Ranking every Commanders starting quarterback from the Dan Snyder era

A - as in AS GOOD AS IT GETS

Brad Johnson - Former Commanders QB

• Record: 17-10

Brad Johnson was the quarterback when Dan Snyder took ownership of the team. And the owner didn’t want him.

Despite starting every game of the 1999 season and taking the team to the playoffs, Snyder brought in Jeff George the following year. When Johnson stumbled a bit in 2000, the controversial switch arrived.

The fact Johnson went 7-4 as a starter in 2000 and George went 1-4 didn’t seem to matter to the owner. He wanted the big name.

Johnson is the only quarterback on this list to win a Super Bowl. Unfortunately, he did it for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002, two years after Washington sent him packing in favor of George.

Kirk Cousins - Former Commanders QB

• Record: 26-30-1

The fact that the best-starting quarterback during Dan Snyder's era has a losing record is one more bad sign. You can make those numbers look a bit better if you drop his first three seasons when Kirk Cousins was an occasional spot starter and had a poor record.

Once he took over as the full-time starter, he did have a winning record, but barely. Cousins started every game for three straight campaigns and gave desperately needed stability to the most important position on the field.

He played with largely inferior talent – I defy you to name the team’s leading rusher in each of Cousins’ three starting seasons. He played with some quality pass catchers, but there was a noticeable lack of speed on the outside. Still, the player produced.

When healthy, RGIII was better. Brad Johnson was probably better. Over the course of their long careers, Donovan McNabb and Mark Brunell were better. But as a starter for the team now known as the Washington Commanders, Cousins was the best and most consistent quarterback they had throughout the Snyder years.

BTW – the team leaders in rushing during the Cousins’ years were Alfred Morris, Rob Kelley, and Samaje Perine. Combined, they ran for eight touchdowns in those three years.