Washington Football Team: The best quarterbacks in team history
By Jonathan Eig
No. 5 – Billy Kilmer (1971-1978)
Billy Kilmer had been in the league for ten years by the time George Allen brought him to Washington to backup Sonny Jurgensen. But Jurgensen suffered several injuries in the early ‘70s that essentially handed the job to Kilmer. Sharing time with Sonny throughout the decade, Billy would compile a 50-23-1 record as a starter, take the team to its first Super Bowl, and retire in third place on the all-time team passing list.
Billy and Sonny were radically different quarterbacks. Kilmer’s arm was never very good. He had come up as a running back, but a serious injury at the beginning of his professional career reduced his mobility. He quarterbacked bad teams in New Orleans before landing in Washington, and no one thought he was anything more than a mediocre backup at that point.
But Billy was defined by intangibles. He was as tough a player as you will ever find, playing through breaks and bruises and inspiring his teammates along the way. He made smart plays. George Allen wanted a team built around his defense and a strong running game. He built the defense. He had Larry Brown in the backfield. He wanted leadership from his quarterback, and that’s what Kilmer offered.
The quarterback controversy – the “I love Sonny” vs “I love Billy” bumper-stickers that soon appeared – energized the fan base. Behind the scenes, Billy and Sonny made a great team. Two grizzled vets who liked to have a good time. They got fined by Allen. Every so often, the police might get involved. Toward the end of their respective careers, they united in their efforts to keep a brash young kid QB on the sidelines. More on him in a few moments.
When Tom Brady became the oldest player to throw a touchdown pass in a playoff game (against Washington, no less) fans got to see side-by-side photos of Brady and George Blanda, the man who previously held the record. Both men are 43 years old in their pictures, but Blanda looks twice as old as Brady. That’s how quarterbacks used to look. They were grizzled. They were scarred. They were balding. That’s how Billy Kilmer looked. He was never the prettiest. But when he made his way to Washington, man, did he win.