There is no more important position in the NFL than the quarterback, and the Denver Broncos have been fortunate to have two of the greatest players to ever don the orange and blue. The three-time Super Bowl champion team’s legacy is thanks to nearly three decades of quarterback play at the highest level.
From 1983 to 2015, the Denver Broncos were one of the winningest franchises not just in the NFL but in all of professional sports. Throughout the team’s history, many significant quarterbacks have contributed to their rich tradition.
To properly rank the top 10 quarterbacks in Denver Broncos history, a variety of factors had to be considered. Statistics, wins, and impact on the franchise are key. While that impact may not have lasted more than a few seasons, some quarterbacks made their mark on Broncos history in more ways than just longevity.
Some of these players were recognized for their statistical ability, but stats alone don’t get you on a list like this. There are players on this list who, frankly, have very poor stats in modern football, but each player contributed something significant to the Broncos or exceeded expectations in some way.
So who are the top 10 quarterbacks in Denver Broncos history?
10. Trevor Simian
The list of the greatest Broncos quarterbacks of all time is obviously a bit top-heavy, with Trevor Simien being included on the list, but Simien represents a pretty unique story in Denver Broncos history.
It was a football miracle that Simien, a barely starting quarterback in college, was drafted in the seventh round and rose to the starting lineup in 2016. He led the Broncos to a 13-11 record and was given the tough task of taking over Peyton Manning’s career in Denver.
Who knows what would have happened with Simien’s NFL career had Gary Kubiak never retired.
9. Marlin Briscoe
Marlin Briscoe was one of the pioneers of basketball and the Broncos and is a truly historic player for a few big reasons.
He was the first black starting quarterback in NFL history, and he still holds the Broncos rookie record for touchdown passes (14). It remains to be seen how quickly Bo Nix can break that record, but the numbers have stood the test of time.
8. Tim Tebow
It might seem like a bit of a stretch to put Tim Tebow on this list, but his time with the Broncos was one of the most impactful “wonder moments” in franchise history.
Tebow remains the only quarterback drafted by the Broncos to win a playoff game for the team, and his walk-off home win over the Pittsburgh Steelers remains one of the most memorable moments in franchise history.
After firing Josh McDaniels midway through the 2010 season, the Broncos went 9-7 in games with Tebow as a starter (including the playoffs), and Tebow finished his Denver career with 19 passing TDs and 13 rushing TDs in 16 starts.
7. Brian Griese
Replacing John Elway was a tough task for Brian Griese, but he went on to have a solid NFL career. It wasn’t all over in Denver.
Griese never had a long-term career as the Broncos’ quarterback, but he threw for nearly 12,000 yards and 71 total touchdowns during his time in Denver, averaging 221.9 yards per game, sixth-best in franchise history.
6. Charlie Johnson
Charlie Johnson is a member of the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame and is widely remembered for the famous words of Broncos legend Haven Moses: “He taught the Broncos how to win.”
The Broncos had never had a winning season before Johnson, a Pro Bowl selection who joined the Broncos late in his career (sounds familiar?) and although Johnson had an unspectacular 20-18 record as a starter, he helped establish the Broncos’ winning ways in the early-to-mid 1970s.
5. Craig Morton
Before John Elway, the Denver Broncos had a quarterback who wore the number 7.
Former Dallas Cowboys draft pick Craig Morton won the AFC Offensive Player of the Year in his first season with the Broncos (1977) and helped the team reach its first Super Bowl. Morton’s Super Bowl victory as a member of the Cowboys actually made him the first quarterback in league history to play in the Super Bowl with multiple teams. Peyton Manning later became the first quarterback in league history to win the Super Bowl with multiple teams.
4. Frank Tripucca
Frank Tripucka deserves to be celebrated as one of the greatest quarterbacks in Denver Broncos history, even though he played in a much different era than football as we know it today.
The two-time AFL passing champion was a franchise pioneer who was inducted into the team’s Ring of Fame and had his No. 18 jersey retired (Peyton Manning wore it from 2012 to 2015, with permission from his family).
Tripacca was the first NFL or AFL quarterback to throw for more than 3,000 yards in a season, and he did so in his first year with the Broncos after coming out of retirement.
3. Jake Plummer
Jake Plummer is one of the best quarterbacks in Broncos history and one of the most underrated. He was acquired as a free agent from the Arizona Cardinals and was a perfect fit for Mike Shanahan’s offense. He went 39-15 with Denver and threw 71 touchdown passes during the 2005 season, earning a Pro Bowl selection.
Plummer and the Broncos hosted the AFC Championship during the 2005 season, but lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, a team that remains one of the great “what if” teams in Broncos history.
2. Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning only spent four seasons in Denver, but it was one of the most productive four years for a quarterback in league history: He was an instant MVP candidate in 2012 and won the MVP award in 2013 after catching an NFL-record 55 touchdown passes and passing for 5,477 yards.
Manning threw 140 touchdown passes in four years, leading the Broncos to four straight AFC West titles, two Super Bowl appearances and a Super Bowl 50 victory.
1. John Elway
John Elway’s accomplishments are unparalleled not only in Denver Broncos history, but in all of Denver sports history. With a Hall of Fame career in Denver that included 300 touchdown passes, 51,475 yards and, most importantly, the first two Super Bowl wins in Broncos franchise history, it’s no exaggeration to say he’s climbed the Mount Rushmore of NFL quarterbacks.
Elway’s No. 7 jersey was retired by Denver, and he helped lead Denver to its third Lombardi Trophy as the team’s general manager (2015).
Player Name
Passing touchdown (as a Bronco)
John Elway
300
Peyton Manning
140
Craig Morton
74
Brian Gries
71
Jake Plummer
71
Jay Cutler
54
Charlie Johnson
52
Frank Tripucca
51
Kyle Orton
49
Russell Wilson
42
