5 NFL starting QBs with longest tenure at franchise ft. Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers is on the way to the New York Jets. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he should be the starter for the franchise in the upcoming season.
The Jets have been witness to what happens when one does not have a dependable franchise quarterback. Since Joe Namath won their maiden Super Bowl, they have struggled to find the next person who could lead them back to the promised land. In the process, they have circled through multiple quarterbacks, including many during single seasons, as happened last season.
On the other hand, there have been those franchises who have been lucky enough to depend on a single quarterback for their needs for a long time. Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers certainly fell into that category, with the quarterback having only played for them until now.
Here we look at the quarterbacks who played the longest for the same team.
#5 - Johnny Unitas, 17 seasons, Baltimore Colts
The first superstar quarterback of the NFL, Johnny Unitas spent 17 seasons with the Baltimore Colts. But his story was succeeding against the odds. In fact, he did not begin his career with the Colts. He was drafted in the ninth round of the NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1955.
However, he could not cut his teeth there and was released. He was invited to try out for the Baltimore Colts and joined them in 1956. The rest, as they say, is history.
With the Baltimore Colts, Johnny Unitas dominated opposing teams and accumulated three MVP awards, three NFL titles and Super Bowl V. He played with them from 1956 to 1972.
By the end of his time, he had lost his starting spot in the team and in 1973 went on to play for the San Diego Chargers. He played there for just one season before retiring.
#T2 - Aaron Rodgers, 18 seasons, Green Bay Packers
Aaron Rodgers has now become part of the New York Jets but come the end of his career, he will be most remembered as a Packer. His 18 seasons playing in Green Bay are tied for second for most seasons played by a quarterback for a single franchise.
Of course, when Aaron Rodgers joined the Packers in the 2005 NFL Draft, he did not immediately become a starter. He sat three years behind Brett Favre before getting his chance to take over. Since then, he has won one Super Bowl and four MVP awards, trailing just behind Peyton Manning in the latter category.
He now goes to the Jets to try and win another Lombardi Trophy. But whatever he accomplishes from hereon in, he will still be mostly associated for his time in Titletown.
#T2 - Ben Roethlisberger, 18 seasons, Pittsburgh Steelers
Every other quarterback on this list played for at least a couple of franchises. Not Ben Roethlisberger, though. He joined the Steelers in the 2004 draft and stayed all the way with them until the end of the 2021 season. During the process, he never had a losing season while playing under coaches Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin.
He won two Super Bowls with the franchise, but he never won the MVP award or the Super Bowl MVP award. However, he was the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2004 and the passing yards leader in 2014 and 2018. He made it to six Pro-Bowls in his time playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
2021 will be Big Ben's 18th consecutive season with the #Steelers. The progression of that record for QBs (since Sammy Baugh):
16 -- Sammy Baugh, 1937-52 Washington
17 -- Johnny Unitas, 1956-72 #Colts
18 -- Jim Hart, 1966-83 #Cardinals
20 -- Tom Brady, 2000-19 #Patriots twitter.com/steelers/statu…
#T2 - Jim Hart, 18 seasons, St. Louis Cardinals
Jim Hart joined the St. Louis Cardinals in 1966 after going undrafted and by 1967 he had become a starter. Despite all the upheavals that have accompanied this franchise, Hart was a constant presence until 1983.
The Cardinals famously never won a Super Bowl, so Jim Hart does not have a ring either. But during his time there, he did make it to four Pro Bowls. His services were recognized by both the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame and the Arizona Cardinals Ring of Honor. He remains the all-time passing leader for the Cardinals franchise over its presence from Chicago to Arizona via St. Louis.
Most career passing yards in #Cardinals franchise history
Jim Hart - 34,639
Neil Lomax - 22,771
Jake Plummer - 17,622
Carson Palmer - 16,782
Kurt Warner - 15,843
#1 - Tom Brady, 20 seasons, New England Patriots
Sitting atop the list of quarterbacks, as with pretty much every other record and statistic, is the one and only Tom Brady. He joined the New England Patriots in 2000 and played with them until 2019. During that time, he won six Super Bowls and established a dynasty with coach Bill Belichick.
His longevity in the game is legendary and even after finishing his career in New England, he played three more seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, winning yet another Super Bowl. He is a five-time Super Bowl MVP and has won the league MVP award three times. Widely regarded as the GOAT quarterback, he is the greatest on this list as well.