Every NFL Team’s Worst Starting QB of All Time
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Fans of every NFL team have endured stretches of poor QB play, some longer than others. Looking back on the histories of every NFL team, I have found the worst starting QBs in each team's histories. Here they are starting with Arizona.
Arizona Cardinals: Tom Tupa
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Arizona Cardinals: Tom Tupa
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Tom Tupa would eventually become a Pro Bowl player, but he did so as a punter. As a QB, Tupa went 4-9 and threw nine touchdowns to go with 22 interceptions.
Runner-up: Matt Leinart
Atlanta Falcons: Randy Johnson
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Atlanta Falcons: Randy Johnson
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In all fairness to Randy Johnson -- no, not that Randy Johnson -- he played for an expansion franchise and was doomed to failure. Johnson completed less than 50 percent of his passes and had more interceptions (65) than touchdowns (34).
Runner-up: Joey Harrington
Baltimore Ravens: Elvis Grbac
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Baltimore Ravens: Elvis Grbac
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This was a toss-up between Kyle Boller and Elvis Grbac, but Grbac is the overwhelming winner after his disastrous 2001 season. Grbac replaced Super Bowl champion Trent Dilfer and was given a $ 30 million deal, but he never played up to that contract. He only threw for 3,033 yards with 15 touchdowns and was released after the season.
Runner-up: Boller
Buffalo Bills: J.P. Losman
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Buffalo Bills: J.P. Losman
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The Bills traded the kitchen sink in 2004 to acquire J.P. Losman, but he was a total bust. Losman threw 33 touchdowns to 34 interceptions and won just 10 games in five seasons with the Bills.
Runner-up: Alex Van Pelt
Carolina Panthers: Chris Weinke
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Carolina Panthers: Chris Weinke
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Chris Weinke was a former Heisman Trophy winner at Florida State, but unlike Florida State, the Carolina Panthers were a dumpster fire with him under center. As a 29-year-old rookie, he went 1-14 in 2001.
Runner-up: Jimmy Clausen
Chicago Bears: Caleb Hanie
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Chicago Bears: Caleb Hanie
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In 2011, the Bears gave Caleb Hanie the reins for four games and the results were disastrous. The Bears went 0-4 with him, and he threw three touchdowns to nine interceptions. Hanie failed to eclipse 200 yards passing in three games and had three games with three interceptions.
Runner-up: Cade McNown
Cincinnati Bengals: Akili Smith
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Cincinnati Bengals: Akili Smith
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The Bengals made Akili Smith the No. 3 overall selection in 1999 in a move set them back a decade. Smith lost 14 of 17 starts and had a grand total of five touchdown passes.
Runner-up: Scott Mitchell
Cleveland Browns: Brandon Weeden
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Cleveland Browns: Brandon Weeden
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Drafted in the first round in 2012, Brandon Weeden came to Cleveland following a successful college campaign with Oklahoma State. However, despite his advanced age (28 on draft day 2012), Weeden was a lost cause. In 15 starts with Cleveland, Weeden went 5-15 and threw 23 touchdowns to 26 interceptions. The Browns gave up on him after two seasons.
Runner-up: Johnny Manziel
Dallas Cowboys: Chad Hutchinson
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Dallas Cowboys: Chad Hutchinson
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After a failed stint in MLB, the Cowboys picked Hutchinson to replace Hall of Famer Troy Aikman. The experiment failed, as Hutchinson went 2-7 in nine starts.
Runner-up: Drew Henson
Denver Broncos: Tim Tebow
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Denver Broncos: Tim Tebow
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Yes, Tebow was credited with seven wins in 11 games in 2011, but no one in their right mind believes that he was the major reason. Tebow was god-awful for 55 minutes in every game, but he got lucky during the final five. After one season as a starter, the Broncos jettisoned Tebow, a former first-round pick, to the Jets.
Runner-up: Danny Kannell
Detroit Lions: Andre Ware
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Detroit Lions: Andre Ware
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Andre Ware was the winner of the 1989 Heisman Trophy, but that didn't translate to the NFL. In four seasons, Ware started only six games and had five touchdowns to eight interceptions.
Runner-up: Dan Orlovsky
Green Bay Packers: Scott Tolzien
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Green Bay Packers: Scott Tolzien
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In fairness to Scott Tolzien, he had to replace Aaron Rodgers for two games in 2013 and was god-awful. In those two starts, Tolzien lost once and tied once with a 1-5 TD-INT ratio.
Runner-up: Randy Wright
Houston Texans: David Carr
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Houston Texans: David Carr
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David Carr was doomed to failure in 2002 after he was the first-ever pick by the Houston Texans. Behind awful line play and with few playmakers to help, Carr won only 22 of 75 starts and was sacked 249 times in five seasons.
Runner-up: Tom Savage
Indianapolis Colts: Art Schlichter
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Indianapolis Colts: Art Schlichter
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Art Schlichter was highly regarded coming out of Ohio State, but he no longer exists in the NFL. In three seasons, Schlichter started six games, lost them all, and would later be banned for life for gambling.
Runner-up: Curtis Painter
Jacksonville Jaguars: Blaine Gabbert
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Jacksonville Jaguars: Blaine Gabbert
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The No. 10 overall pick in 2011, Blaine Gabbert was supposed to be the savior for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Instead, he was one of the biggest flops in recent memory. He only won once in his final 12 starts in Jacksonville before getting dumped after his third season.
Kansas City Chiefs: Brodie Croyle
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Kansas City Chiefs: Brodie Croyle
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Brodie Croyle was the ideal backup quarterback, but when he got his chance to shine, he failed. Over five seasons, Croyle started 10 games and lost them all. He had an 8-9 TD-INT ratio in those games.
