A franchise that is currently the envy of the NFL, the Kansas City Chiefs seem to have it all figured out; future Hall of Fame quarterback, future Hall of Fame coach, and quite possibly future Hall of Fame defensive coordinator.
And it would be easy to say that it was not always this way for the high-flying eight-time back-to-back AFC West champions and four-time Super Bowl winners.
But despite having gone 50 years without silverware prior to Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City has some excellent history at the quarterback position beyond their current two-time NFL MVP.
Here are the 10 best:
10. Steve Bono (1994 – 1996)
GettySteve Bono.
An excellent 1995 Pro Bowl season grants Steve Bono, originally Joe Montana’s backup in 1994 before being promoted to starter in 1995, a spot on this exclusive list. Bono took the Chiefs to a 13-3 record and division title before being one-and-done’d by the Indianapolis Colts in the Divisional round of the playoffs. Although his strong arm and good decision making allowed the team to finish the subsequent season with another winning season, bringing his all time Chiefs record to an impressive 21-10, he was not retained after the year as Kansas City bought in fellow former 49er Elvis Grbac as his replacement.
9. Mike Livingston (1968 – 1979)
Heavy on Chiefs with AIMike Livingston likeness.
Believed to have been the eventual successor to the legendary Len Dawson, Mike Livingston had a very long, topsy-turvy career in Kansas City after being drafted in the second round of the 1968 NFL Draft. A good team presence, the SMU graduate backed up Dawson for six years — making the bench tenures of Jordan Love and Brett Favre seem brief in comparison — before being handed the keys to the franchise in 1975. Post ‘75 however, the team declined, with Livingston’s status as a competent but perhaps slightly unexciting game manager not able to lift a struggling team, as he went 11-32 over the next four years as a starter.
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8. Bill Kenney (1979 – 1988)
GettyBill Kenney.
The original Brock Purdy — well almost. Kenney was selected with the second-to-last pick in the 1978 NFL Draft, and his impressive backup performances in 1980 in relief of the injured Steve Fuller gave the Chiefs confidence enough to make him their full-time starter. Kenney’s tenure was likely extended considerably more than it would have otherwise been through a fantastic, Pro Bowl year, where he threw for 4,348 yards and led the league with 346 completions, even if the Chiefs only went 6-10 that year. A great underdog story, who’s good but not stellar play never quite rounded out the happy ending for the undrafted free agent.
7. Matt Cassel (2009 – 2012)
GettyMatt Cassel.
Tom Brady’s former No.2, who after a strong showing for the Patriots in wake of Brady’s season-ending injury in week 1 of the 2008 season, was given a big money deal by the Chiefs in 2009. Although his debut season in Kansas City did not go to plan, partially due to an MCL sprain suffered early on in the year, he bounced back with a career year, throwing for 27 touchdowns and a 93.0 passer rating — both career bests. However, subsequent injuries in 2011 started to derail the progress he had made in a Chiefs uniform, and a poor 2012 season ultimately led him to be benched and subsequently traded the following offseason.
6. Steve DeBerg (1988 – 1991)
GettySteve DeBerg.
Steve DeBerg bounced around from team to team over the course of his 20-plus-year career but had arguably the best years of his career during his spell in Kansas City aged 34-37. A pusher of the ball down the field with slightly erratic tendencies, DeBerg posted double digit interceptions in each of his years with the Chiefs, barring his breakout 1990 season, where he posted a career high 23 touchdown passes and just 4 picks as the Chiefs went 11-5. A fundamentally good player who will be remembered for his consistent inconsistency — and also excellent vision and game IQ — DeBerg will always have a place in the hearts of Chiefs fans.
5. Trent Green (2001 – 2006)
GettyTrent Green.
Traded to the Chiefs for the lucrative value of a 1st round pick in 2001, Trent Green came with expectations that he could be the guy following mediocre years at the quarterback post Joe Montana. And he did become that guy — sort of. While six years of strong regular season performance, capped off by a total of two Pro Bowls and three back-to-back-to-back 4,000-plus-yard passing seasons, never translated to any real postseason success, Green was by no means a failure during his time in Kansas City. An intelligent quarterback with an excellent deep ball, the Indiana alum posted 90+ passer ratings in each of his last four full seasons with the team, before losing his spot in 2006 and eventually being traded to the Dolphins.
4. Joe Montana (1993 – 1994)
GettyJoe Montana.
As a player, Montana probably ranks higher than this spot on the all-time quarterbacks list, let alone simply the Chiefs’. Yet, with only two years and 25 games in Kansas City, there is a limit as to how high one can feasibly rank “Joe Cool.” No. 4 feels right in this instance, as the four-time Super Bowl winner with the 49ers brought successive winning seasons to the Chiefs, including an AFC Championship appearance in 1993, where they lost to the Buffalo Bills. Montana still put up excellent play in his two mid-’90s seasons in Kansas City, even if he never quite reached the heights of his prior elite 49er days.
3. Alex Smith (2013 – 2017)
GettyAlex Smith.
The first of the two starting quarterbacks under current head coach Andy Reid’s leadership, Alex Smith came to the Chiefs as a moderately re-invigorated player under former coach Jim Harbaugh at the San Francisco 49ers. Smith then put together five very efficient years, during which the Chiefs made the postseason four times, the final two of which they won the AFC West. Searching for a player that could do more down the field beyond being a highly effective game manager, Kansas City eventually drafted Patrick Mahomes in 2017, paving the way for a Smith trade to Washington in 2018.
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2. Len Dawson (1963 – 1975)
GettyLen Dawson at the Class of 2008 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony.
The final two in this list really choose themselves. Len Dawson was the first Chiefs starting quarterback to hoist a Lombardi Trophy, done in the franchise’s 10th season in 1969. However, Dawson actually won two AFL Championships prior to their Super Bowl victory; first in 1962 when the team was still the “Dallas Texans,” and subsequently in 1966 against the Buffalo Bills. During his time with the Chiefs, Dawson was consistently one of the, if not the top quarterback in the AFL/NFL, leading the league in passer rating six times, and completion percentage seven times, leading to him going to seven All Star games and an eventual nod to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Were it not for the rather remarkable achievement of the final man on this list, Dawson would be the clear No. 1 pick.
1. Patrick Mahomes (2017 – Present)
GettyPatrick Mahomes.
No great surprises or controversy here. Three Super Bowls in four years, two league MVPs and six Pro Bowls all prior the age of 30! Beyond his individual and team accomplishments, watching Mahomes is just an experience unlike any other, particularly in the offseason, where he has compiled an immense 15-3 record. There is not much more to say because there is so much more to say, but outside of current GOAT Tom Brady — and for some Joe Montana — Mahomes is the greatest QB ever. Certainly No. 1 in Chiefs history.
The list isn’t over yet! See our pick for Number 11 HERE. Sound off to let us know who we missed!
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The 10 Best Chiefs Quarterbacks of All Time, Ranked