10 best quarterbacks in Washington Commanders history

Throughout the history of the NFL, one thing has remained constant: the quarterback position is the single most important position in the game, and Washington Commanders fans know this all too well.

There have been years that saw Washington sputter along, thanks to poor to mediocre quarterback play, despite some pretty strong talent at other positions. And, other times, the team has had Pro Bowl caliber players under center without much else added to the roster.

But, when it all comes together, between high-level quarterback play and the right players around him, that's when history is made.

The Commanders have had some iconic names come through the building at the quarterback position. Not all of them may have been here for the long haul, but fans surely remember the good, old days with some of these guys.

Where do more recent quarterbacks and players of the past rank on our all-time list? Before we count them down, let's talk about how we got there in the first place.

Criteria for selection

When it comes to a list like this, it is near-impossible not to heavily weigh a metric such as career passing yards with the team. So, for the most part, ranking the all-time Washington quarterbacks will be in reference to the entire body of work; i.e. passing yards with the franchise. Looking at the bulk of the list, it should go in order of how much the quarterback helped the offense.

However, there are portions of the list which are out of order, so to speak, in reference to the team's all-time passing chart. That can be due to things like touchdown-to-interception ratio. If a quarterback threw a lot more interceptions, by comparison, then he should be ranked a bit lower on the list.

Additionally, did the quarterback help out in another aspect of the offense? For example, the ground game. Washington has had their share of mobile quarterbacks at times, and some of them made noticeable differences running the football here and there; some guys far more than others, even.

And then, there is the rare occurence where one player, in particular, does something magical. They may not have been around too long, but their impact lasts forever. With that, let's get into it.

The top 10 quarterbacks in Washington Commanders history

10. Gus Frerotte

These first two quarterbacks were pretty close, but Gus Frerotte kicks us off here at no. 10. Frerotte first entered the league when Washington selected him out of Tulsa, in the seventh round of the 1994 NFL Draft. As a rookie, he ended up starting four games. But, in his second year, Frerotte would start the majority of the season (11 games). That second season, believe it or not, Frerotte led the NFL in yards per completion at 13.8.

In his third year, though, is when Frerotte really shined. He threw for a career-high 3,453 yards to go along with 12 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Frerotte would go on to make his only Pro Bowl that season, leading Washington to a 9-7 record. The highlight of the season came in a Week 17 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, which saw Frerotte throw for 346 yards, completing nearly 71 percent of his passes.

Now, Frerotte sits no. 8 on Washington's all-time passing list with 9,769 yards, 48 touchdowns and 44 interceptions.

9. Robert Griffin III

Although Frerotte is two spots ahead of Robert Griffin III on the all-time passing chart, for Washington, the impact Griffin made on the team was far greater due to how dynamic RGIII was with his legs.

The second overall pick out of Baylor, back in the 2012 NFL Draft, came to Washington as someone viewed to be some sort of 'savior' for the franchise. Now, Griffin did give us some magical moments, but his career was cut shorter than he would have liked partially because he was unable to learn how to protect himself after taking off and running.

Griffin went 9-6 in his rookie season, throwing for 3,200 yards, 20 touchdowns and just five interceptions. He also rushed for a career-best 815 yards and seven scores, en route to winning the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year as well as his only Pro Bowl nod.

After three seasons and quickly-deteriorating play (along with a body that couldn't hold up), Griffin moved on to Cleveland where he'd play one year. He'd finish his career as a backup in Baltimore for three seasons, but we never got to see the same guy who flashed in that rookie season.

8. Jason Campbell

Another dual-threat, but not nearly as dynamic at his height, Jason Campbell came to Washington as a first-round pick out of Auburn in the 2006 NFL Draft. When Washington selected him, he would go on to sit for the first few games during his rookie campaign. But, Campbell did end up getting in on the action and started seven games that first year, going 2-5.

