Top 50 NFL Quarterbacks: #35

Sonny Jurgensen

Every quarterback I have profiled so far has been missing something that could have put them in the very top tier of quarterbacks, and today's player is no exception. Sonny Jurgensen was a record-breaking quarterback for many years, but lacked the winning edge, never making the playoffs as a starter.

He was drafted in 1957 by the Philadelphia Eagles, where he played backup for his first 4 seasons, including the 1960 championship season in which Norm Van Brocklin led them to the title. When Van Brocklin retired after the season, Jurgensen became the starter for the Eagles, and immediately showed that he was worth the wait, setting the league record in passing yards with 3723 and tying the record with 32 touchdown passes. Philly ended the season at 10-4, but finished a half game behind the Giants for the berth in the championship game.

He led the league in passing yards again in 1962, but the Eagles struggled, finishing 3-10-1, good for last place in the East. After missing half of 1963 to injuries, Philadelphia traded their QB to Washington. It took a couple seasons, but he worked himself back into league-leading form, finishing first in passing yards again in 1966.

His best season in Washington came in 1967, when he broke his own record for passing yards in a season, racking up 3747, while coming up just short of the touchdown record, ending up with only 31, but still the Redskins could not manage to make the playoffs. In 1969 he led the league in passing yards for the fifth time, and also finished first in completion percentage, at 62.0%

The Redskins started to improve in the early 1970's, but it happened while Jurgensen was injured, starting only 13 games over his final 4 seasons. In 1974, at age 40, he made his first and only appearance in a playoff game as quarterback, throwing for 78 yards and 3 interceptions in relief of Billy Kilmer.

He may not have met the winning criteria during his career, but he was consistently among the league passing leaders for an entire decade, giving his the performance and longevity needed to earn him a spot on this list.