Ranking the 10 best Denver Broncos quarterbacks in franchise history

The Denver Broncos made a huge trade in 2022 for Russell Wilson, hoping to find another veteran quarterback who could lead them to a title — the way John Elway and Peyton Manning did late in their careers.

Year one with Wilson was a bust but now, Denver added Sean Payton as the head coach. He could help Wilson turn it around and if so, the former Seattle Seahawk could wind up being one of the best quarterbacks to ever play for the Broncos.

Here, let's take a look at who he needs to surpass with the 10 greatest Denver Broncos quarterbacks of all time.

Top 10 QBs in Denver Broncos history ranked worst to best

Honorable mention: Tim Tebow, Russell Wilson

Wilson gets an honorable mention since he has the talent to get into the top 10 — and likely will. There's also Tim Tebow, who might not have been a great passer but he led the Broncos to an 8-6 record in his two seasons and won a playoff game over Pittsburgh (making him the only player the franchise has drafted that won a playoff game). That was exciting, even if he never turned into a great player.

10. Trevor Siemian (2015-2017)

Regular season record: 13-11
Playoff Record: NA

No. 11 All-Time Broncos passing yardage: 5,686

Tim Tebow was replaced by Peyton Manning, who wound up leading the Broncos to the Super Bowl twice. When he retired, Brock Osweiler was supposed to be the heir but he joined the Houston Texans — and became a massive flop.

Denver wound up winning that deal since they allowed Osweiler to leave and started Trevor Siemian. A seventh-round pick in 2015, Siemian went from third string as a rookie to the starter in 2016. He wasn't spectacular but he proved to be a solid game manager.

He started 14 games that year and led the Broncos to an 8-6 record. The following year, they were 5-5 with Siemian under center. In all, he started 24 games for Denver and they were 13-11. He finished with 5,686 yards and a 30-to-24 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

Since leaving Denver, Siemian has continued to be a trusted backup — but he's yet to win another game, going 0-6 for the Jets, Saints, and Bears combined.

9. Kyle Orton (2009-2011)

Regular season record: 12-21
Playoff Record: NA

No. 7 All-Time Broncos passing yardage: 8,434

When Josh McDaniels took over as the head coach in Denver in 2009, he started out with a splash. McDaniels traded away Jay Cutler, sending him to the Chicago Bears for a package of players and picks. One player he landed was Kyle Orton, who wound up becoming the starting quarterback for the next two and a half seasons.

Orton was a pleasant surprise, leading the Broncos to a 6-0 start that year. They even knocked off the New England Patriots 20-17 in overtime — which was an emotionally charged game for McDaniels.

After the bye week, however, things started to fall apart. Denver lost four in a row and eight of their final 10 games. McDaniels wore out his welcome before long but Orton still did his job and won the fans over.

In 2009, he threw for 3,802 yards with 21 touchdowns and 12 picks. He followed that up with 3,653 yards and a 20-to-9 touchdown-to-interception ratio. However, they were just 3-10 that year when Orton played.

He managed to start just five games in 2011 before being released but still finished his career in Denver respectfully. Orton completed 60.3 percent of his attempts for 8,434 yards with 49 touchdowns against 28 picks. It was fair to say they won that trade, even if McDaniels himself ran the team into the ground.

8. Frank Tripucka (1960-1963)

Regular season record: 13-26-1
Playoff Record: NA

No. 8 All-Time Broncos passing yardage: 7,676

In 1960, the Denver Broncos were a brand new franchise in the AFL and they began with Frank Filchock as their head coach. A former CFL coach, Filchock was in charge of the Saskatchewan Roughriders — where he worked with Frank Tripucka.

Eventually, Tripucka stopped playing and was a coach with Filchock. He returned to play when all their quarterbacks were injured but due to CFL rules, they had to forfeit the games since they had too many "imports," or non-Canadian players.

Following their time in Saskatchewan, the two reunited in 1960 as Tripucka came out of retirement to lead the new franchise. He was a veteran leader at 33, but it wasn't enough for Denver to post a winning season. Tripucka ended with 3,038 yards which was the first 3,000-yard season for the AFL.

While he did lead the league in yardage that year, he also led the way with 34 picks and the Broncos were 4-9-1. In all, they finished 13-26-1 and Tripucka had an ugly 51-to-85 touchdown-to-interception ratio. But he did lead them to a 6-7 mark in 1962 and made the Pro Bowl, showing that he was one of the best players on a franchise still trying to find its footing.

7. Charley Johnson (1972-1975)

Regular season record: 20-18-3
Playoff Record: NA

No. 9 All-Time Broncos passing yardage: 7,238

Denver has found success with veteran quarterbacks well before Peyton Manning and Russell Wilson. Way back in 1972, the Broncos were still new in the NFL and had yet to put together a winning season. That changed when they traded for Charley Johnson, who spent nine seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals and two with the Houston Oilers.

