Case Keenum marks 16th Starting Quarterback since Elway
By Andrew Wade
Brian Griese
Brian Griese, the son of legendary Dolphins quarterback Bob Griese, is the first quarterback to start a game after Elway’s retirement. Drafted out of Michigan in the third round, Griese was expected to be Elway’s replacement. And for a moment, it looked like it may actually work out.
Despite struggling in his first season starting, Griese broke out in year two under center. He accounted for 2,668 yards through the air, 19 touchdowns and only four interceptions. This earned him his first and last Pro Bowl visit.
The following two seasons were nothing short of mediocre. He threw 38 touchdowns and 34 interceptions finishing with a quarterback rating of 78.5 and 85.6. Ultimately, he was released at the end of the 2002 season.
Griese went on to play six more seasons with the Dolphins, Buccaneers, and Bears before retiring.
Chris Miller
Prior to joining Denver, Chris Miller was the long-time Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback. He surprisingly is in the top five of most team stats for Atlanta despite consistently average play.
Miller spent seven seasons with the Atlanta Falcons before joining the Rams for two years. He retired in 1995 after suffering five concussions in just over a year but decided to give it one more shot in 1999. Filling in for an injured Brian Griese, Miller’s time was unspectacular and ultimately brought down by his previous demons: concussions.
Gus Frerotte
Gus Frerotte is the definition of the NFL Journeyman. In 15 NFL seasons, he wore seven different jerseys. In two of those seasons, he was in blue and orange.
Backing up Brian Griese, Frerotte started in seven regular season games and one playoff game (a wildcard loss to the Baltimore Ravens).
In two seasons in Denver, he threw for over 2,000 yards and 12 touchdowns before leaving town for Cincinnati.
Steve Beuerlein
Steve Beuerlein is very similar to Chris Miller in that he was a journeyman quarterback at the tail end of his career. He spent the final three seasons of his 15-year career in Denver after making pit stops in LA, Dallas, Arizona, Jacksonville, and Carolina.
In spite of his mostly average career, Beuerlein did show out in 1999 with the Panthers chucking 36 touchdowns for 4,436 yards. He still holds many of the Panthers’ single season passing records.
His time in Denver was mostly non-memorable before breaking his collarbone on the final play of his career in 2003. He retired that offseason. His Broncos career includes 12 appearances, five starts, 1,300 yards, and eight touchdowns.