In Year 2, Campbell improved marginally and started 13 games before a season-ending injury forced him out for the remaining few. Campbell would improve again in his third season, throwing for 3,245 yards, 13 touchdowns and only six picks. He also added a career-high 258 rushing yards.

By his fourth and final season in Washington, Campbell went on to have his best year yet, throwing for a career-best 3,618 yards, 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. In 2010, Washington would trade for Donovan McNabb, thus not having a need for Campbell any longer and dealing him to the Raiders.

Overall, Campbell sits no. 7 on the all-time passing list in Washington, with 10,860 yards.

7. Billy Kilmer

Billy Kilmer originally started his career with the San Francisco 49ers back in 1961 as a first-round pick, but for the first few years in the league, he was used mostly as a runner, not a passer, interestingly enough. It wasn't until 1971, after a stint with the New Orleans Saints, that Kilmer came to Washington.

In his first season with Washington, Kilmer went 8-4-1 as a starter, throwing for 2,221 yards, 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. 1972 saw Kilmer start a streak of going 7-3 as a starter for three seasons in a row, and that year he also made his first and only Pro Bowl. In the '72 season, Kilmer threw for 1,648 yards but led the league with 19 touchdown passes as well as touchdown percentage (8.4).

A little-known fact: Kilmer was fifth and sixth in NFL MVP voting in his first two seasons with the team, respectively. The best year of his career with Washington, though, came in 1975 when he threw for 2,440 yards, 23 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. That year, he threw a league-long 96-yard completion.

Now, he stands no. 6 on the team's all-time passing list with 12,352 career yards.

6. Kirk Cousins

Ah, yes, back to the infamous draft which saw Washington take not one, but two quarterbacks, with Kirk Cousins coming in Round 4. Sure, Cousins would take a backseat for the first three years as Robert Griffin's backup, but in 2015, the job was officially his, and he didn't look back. That first year starting for the team, Cousins threw for 4,166 yards, 29 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while also leading the NFL in completion percentage at 69.8.

From 2015-2017, Cousins would throw for over 4,000 yards in each season and at least 25 touchdowns. In 2016, Cousins would end the season just shy of a 5,000-yard campaign, throwing for a career-high 4,917 yards. His first Pro Bowl appearance was the big prize for Cousins, that season.

Though he was only the starter for three seasons before he'd end up signing with the Minnesota Vikings, Cousins is no. 4 on Washington's all-time passing list, just ahead of this next guy.

5. Mark Rypien

So, why is Cousins ranked behind Mark Rypien? Well, as we discussed earlier, some metrics matter more than a career passing number, and Rypien has the one thing every player in the league hopes for each year: a Super Bowl ring.

But wait, Rypien won a Super Bowl ring as a backup quarterback! That means, he was able to secure two Super Bowl rings.

In 1989, Rypien got his chance to be the starter and had himself a great year, throwing for 3,768 yards, 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while earning his first Pro Bowl bid. Two years later, during the 1991 season, Rypien had his season to remember. That year, Rypien threw for a career-high 3,564 yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions as Washing went on to defeat the Buffalo Bills 37-24 in Super Bowl XXVI.

A couple of years later, Rypien's career started to decline when Washington released him and he'd ultimately move on to Cleveland, starting a run of a few different seasons as a backup quarterback around the league.

Rypien sits no. 4 all-time on the franchise passing chart with 15,928 yards.

4. Sammy Baugh

Checking in at no. 3 on the franchise's all-time passing list, and no. 4 here on our rankings, is Hall of Fame inductee Sammy Baugh. As a first-round pick back in the 1937 NFL Draft, the former Tulane standout came to Washington -- to stay. He would play his entire 16-year career with the team, earning a total of six Pro Bowls and four All Pro selections.

Over the course of his career, Baugh was a league-leader on many occasions, and in several different categories. That started right away in his rookie year, when Baugh led the league in completions, attempts, passing yards, touchdown percentage and, funny enough, interceptions, among other smaller categories.