Johnson was 34 when he landed in Denver and they were 4-5 that season with him under center. But then in 1973, he led them to their first winning season in franchise history, going 7-5-2 in 14 starts.

They continued to find success with Johnson under center as he spent four years in Denver. During those four seasons, he led them to a mark of 20-18-3 and while they never made it to the playoffs, he was still integral to the franchise finding its roots. Former teammate and fellow Ring of Fame member Haven Moss even credited him for teaching the young team how to win.

A former U.S. Army officer, Johnson threw for 7,238 yards with 52 touchdowns and 52 picks — although the interception number was swayed heavily buy a rough final season in 1975.

6. Jay Cutler (2003-2006)

Regular season record: 27-24
Playoff Record: NA

No. 6 All-Time Broncos passing yardage: 9,024

The 2006 NFL Draft was full of huge stars including Reggie Bush, Vince Young, Matt Leinart, and Jay Cutler. With all those stars, Mario Williams from North Carolina State was the surprise pick at No. 1 overall but he wound up being better than many others — including Bush, who was the presumed top pick.

As far as the quarterbacks go, Young and Leinart were seen as the "cant'-miss" prospects. They just had a sensational National Championship Game where Young led Texas to a victory over the Heisman Trophy winner. They naturally were the first two signal-callers off the board but then, Denver took Cutler, a cocky gun-slinger from Vanderbilt.

Cutler sat behind Jake Plummer as a rookie, and the veteran was 7-4 in 11 games. Cutler started five and led them to a 2-3 mark but took over full-time in 2007. He was the starter for the next two seasons and had at least 20 touchdowns in each campaign with 4,526 yards in 2008.

He made the Pro Bowl and was considered one of the bright stars of the game — but was sent to the Bears in a shocking move in 2009. Josh McDaniels was hired from New England and turned out to be a wrecking ball for the franchise. While he did well in landing Kyle Orton, he ran the team into the ground and used a first-round pick on Tim Tebow, which kept Orton from staying in the starting spot.

Cutler went on to start for eight years in Chicago and one in Miami. He had a solid career and if he played all 12 seasons in Denver, could have been at least No. 3 on this list. As it stands, he still deserves recognition for the 9,024 yards and 54 touchdowns he had in just 37 games in the Mile High City.

5. Brian Griese (1998-2002)

Regular season record: 27-24
Playoff Record: NA

No. 4 All-Time Broncos passing yardage: 11,763

A former walk-on at Michigan, Brian Griese wasn't given any favoritism despite his father Bob Griese being a Super Bowl winner with the Miami Dolphins. The younger Griese still had to fight his way onto his collegiate team but was able to do enough to land with the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft.

He was originally third on the depth chart behind future Hall of Famer John Elway and Bubby Brister. That year, the Broncos won it all — which was their second in a row. After the victory, Elway called it a career and Griese won the starting job in 1999.

That season, he started 13 games and led the Broncos to a 4-9 mark. However, he turned things around in 2000 when he made the Pro Bowl while appearing in 10 games and throwing 19 touchdowns and just four picks. Denver was 7-3 with Griese and 11-5 overall (Gus Frerotte started the six games Griese missed).

Frerotte had to start in the playoffs as well with Griese injured and they were beaten easily by Baltimore. Unfortunately, Griese began to struggle with interceptions after that and was only with the Broncos for two more years.

In five seasons, four as a starter, Griese completed 62.2 percent of his passes for 11,763 yards with 71 touchdowns and 53 picks. He never took them far but they were typically in games with him under center.

4. Craig Morton (1977-1982)

Regular season record: 41-23
Playoff Record: 2-3

No. 3 All-Time Broncos passing yardage: 11,895

For 10 years, Craig Morton was a quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. The fifth overall selection in the 1965 NFL Draft, he won the starting job in 1969 when Don Meredith retired. At the time, he was able to beat out Roger Staubach and went 18-5-1 in his first two seasons and was 32-14-1 overall while going 5-5 in the playoffs including a loss in Super Bowl V against the Baltimore Colts.

Morton was a part of their Super Bowl team following the 1971 campaign, although he never got to play in that game since he had lost his job to Staubach by then. He did take back over in 1972 when Staubach was injured but before long was sent to the Houston Texans of the World Football League, who wound up sending him to the New York Giants.

He had a few rough seasons with the Giants but then in 1977, he joined the Denver Broncos and turned his career back around. At 34 years of age, Morton threw for 1,929 yards with 14 touchdowns and led Denver to a 12-2 mark.

For his return to prominence, Morton won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award. He then led them to wins over Pittsburgh and Oakland in the postseason, setting himself up to face his old team in Super Bowl XII. He was the first-ever quarterback to start for two different teams in the Super Bowl but unfortunately lost this one as well.

Denver came up short, 27-10, and Morton threw four picks while completing just four passes for 39 yards.

