More so than any other position in the NFL, the quarterback traditionally stays or makes their mark with one franchise for most of/their entire career. However, as of late, many legendary quarterbacks have finished their career with different franchises than those they became a star with.
New England Patriots legend Tom Brady currently resides in Tampa Bay. The greatest QB in Indianapolis Colts history Peyton Manning won a Super Bowl with the Broncos. While these moves were notable, this got us thinking: what other notable quarterbacks spent time with a team that many fans may have forgotten?
10 Joe Flacco (Denver Broncos)
Joe Flacco is one of the most interesting quarterbacks of the 21st century because of his under the radar success. Flacco has never made a Pro Bowl and has only thrown over 4,000 yards once, however, he made the playoffs in six of his eleven years as a Baltimore Raven. With that, Flacco’s Ravens never had a first round exit in those six appearances, including a Super Bowl victory in 2012.
Yes, Flacco played with some legendary defenses in Baltimore and was not the main reason they were successful, however he has never been overly bad. Flacco now resides with the New York Jets where he mentors Zach Wilson, however, in between Baltimore and New York came a one-year stay with the Denver Broncos. His tenure was so forgettable, there’s not much to talk about.
9 Brett Favre (Atlanta Falcons)
A Green Bay Packers legend, many forget Brett Favre wasn’t drafted by the Pack. The Southern Mississippi alum was actually selected out of college in the second round of the 1991 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. Favre appeared in four games for the Falcons before being traded to the Packers in a move that ended up paying off in a Super Bowl victory in 1997.
Favre won three Most Valuable Player (MVP) Awards with the Packers as the Falcons spent most of the 1990s in mediocrity. Yes, Favre spent time with the Minnesota Vikings and the Jets, but he made a Pro Bowl with each of those franchises, so it’s the ATL that wins out.
8 Michael Vick (Pittsburgh Steelers)
Michael Vick is another QB like Favre, who spent much of the latter half of his career with franchises most don’t associate him with, like the Philadelphia Eagles and the Jets. However, Vick retired with a franchise that may come as a surprise.
Vick is most well-known for his time with the Falcons, the franchise he took the NFL by storm with, and even his career resurrection of sorts in Philadelphia, but the last five games of his career were spent on the other side of Pennsylvania when he retired as a Pittsburgh Steeler in 2015. Vick is certainly a controversial and well-known 21st-century QB, yet his time backing up Big Ben slips under the radar.
7 Johnny Unitas (San Diego Chargers)
Three-time MVP and Baltimore Colts legend Johnny Unitas is widely-regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks to step on a football field. With his iconic status in mind, it feels odd to say he spent the last season of his career in San Diego. The current Los Angeles Chargers resided in San Diego in 1973, and Unitas must have just wanted a change of scenery after 17 years on the East Coast.
The then 40-year-old legend only played five games for the franchise, however, his time spent as a Charger is a fun nugget of history. Although his career was essentially over by the time he got there, for a franchise that has played host to Phillip Rivers, Dan Fouts and Justin Herbert, Unitas is certainly the best quarterback to put on a Chargers jersey.
6 Joe Namath (Los Angeles Rams)
Joe Namath is, of course, most famous for his time spent with the New York Jets. The historically bad franchise can credit their lone Super Bowl victory to Joe Namath. However, like many others on this list, Namath didn’t retire with the team that he became a star on.
Instead, like Unitas, he decided to travel coast to coast and spend his final season as the quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams. He too, like Vick and Unitas, only spent a limited amount of time as a Ram (four games), making it even weirder that he didn’t play all 13 of his seasons in The Big Apple.
5 Warren Moon (Seattle Seahawks)
A Houston Oiler legend, Warren Moon could be one of the most underrated quarterbacks in NFL history. From 1988-1995, he made the Pro Bowl every season, as well as an Offensive Player of the Year award in 1990. Moon is a Hall of Famer and experienced well-known success in Minnesota for three years after leaving Houston.
However, Moon made his final Pro Bowl in 1997 as a part of the Seattle Seahawks. Moon finished his career with the Kansas City Chiefs, but since he was only credited with three games there, it felt appropriate to spotlight his two years playing in front of the 12th Man instead.
4 Drew Bledsoe (Dallas Cowboys)
A stalwart of the 1990s and early 2000s, Drew Bledsoe is famous for being the man Tom Brady took over for on the Patriots in 2001. The rest, they say, is history. No, Bledsoe didn’t lead New England to six Super Bowl Championships, but he did carve out a solid career there for nine years before moving in-division to the Buffalo Bills.
In Buffalo, he proved he was still the efficient but not great quarterback he was in New England. What’s interesting is that Bledsoe finished his career as a Dallas Cowboy, spending 2005 and 2006 in Dallas before Tony Romo took his spot mid-season in 2006.
3 Donovan McNabb (Minnesota Vikings)
Donovan McNabb led the Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl in 2004, and while unsuccessful, he remains an Eagles legend for his 11 years spent with the franchise. McNabb made six Pro Bowls and finished second in MVP voting (2000) in Philly, but, for the last time on this list, McNabb didn’t end his career where he started it.
In 2010, McNabb went cross division to Washington in a move that many fans still recognize due to the fact that he played a full season in the Nation’s Capital. However, McNabb’s final six games of his career were as a Viking. Sharing the QB room with Christian Ponder on a bad Minnesota team in 2011, McNabb’s time in the purple and yellow is easy to sweep under the rug.
2 Steve Young (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
In 1984, Steve Young was the first overall pick in the Supplemental NFL Draft out of BYU. Young had high expectations coming out of college to carry a franchise. This franchise was not the San Francisco 49ers. Instead, Young began his Hall of Fame career on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
On the Bucs, Young struggled to get his career going and was shipped to San Francisco. Two MVPs and three Super Bowl Championships later, Young cemented himself as a worthy successor to Joe Montana as Tampa Bay watched on in disappointment.
1 Ryan Fitzpatrick Or Vinny Testaverde (Any Team)
Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Vinny Testaverde is widely regarded as one of the NFL’s most prominent journeymen. Famous for his time with the Jets and Buccaneers, Testaverde also spent time with the Browns, Ravens, Cowboys, Patriots and Panthers. In a total of 21 years, Testaverde played for seven teams.
Even the most hardcore NFL fan would have trouble remembering all nine teams Ryan Fitzpatrick has played for in his 17-year career, topping Testaverde in teams played. In 2005, the Harvard alum was drafted by the then St. Louis Rams, only to find himself playing for the Bengals, Bills, Titans, Texans, Jets, Buccaneers, Dolphins and Washington in the years to follow.
For those playing at home, if you guessed all teams correctly for either man, gold star for you. While both Fitzpatrick and Testaverde never set the league on fire, they both made a massive mark on the NFL through sheer number of years played and teams played for.