There was no denying, though. This was Baugh's team. He was the center of it all. Baugh will forever be remembered as one of the cornerstone players of this league. Here are just a few more instances of categories he led the league in (and how many times he accomplished that particular feat):

• Passing Yards (4)
• Passing Touchdowns (2)
• Completion Percentage (8)
• Completions (5)
• Passing Yards per Game (5)
• Touchdown Percentage (2)
• Quarterback Rating (3)

The best year of Baugh's long career was undoubtedly the 1947 campaign where he set career highs in completions (210), attempts (354), passing yards (2,938), passing touchdowns (25) while leading the league in touchdown percentage, yards per game and quarterback rating as well.

3. Sonny Jurgensen

At no. 2 on the team's all-time passing list, you'll find Sonny Jurgensen. Yet another Hall of Fame quarterback to come through the building, Jurgensen began his career as a fourth-round pick out of Duke back in 1957. Jurgensen would play seven years with the Philadelphia Eagles before coming to Washington, where he ended his career after 11 years with the team.

In his first season with Washington, Jurgensen threw for 2,934 yards, 24 touchdowns and 13 interceptions en route to his second career Pro Bowl, but his first with Washington. A couple of years later, Jurgensen really took off with Washington. He went from 3,249 passing yards in 1966 to 3,747 in 1967, and threw 28 and 31 touchdowns in those two seasons, respectively. Jurgensen would lead the league in completions and passing yards, both of those seasons, and find himself with his third and fourth career Pro Bowl nod.

By the 1969 and 1970 seasons, Jurgensen was nearing the end of his starting days. Those were the last two, full seasons he started in Washington before injuries started to take their toll on his career.

Jurgensen was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and threw for 22,585 yards during his time with the team.

2. Doug Williams

When creating a list like this, a dilemma presented itself. Just how high do you rank a player who only threw for, at most, 2,600 yards with a team? How about a player who only started 14 games for Washington?

The catch is, Doug Williams is a Super Bowl champion who put on an absolutely legendary performance in Super Bowl XXII against the Denver Broncos. And for that reason, he is a polarizing no. 2 on our list, here. Argue away, but Williams' legend will never die.

Back in that Super Bowl, Williams completed 18 of 29 passes for a startling 340 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions. What was most shocking about that performance was the fact that all four of Williams' touchdowns were thrown in just a single quarter (2nd). Williams became the first black quarterback to win the Super Bowl with that victory and was named the game's MVP as well.

Making history, breaking barriers and providing one unforgettable night for Washington football fans is why Williams deserves the no. 2 spot on this list.

1. Joe Theismann

He leads the franchise in all-time passing yards, completions, attempts, wins and is a Super Bowl champion thanks to Washington’s victory over the Dolphins back in Super Bowl XVII. In that game, Theismann and Washington would come back from a 17-10 deficit to win the game 27-17.

Theismann began his career in more of an unorthodox way, as he was drafted by those same Dolphins in the fourth round back in 1971. Miami failed to successfully negotiate a contract with Theismann, so he ended up signing a CFL deal with the Toronto Argonauts. After three seasons in the CFL, Theismann's rights were traded to Washington.

But, it wasn't easy from there. Theismann had to wait until 1978 before he was officially the team's starting quarterback, but when he was, he didn't look back.

The season after he and Washington won the Super Bowl was the best regular season of his career. That 1983 campaign saw Theismann throw for 3,714 yards, 29 touchdowns and 11 interceptions en route to not just a Pro Bowl selection, but an All Pro First Team.

A couple of years later, Theismann endured a career-ending injury in one of the scariest moments the league has ever seen. Of course, a sack by New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor was the reason for the leg break and a moment fans will never forget, especially those watching live.

Still, his career would go down as the best this franchise has had the pleasure of experiencing. With 25,206 career passing yards, Theismann is no. 1 on that list and no. 1 on ours, too.