Despite his rough outing in the Super Bowl, Morton spent five more seasons with the Broncos and had them in the playoffs two more times, although they never got another win. He retired following the 1982 season and remains third all time in team history with 11,895 yards and is third with 74 touchdowns.

3. Jake Plummer (2003-2006)

Regular season record: 39-15
Playoff Record: 1-3

No. 5 All-Time Broncos passing yardage: 11,631

There have been some elite quarterbacks to play in Denver and they naturally will come in at No. 2 and No. 1 on this list. But in between those two players, they had one of the best — and arguably most underappreciated — quarterbacks in team history.

After a stellar career with the Arizona State Sun Devils, Jake Plummer was selected 42nd overall in the 1997 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. At the time, the Cards were playing their games in Sun Devil Stadium, so Plummer didn't have to go anywhere to begin his NFL career.

With the Cardinals, he was constantly blamed for their futility, which was unfair considering they weren't very good even before he took over. After six years, he led them to a record of 30-52 and then headed to the Broncos in free agency.

Plummer replaced Brian Griese and his laid-back attitude seemed to work very well with the strict Mike Shanahan. Plummer was an instant success in Denver, going 9-2 in 2003 followed by a 10-6 mark in 2004. However, the Broncos were one-and-done in the postseason each year.

That changed in 2005 when he had his best season as a pro. Plummer threw for 3,366 yards with 18 touchdowns and just seven picks, leading Denver to a 13-win campaign. He was named to the Pro Bowl that year and then found success in the postseason.

Denver upset New England 27-13. They then faced Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship Game but fell 34-17.

Plummer started one more season as Jay Cutler was groomed to take over. In four years, he was 39-15 as the starter with 11,631 yards (fifth in team history) and 71 touchdowns (tied for fourth with Griese).

2. Peyton Manning (2012-2015)

Regular season record: 45-12
Playoff Record: 5-3

No. 2 All-Time Broncos passing yardage: 17,112

As good of a signing as Jake Plummer was, the best free agent signing the Denver Broncos ever made was in 2012 when they took a chance on Peyton Manning following a neck surgery that ended his time with the Indianapolis Colts.

Manning, who was the No. 1 overall pick in 1998 spent 13 seasons in Indy and won a Super Bowl over the Chicago Bears following the 2006 season.

But in 2011, Manning had to sit out the entire year despite signing a five-year, $90 million extension in February. After spinal fusion surgery, there were concerns he couldn't return, and the Colts elected to take Andrew Luck first overall in 2012. Manning then signed with the Broncos after a meeting with John Elway, who was the vice president of football operations at the time.

The Sheriff signed a five-year, $96 million deal and it turned out to be a steal for Denver.

Manning didn't have the same arm strength as he did during his days with the Colts but he was never great due to his ability to push the ball downfield. Instead, he was a cerebral assassin when it came to picking apart a defense and he did so with ease in Denver.

Armed with several playmakers including Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker, Julius Thomas, and Wes Welker, Manning ended up with more than 4,000 yards in each of the next three seasons including a 2013 campaign where he had 5,477 yards and 55 touchdowns both of which are NFL records, and he tied the NFL record for most touchdowns in a game when he had seven against the Ravens.

Despite playing for the Broncos for just four seasons, Manning is second all-time in yardage (17,112) and touchdowns (140) while throwing just 53 picks. He led them to a 45-12 record and while he wasn't the reason they won it all, he was able to notch his second Super Bowl win following the 2015 campaign, heading off into the sunset a champion — the same was the best quarterback in team history did.

1. John Elway (1983-1998)

Regular season record: 148-82-1
Playoff Record: 14-7

No. 1 All-Time Broncos passing yardage: 51,475

No player in franchise history has meant as much to the Denver Broncos as John Elway has.

The Stanford product was taken first overall in the 1983 NFL Draft (the same class that included Jim Kelly and Dan Marino) by the Baltimore Colts but he had no intention of playing for them. Not only did he believe the Colts weren't a great franchise but he was wary of playing for Frank Kush.

Using a potential baseball career as leverage, Elway forced a trade to the Broncos. He replaced Craig Morton and started 10 games as a rookie. He struggled with just seven touchdowns and 14 picks but then turned it around in year two.

That season, Elway led Denver to a 12-2 mark, which was followed by two straight 11-5 campaigns. By 1986, he made his first of nine Pro Bowls, and in 1987 he was the league MVP.

Despite his success in the regular season, Elway and the Broncos couldn't win the big one during his early days. He had them in the Super Bowl following the 1986, 1987, and 1989 seasons but came up short in all three.

It appeared he would never win a title but then things changed in 1997. That year, a 37-year-old Elway found a way to knock off Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXII. One wasn't enough, however, as they repeated in 1998 with Elway and the Broncos taking out the Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII.

Elway retired that season but eventually earned a third Super Bowl ring as an executive with Peyton Manning under center.

He spent his entire career in Denver and has — by far— the most yardage in team history (51,475) as well as touchdowns (300).