Len Dawson got the Kansas City Chiefs to Super Bowls I and IV. Patrick Mahomes has them with a return engagement — finally — at Super Bowl LIV. So, who were all the other starting QBs who failed to get Kansas City back to the NFL championship game? Going to start with the 1976 season, the year after Dawson retired following his Hall of Fame career.
Mike Livington
Mike Livingston was a Kansas City Chief from 1968 through his entire career that ended after 1979. He backed up Len Dawson and took over after the Hall of Famer retired. Livingston was 31-43-1 overall as a starter. His mark after Dawson’s exit was 11-32.
Tony Adams
Tony Adams began his career in the NFL in 1975 with the Chiefs. During his four-year stint, he appeared in 50 games, seven of them as the starting quarterback, winning once. In a bizarre career, Adams went to the CFL after leaving Kansas City. He resurfaced as a replacement player for the Minnesota Vikings in 1987, seven years after his last CFL game.
Steve Fuller
Steve Fuller was a first-round pick by the Chiefs out of Clemson in 1979. He lasted four seasons in KC, going 13-18 as a starter with 22 TD passes and 32 picks.
Bill Kenney
Bill Kenney was drafted by the Miami Dolphins but was cut at the end of training camp and signed by Kansas City. Kenney was a Chief for his nine-year playing career. He went 34-43 as a starter, going 0-5 in 1988, his final season.
Todd Blackledge
Todd Blackledge was drafted by the Chiefs in the first round of the famed 1983 NFL Draft that saw six QBs go in the first round. The Penn State star did not have the success others saw. He played in four games as a rookie and eventually started 24 for KC, going 13-11. Blackledge threw 26 TD passes as a Chief against 32 picks.
Matt Stevens
Matt Stevens was winless in two starts for the Chiefs in 1987. He was a replacement player during the strike.
Frank Seuer
Frank Seuer was a Chief from 1986-87. He made two starts in his second season, losing both. Seuer threw no TD passes and four interceptions.
Doug Hudson
Doug Hudson appeared in one game in 1987, throwing one pass, which was incomplete.
Steve DeBerg
Steve DeBerg had a long career, playing well into his 40s. He was a Chief from 1988-91. DeBerg was 31-20-1 as a starter and threw for 11,873 yards as a Kansas City Chief.
Ron Jaworski
Ron Jaworski is best known for his days with the Philadelphia Eagles. He finished his career in 1989 as a Chief, going 1-2 as a starter and playing in six games. Jaworski threw two TD passes and five picks with KC.
Steve Pelluer
Steve Pelluer was 1-1-1 as a starter for Kansas City in 1989, throwing for 315 yards.
Mark Vlasic
Mark Vlasic made one start for Kansas City, going 0-1. He was 28-for-44 for 316 yards with two TD passes in his short time as a Chief.
Dave Krieg
Dave Krieg was a legend … in Seattle. He was with the Chiefs after his time with the Seahawks. Krieg had a good season in 1992, leading KC to a 10-6 mark. He made five more starts in ’93, going 3-2.
Joe Montana
Joe Montana had his glory years in San Francisco and then went to Kansas City when Steve Young’s time came in the Bay Area. He played two seasons with the Chiefs, going 17-8 as a starter, a winner all over. Montana threw for 5,427 yards with 29 TDs and 16 picks.
Steve Bono
Steve Bono spent three seasons as a Chief. He was one of a number of quarterbacks to play for both SF and KC. Bono started all 16 games in 1995 and went 13-3. He threw for 3,121 yards and 21 touchdowns. Overall, Bono’s Chief mark as a starter was 21-10.
Rich Gannon
Rich Gannon was 11-8 in four seasons with KC. After leaving the Chiefs, he went on to greater heights with the Oakland Raiders.
Elvis Grbac
Elvis Grbac was 26-21 as a starter for the Chiefs over four seasons. The Michigan Man threw for 10,643 yards in red with 66 TD passes and 47 picks.
Warren Moon
The great Warren Moon ended his illustrious career as a backup in Kansas City, making one start — a losing one — in 2000. He threw for 228 of his NFL 49,325 yards with Kansas City.
Trent Green
Trent Green spent six seasons with the Chiefs. His best year was 2003 when the team went 13-3. Green had three straight 4,000-yard seasons passing with KC.
Damon Huard
Damon Huard finished his career with three seasons in Kansas City, going 10-11 as a starter.
Brodie Croyle
Brodie Croyle went from the Crimson Tide to Kansas City Chiefs red. He played with KC from 2006-10. However, his days are forgettable in 10 starts, Croyle was winless.
Tyler Thigpen
Tyler Thigpen was with the Chiefs for two-plus seasons after playing college ball at Coastal Carolina. He was 1-10 as a starter in 2008.
Matt Cassel
Matt Cassel spent four seasons with the Chiefs in the middle of his journeyman career. He was 10-5 as the starter in 2010. However, his overall mark was 19-28.
Tyler Palko
Tyler Palko was with Kansas City for 2010-11. He made four starts in his second season, winning one.
Kyle Orton
The veteran Kyle Orton played for Chiefs in part of the 2011 season. He was 2-1 as a starter, throwing for 779 yards with a TD pass and two interceptions.
Brady Quinn
Brady Quinn was a star at Notre Dame. His success did not travel to the NFL. Quinn was drafted by the Browns and then turned up in KC. He was 1-7 in 2012, throwing two TD pass and eight picks.
Alex Smith
Alex Smith was a No. 1 overall pick of the 49ers. He then landed in KC in 2014 and spent five years with the Chiefs. He had a great starting mark of 50-26, throwing for 17,608 yards with 102 TD passes against 33 picks.
Chase Daniel
Chase Daniel came to the Chiefs after spending time in New Orleans. He split two starts in his three seasons in KC.
Nick Foles
Oh, how easy it would be to forget the Chiefs did have another quarterback who eventually won a Super Bowl start for them. Nick Foles was a Chief in 2016, winning his lone start. Foles threw for 410 yards with three TD passes in KC.
