementing his own role for the years to come.
Rypien made the Pro Bowl in his first campaign as Washington’s full-time starting quarterback, and again in 1991, when his 14-2 Washington Redskins made the Super Bowl for the third time in less than a decade. Rypien contributed to the Buffalo Bills’ four-game losing streak in the Super Bowl, putting the Redskins on his shoulders in a 39-24 win, in which he earned MVP honors.
The 1991 Redskins team is remembered as one of the best teams in the history of the game. It only makes sense that the team possessed one of the best quarterbacks in the game, as well.
You could make a case for Mark Rypien in this spot, as his career with the Redskins, although still relatively brief, was longer than Doug Williams‘. But the story behind Williams’ Super Bowl championship is an impressive one. Had it happened to another team, another quarterback, it would have never happened at all.
Williams’ road to the Redskins was a winding one. He was a first-round pick for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1981, largely due to the influence of Buccaneers offensive coordinator Joe Gibbs. Does he sound familiar?
For five years, Williams provided the Buccaneers with quality quarterback play. When it came time to earn an extension, however, he was shorted the money of a starter, presumably due to his skin color. Williams went to the USFL when the Buccaneers refused to grant his contract request. He played there until the league was disbanded.
Then a free agent, Williams scouted opportunities in the NFL, and was quickly called by Joe Gibbs, now the head coach for the Redskins. Gibbs offered Williams a job as Jay Schroeder’s backup. Williams hastily accepted.
For much of the 1986 and 1987 seasons, Williams sat on the bench. When Schroeder was lost to injury in 1987, Williams stepped in and played well enough to keep the job heading into the playoffs.
From there, he won three-straight games. His run culminated in a Super Bowl blowout of John Elway and the Denver Broncos. Williams became the first African-American quarterback to play, and win, in a Super Bowl. He was the game’s MVP.
Williams would only play one more full season with the Redskins before losing the job amicably to Mark Rypien. He left the team as a legend. Today, he works as the Director of Player Personnel for the Redskins, working to bring back the same success he experienced on the field.
Joe Theismann was the module which transitioned the Redskins from one era to the next. From the era of George Allen, which unsuccessfully teased of glory, to the first Joe Gibbs era, which finally claimed it.
Theismann was the successor to Billy Kilmer, a successor who transitioned into a full-time starting role over a number of years. When Theismann the full-time starter finally arrived in 1978, it was clear that the former fourth-round pick had potential, with a live arm and good mobility. Theismann’s game would not reach its peak, however, until Joe Gibbs came into the fold in 1982.
When Gibbs arrived, Theismann, who’d thrown 19 touchdowns to 20 interceptions in the previous year, took his game to a level of efficiency that had not yet been reached. In nine games in 1982, Theismann’s passer rating improved a full 14 points from 1981, from 77.3 to 91.3.
The next year, Theismann, en route to a second consecutive Super Bowl appearance, won the NFL MVP award, throwing for 3,714 yards, 29 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a passer rating of 97.0.
Theismann became the first and only Redskins quarterback to win the MVP award at 34 years old, but just two years later, his career would end at the hands of an even greater player: Lawrence Taylor.
The Giants’ stalwart sacked Theismann from behind, causing a bone break that proved to be very severe. Theismann would never return to the field.
That said, Theismann did enough to leave a lasting legacy in the burgundy and gold. His efficiency and production was ahead of his time. Had he remained in the league for just another year or two, he and Joe Gibbs could have added to their collective trophy case.
Sonny Jurgensen‘s NFL career is quite the spectacle. With no Super Bowl rings, but all the intrigue in the world, Jurgensen forged a reputation for himself as one of the first gunslingers ever to grace the game.
In the old era of football, games were won on the ground. Passing was viewed as a risk not always worth taking. Now, it’s viewed as the most efficient, opportunistic way of moving the football.
Jurgensen, with his arm and his fearlessness, was himself a sliver of the modern game in an earlier time. He began his career with the Philadelphia Eagles. After seven years, he joined the Redskins, where he proceeded to break NFL passing records across the board. He amassed 22,585 yards, 179 passing touchdowns and 116 interceptions in eleven years with the Redskins.
Jurgensen ended his career as one of the most prolific passers in NFL history. However, a victim of a lesser team, he failed to win the ever-coveted ring. Despite his lack of team accomplishments, Jurgensen was widely respected as a generational talent. His induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame mirrors that respect.
Many passers today wouldn’t have been able to accomplish what Jurgensen did, in an era weighted heavily against him.
Among all the legends to suit up in burgundy and gold, Sammy Baugh holds a special place. His No. 33 jersey is the only number ever to be officially retired by the franchise through ceremony. Take a quick look at all the legends who’ve played in Washington, and you know how incredible that is.
Even amidst the top-tier of NFL players, Baugh was in a class of his own in his playing days. Teams knew he would be good even before he reached the big leagues.
He was drafted sixth overall in the 1937 NFL Draft by the Redskins. Immediately after being drafted, he signed a massive contract worth $8,000.
The contract, once thought to be a bit hefty for a rookie, proved to be a bargain instead. Baugh rushed out of the gates, earning five Pro Bowl berths and four All-Pro bids in his first six years with the Redskins.
More from Commanders All-Time Lists
- Ranking 5 best draft picks of Ron Rivera’s tenure with Commanders
- 5 greatest-value NFL Draft picks in Washington Commanders history
- 5 greatest-ever NFL Draft picks in Washington Commanders history
- Commanders best-ever picks in franchise history at 2023 draft spots
- Fifty years of great Washington Redskins characters
He’d end up breaking 13 NFL records by the time his 16-year career came to a close, but not just at quarterback. In one season, he led the league with interceptions caught as a cornerback.
That’s right: Baugh played quarterback and cornerback. The Redskins could use a guy like that right now.
In an era of football where everything was a little less pretty, Sammy Baugh won beauty pageants with his play.
He completed over 70 percent of his passes one season, a feat that was almost impossible in his era of football, with far more lenient coverage officiating.
And to top off the personal accomplishments, Baugh won two NFL Championships as well. He has a bust in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, unsurprisingly.
Still to this day, teams across the NFL are trying to find a passer who can revolutionize the game like Baugh did. A select few have begun to find success, but so many more have failed. The Redskins hope to someday give a quarterback the opportunity to be great like Baugh was. With every passing season without success, the hunger only festers. In time, this list may change.