The Buffalo Bills are still searching for a quarterback of the future, so we take a look back at the top five to ever play the position for the franchise.
The Buffalo Bills have played host to many quarterbacks over the years. Some have been great and some have been bad.
Throughout the history of the franchise, there have been a handful of great and historic names. These names have come to shape the greatness that the Buffalo Bills have achieved. This greatness has been derived from past AFL championships and Hall of Fame caliber players.
Today’s Bills quarterbacks in AJ McCarron and Nathan Peterman have a shared bloodline with great QBs of the past. Names such as Jack Kemp and Jim Kelly have been noted as some of the greatest of all time. The Buffalo faithful have endured what seems to be a lifetime of losing.
With the new culture that has been accepted by all the players and transpired on the field, there is no doubt that the top 5 QBs for the Buffalo Bills will be completely different in a few years to come. Head coach Sean McDermott has set the bar last season and whatever QB gets the call this season will have to live up to the previously held expectations.
This list showcases the top 5 quarterbacks who have come to define the franchise to what it is today.
#5. Ryan Fitzpatrick
Love him or hate him, Ryan Fitzpatrick played in a transitional and pivotal time for the Buffalo Bills. Fitzpatrick or “Fitzmagic” was a Buffalo phenomenon from 2009-2012 only while going 22-33.
Fitzpatrick was not always popular with the fans as he would throw interceptions often and at costly times. But through the sometimes negative view, it is hard to argue he has not been consistent playing 53 games for the Bills. The former seventh-round St. Louis Rams draft pick found his way to Buffalo in early 2009 where he would play in games.
During that 2009 season, Fitzpatrick would test the waters under center early while going 4-4 while throwing nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions. That would come to be the norm for Fitzpatrick as he finished in Buffalo with 80 touchdowns and 60 interceptions. Fitzpatrick found himself in the top 10 of the NFL in passing attempts in 2011 at No. 6 with 569.
Since moving on from Buffalo, Fitzpatrick has bounced around the league. After playing for the Titans, Texans, and Jets he now finds himself in Tampa Bay. The now 35-year-old has had solid starts through all the teams he has played for and has a career current total of 173 touchdowns.
#4. Doug Flutie
Doug Flutie was a collegiate wonder story as his Hail Mary play caught national attention. “Hail Flutie” came to define him long before his time in Toronto and Buffalo. After his career was done in the CFL with the Toronto Argonauts, Doug Flutie came to Buffalo in 1998.
At 5-foot-7, Flutie was dubbed too short to play in the NFL but this negativity only propelled him to work harder. Flutie signed a minimal contract with the Bills and was to compete against Rob Johnson. After Johnson went down with an injury, it was time for Flutie to shine.
In 1998, Flutie accumulated 20 touchdowns which earned him a 98 Pro Bowl spot and “NFL AP Comeback Player of the Year” award. Following the ’98 season, Flutie continued to excel in Buffalo as he threw for 19 touchdowns as well as finishing 10th in the NFL with passes completed at 264.
Flutie’s standout career with the Bills allowed him to resurface as a relevant and mainstream QB in the NFL. After Flutie’s time with the Bills ended, he moved on to the San Diego Chargers. Post-quarterback life looked good on Flutie as his 14-year career would end with him kicking for the New England Patriots.
#3. Jack Kemp
A Detroit Lions 17th-round overall draft pick in the 1957 draft did not have much success in the early years of his career. Quarterback Jack Kemp bounced around the league for a fair amount of time before settling into a solid position.
After finally landing in Buffalo in 1963, Jack Kemp began to show the team that abandoned him and the NFL what he can do. Kemp was widely known for his arm strength which he quickly showed in Buffalo as he threw for 2,910 yards in his first season as a Bill. Following his ’63 season, he stayed true to his initial stats. In the 1964 season, Kemp threw for 2,285 yards with a long of 98 while collecting 11 wins along the way.
Kemp would go on to win an AFL Championship for the Bills in the 1965 season, as they trumped the San Diego Chargers, 20-7. Kemp had a historic career with the Bills and along the way amounted to 7 AFL All-Star games. Kemp earned an “AP AFL Player of the Year” win in ’65 and two “First team All Pro” nods in 1960 and 1965.
After a total of 77 games for the Bills, Kemp had 77 touchdowns to match solidifying his status as one of the greats.
#2. Joe Ferguson
After 12 seasons played in Buffalo, Joe Ferguson tallied a laundry list of stats as a Buffalo Bill. 181 touchdowns and 27,590 yards from the pocket show what an absolute workhorse Ferguson was.
The third-round draft pick in 1973 got right to work in Buffalo as in his first season he started 12 games marching to a 9-5-0 record. Along with his 12-year statistical explosion, Ferguson racked up his fair share of accolades in the NFL as well.
In 1977 he led the NFL in passing attempts with 477, he led in passing yards with 2,803 and yards per game with 200.2. His most impressive season was during the 1975 season where he went 8-6-0 all while throwing for 25 touchdowns. All of this would be good enough to skyrocket him to the top of the top of the NFL standings only to be followed by Billy Kilmer of the Washington Redskins and Ken Anderson of the Cincinnati.Bengals.
To this day, Ferguson currently still sits No. 50 all time among all NFL QB’s both past and present with a career total of 2,369 completions. Ahead of Ferguson at No. 49 is Former Buffalo Bill Ryan Fitzpatrick with only 42 more completions.
#1. Jim Kelly
It is without question that the when the conversation of past great Bills QBs comes up, Jim Kelly is without a doubt the top choice. During his influential time with the Bills, he posted stats that landed him in the Hall of Fame in 2002.
The five-time Pro Bowler had a career 84.4 perent passer rating while throwing for 237 touchdowns. During his standout season in 1991, Kelly sat atop the NFL with 33 passing touchdowns. His performance in the ’91 season earned him a “first-team All Pro” honor.
During the 1992 season, Kelly led the NFL with the least amount of interceptions with only 19. In 160 games in Buffalo, Kelly set an unprecedented bar that has yet to be surpassed. After his playing career, Kelly has been involved in the Buffalo community as his foundation “Kelly for Kids” serves to help the disabled youth in Western New York.
“Kelly Tough” has been a slogan that has united Buffalo with the longtime QB as Kelly takes on his second battle with cancer. The 58-year-old has been a foundation in Buffalo not just for being the exceptional QB he was, but for being an anchor of support and charity for the citizens of Western New York.