18 star NFL quarterbacks in strange uniforms: Photos of how they ended their career
Arguably the greatest 49er of all time finished his career with the Chiefs.
"Broadway Joe" ended up about as far off Broadway at the end of his NFL days as he could.
It's incongruous to see quarterbacks who have longtime associations with one team, including winning Super Bowls, play out their final seasons elsewhere. But it has happened a number of times.
It perhaps has never been as prevalent as it is in 2020, with Tom Brady leaving New England for Tampa Bay and Philip Rivers moving from Southern California to Indianapolis.
These surprising stops for star QBs stand out the most (players are listed alphabetically):
Randall Cunningham, Dallas Cowboys
Year he played there: 2000
How he fared: After 11 seasons with Philadelphia and three with Minnesota, Cunningham played one more season in the NFC, with the Cowboys, before playing out his final season in Baltimore. He appeared in six games with the Cowboys and started three. Dallas went 1-2 with Cunningham, who finished the season with 849 passing yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions.
Boomer Esiason, Arizona Cardinals
Year he played there: 1996
How he fared: Known for his days with the Bengals and the Jets, Esiason spent one forgettable season in the desert. He appeared in 10 games and made eight starts, in which the Cardinals went 3-5. Esiason had 11 touchdown passes and 14 interceptions in Arizona before playing his final NFL season back in Cincinnati.
Jim Everett, San Diego Chargers
Year he played there: 1997
How he fared: Everett played his 12th and final season in San Diego and played in only four games. He made one start, in which the Chargers beat the Saints 20-6. In that game, Everett was 17-of-29 passing for 195 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Brett Favre, New York Jets
Year he played there: 2008
How he fared: Favre started all 16 games for the Jets after Green Bay traded him to New York, and he led them to a 9-7 mark. He had 22 touchdown passes and a league-high 22 interceptions. Favre told the Jets after the season that he was retiring. But he returned to play two seasons for the Minnesota Vikings.
Joe Flacco, Denver Broncos
Year he played there: 2019
How he fared: Flacco had the starting job for a while in the Mile High City before the Broncos replaced him with rookieDrew Lock. Flacco started all eight games in which he appeared, and Denver went 2-6. He passed for 1,822 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions.
Jeff Hostetler, Washington Redskins
Year he played there: 1997
How he fared: Remembered either as a Giant or a Raider, "Hoss" spent his final season in the nation's capital. He appeared in six games, and the Redskins went 2-1 in his starts. He passed for 899 yards with five touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Ron Jaworski, Miami Dolphins
Year he played there: 1988
How he fared: "Jaws" played sparingly in his next-to-last season in the NFL. Miami was his first stop after 10 seasons in Philadelphia. It was the first season since his rookie year in 1974 in which he didn't make a single start. He attempted 14 passes and completed nine for 123 yards and a touchdown.
Archie Manning, Minnesota Vikings
Years he played there: 1983-84
How he fared: Manning was traded to the Vikings from the Oilers during the 1983 season. He appeared in eight games during his Minnesota career, with two starts, both in 1984 and both losses. The Bears sacked Manning 11 times when the teams met at Soldier Field on Oct. 28, 1984. Hall of Famer Richard Dent led the way with 2.5 sacks.
Donovan McNabb, Washington Redskins
Year he played there: 2010
How he fared: After 11 years with the Philadelphia Eagles, McNabb played the 2010 season for the NFC East rival Redskins. He started all 13 games in which he appeared, and Washington went 5-8. He had 14 touchdown passes and 15 interceptions; it was the only season in his 13-year career in which he had more interceptions than touchdowns.
Steve McNair, Baltimore Ravens
Years he played there: 2006-07
How he fared: McNair started 22 games in Baltimore, including all 16 in 2006 when the Ravens went 13-3 and won the AFC North. But they were upset at home in the divisional round by the eventual Super Bowl champion Colts. He went to IR with a shoulder injury after starting six games in 2007 and never played again.
Joe Montana, Kansas City Chiefs
Years he played there: 1993-94
How he fared: After 13 years in San Francisco, Montana spent his final two seasons starting all 25 games in which he appeared for the Chiefs. He was still a force, too, as Kansas City went 17-8 in those games and qualified for the playoffs both years. Montana passed for 5,427 yards, 29 touchdowns and 16 interceptions as a Chief.
Warren Moon, Kansas City Chiefs
Years he played there: 1999-2000
How he fared: Moon appeared in three games over two years with the Chiefs, including one start in his final year at the age of 44. It came on Nov. 26 at San Diego, and it didn't go well for Moon or his team. The Chargers beat the Chiefs 17-16 as Moon went 12-of-31 for 130 yards with one interception and was sacked five times.
Joe Namath, Los Angeles Rams
Year he played there: 1977
How he fared: Namath played his final NFL season with the Rams, who went 2-2 in his four starts. Namath completed 50 of 107 passes for 606 yards, three touchdowns and five interceptions.
Ken O'Brien, Philadelphia Eagles
Year he played there: 1993
How he fared: After nine seasons and two Pro Bowl appearances with the Jets, O'Brien spent his 10th and final NFL season in Philly. The Eagles went 0-4 in O'Brien's starts as he completed 71 of 137 passes for four touchdowns and three interceptions.
Ken Stabler, New Orleans Saints
Years he played there: 1982-84
How he fared: Recognized for his years with the Oakland Raiders, "The Snake" finished his career in New Orleans. The Saints went 11-11 in his starts those seasons as he passed for 17 touchdowns and 33 interceptions.
Johnny Unitas, San Diego Chargers
Year he played there: 1973
How he fared: After 17 years leading the Baltimore Colts, Johnny U played his final season at age 40 in San Diego. The Chargers went 1-3 in his starts, and he passed for 471 yards with three touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Michael Vick, Pittsburgh Steelers
Year he played there: 2015
How he fared: Vick, who spent 13 seasons in the NFL mostly with the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles, played his final NFL season in Pittsburgh. He saw action in five games and went 2-1 in three starts. He passed for 371 yards and rushed for 99.
Kurt Warner, New York Giants
Year he played there: 2004
How he fared: In between storied runs with the Rams and Cardinals, Warner started nine games with the Giants. The team went 5-4 as he passed for six TDs and four interceptions.