Runner-up: Tyler Palko
Miami Dolphins: David Woodley
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Miami Dolphins: David Woodley
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David Woodley was the starting quarterback for the Dolphins team that reached Super Bowl XVII, but they didn't get there because of him. In six seasons, Woodley completed less than 53 percent of his passes and had a 34-42 TD-INT ratio. If you need more evidence, just watch the second half of Super Bowl XVII.
Minnesota Vikings: Christian Ponder
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Minnesota Vikings: Christian Ponder
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Like Gabbert, Christian Ponder was another bust from the class of 2011. In four seasons, Ponder threw 38 touchdowns and 36 interceptions with a career record of 14-21-1.
Runner-up: Donovan McNabb
New England Patriots: Tony Eason
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New England Patriots: Tony Eason
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Like many others on this list, Tony Eason was the starting quarterback for a Super Bowl participant, but like the others, it wasn't because of him. In eight seasons, Eason won just 28 of his 49 starts. In Super Bowl XX, Eason completed zero passes in six attempts and was replaced by Steve Grogan.
Runner-up: Scott Zolak
New Orleans Saints: Heath Shuler
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New Orleans Saints: Heath Shuler
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Heath Shuler wasn't a flop for just one franchise -- he was a flop for two. After failing in Washington, Shuler spent one unforgettable season in New Orleans, throwing two touchdowns and 14 interceptions in nine starts.
Runner-up: Billy Joe Hobert
New York Giants: Dave Brown
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New York Giants: Dave Brown
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The Giants wasted a No. 1 pick on Dave Brown as result of the supplemental draft, and they were burned badly. In 53 starts over six seasons, Brown threw 46 interceptions and was sacked 135 times.
Runner-up: Joe Pisarcik
New York Jets: Browning Nagle
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New York Jets: Browning Nagle
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The No. 34 overall pick in 1991, Browning Nagle went 3-10 as a starter and threw seven touchdowns to 17 interceptions. The worst part for Jets fans is that Brett Favre was drafted just before Nagle.
Runner-up: Neil O'Donnell
Oakland Raiders: JaMarcus Russell
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Oakland Raiders: JaMarcus Russell
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The No. 1 overall pick in 2007, JaMarcus Russell is one of the most hated players in Raiders history. The former LSU Tiger went 7-18 as a starter and had a career passer rating of 65.2. The Raiders still haven't recovered from that disastrous pick.
Runner-up: Todd Marinovich
Philadelphia Eagles: Bobby Hoying
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Philadelphia Eagles: Bobby Hoying
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A college standout at Ohio State, Bobby Hoying learned early on that the Eagles weren't as good as his Buckeyes teams were. After showing some flashes in 1997, Hoying went 1-6 in 1998 and threw zero touchdowns and nine interceptions. The good news for Eagles fans is that Donovan McNabb would be drafted the next year.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Neil O'Donnell
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Pittsburgh Steelers: Neil O'Donnell
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Neil O'Donnell was good enough to start for four playoff teams for the Steelers from 1992-95, but the Steelers won in spite of the QB. He never threw for more than 20 touchdowns in a season and only eclipsed 3,000 yards passing just once. If you need more evidence, just watch his two throws to Larry Brown in Super Bowl XXX.
Runner-up: Terry Hanratty
San Diego Chargers: Ryan Leaf
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San Diego Chargers: Ryan Leaf
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Ryan Leaf, the biggest draft bust in Chargers history, is the winner here in a landslide. Leaf was a sleazebag to the entire city of San Diego, and his on-field performance was an absolute trainwreck. In two seasons as a starter, Leaf went 4-14 with a 13-33 TD-INT ratio.
San Francisco 49ers: Steve Spurrier
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San Francisco 49ers: Steve Spurrier
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The No. 3 overall pick in 1967, Steve Spurrier is one of the biggest flops in NFL history, but also one of the best coaches in college football history. As a 49er, Spurrier won 13 of his 26 games and threw 33 touchdowns to 48 interceptions.
Runner-up: J.T. O'Sullivan
Seattle Seahawks: Dan McGwire
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Seattle Seahawks: Dan McGwire
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A first-round pick in 1991, Dan McGwire's career never got off the ground. In five career starts, McGwire threw zero touchdowns, two interceptions and didn't throw for even 100 yards in his two wins.
Runner-up: Kelly Stouffer
St. Louis Rams: Joe Namath
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St. Louis Rams: Joe Namath
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Joe Namath is a Hall-of-Famer for his play with the New York Jets, but his tenure with the Los Angeles Rams was forgettable. In four starts in 1977, Namath went 2-2 with three touchdowns and five interceptions. He would retire following the 1977 season.
Runner-up: Dieter Brock
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Josh McCown
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Josh McCown
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A career backup, Josh McCown was given a big contract by Lovie Smith during the 2014 season, and he was an abject failure. In 11 starts, McCown went 1-10 with 11 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. A year later, McCown is with the Cleveland Browns.
Runner-up: Vinny Testaverde
Tennessee Titans: Rusty Smith
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Tennessee Titans: Rusty Smith
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Who doesn't love a quarterback named Rusty Smith? Apparently the Titans did because they gave him the ball for one game in 2010. The results were horrible. Smith threw for 200 yards with zero touchdowns and four interceptions.
Runner-up: Charlie Whitehurst
Washington Redskins: Danny Wuerffel
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Washington Redskins: Danny Wuerffel
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Steve Spurrier brought his former Heisman winning QB from Florida to Washington, but the NFL is a step better than the SEC. He started four games in 2002 and went 2-2 while throwing only three touchdowns and four interceptions.
Runner-up: John Beck
Brian Kalchik is a Houston Texans writer and featured writer for www.RantSports.com. He also covers the NBA, College Basketball, Fantasy Sports, Clubhouse and College Football for the site. Follow him on Twitter , like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google+ .
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