# List of Denver Broncos starting quarterbacks

These quarterbacks have started at least one game for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. They are listed in order of the date of each player's first start at quarterback for the team.

## Starting quarterbacks

The number of games they started during the season is listed to the right:

### Regular season

| Season(s) | Quarterback(s) |
| 1960 (AFL) | Frank Tripucka (14) |
| 1961 (AFL) | Frank Tripucka (10) / George Herring (4) |
| 1962 (AFL) | Frank Tripucka (13) / George Shaw (1) |
| 1963 (AFL) | Mickey Slaughter (7) / John McCormick (3) / Don Breaux (2) / Frank Tripucka (2) |
| 1964 (AFL) | Jacky Lee (10) / Mickey Slaughter (4) |
| 1965 (AFL) | Mickey Slaughter (7) / John McCormick (6) / Jacky Lee (1) |
| 1966 (AFL) | Max Choboian (7) / John McCormick (5) / Scotty Glacken (1) / Mickey Slaughter (1) |
| 1967 (AFL) | Steve Tensi (12) / Jim LeClair (2) |
| 1968 (AFL) | Steve Tensi (6) / Marlin Briscoe (5) / Jim LeClair (2) / John McCormick (1) |
| 1969 (AFL) | Steve Tensi (12) / Pete Liske (2) |
| 1970 | Pete Liske (9) / Chuck Pastrana (3) / Steve Tensi (2) |
| 1971 | Don Horn (9) / Steve Ramsey (5) |
| 1972 | Charley Johnson (9) / Steve Ramsey (5) |
| 1973 | Charley Johnson (14) |
| 1974 | Charley Johnson (12) / Steve Ramsey (2) |
| 1975 | Steve Ramsey (7) / Charley Johnson (6) / John Hufnagel (1) |
| 1976 | Steve Ramsey (12) / Craig Penrose (2) |
| 1977 | Craig Morton (14) |
| 1978 | Craig Morton (13) / Craig Penrose (2) / Norris Weese (1) |
| 1979 | Craig Morton (10) / Norris Weese (6) |
| 1980 | Craig Morton (9) / Matt Robinson (7) |
| 1981 | Craig Morton (15) / Steve DeBerg (1) |
| 1982 | Steve DeBerg (5) / Craig Morton (3) / Mark Herrmann (1) |
| 1983 | John Elway (10) / Steve DeBerg (5) / Gary Kubiak (1) |
| 1984 | John Elway (14) / Gary Kubiak (2) |
| 1985 | John Elway (16) |
| 1986 | John Elway (16) |
| 1987 | John Elway (12) / Ken Karcher (3) |
| 1988 | John Elway (15) / Gary Kubiak (1) |
| 1989 | John Elway (15) / Gary Kubiak (1) |
| 1990 | John Elway (16) |
| 1991 | John Elway (16) |
| 1992 | John Elway (12) / Tommy Maddox (4) |
| 1993 | John Elway (16) |
| 1994 | John Elway (14) / Hugh Millen (2) |
| 1995 | John Elway (16) |
| 1996 | John Elway (15) / Bill Musgrave (1) |
| 1997 | John Elway (16) |
| 1998 | John Elway (12) / Bubby Brister (4) |
| 1999 | Brian Griese (13) / Chris Miller (3) |
| 2000 | Brian Griese (10) / Gus Frerotte (6) |
| 2001 | Brian Griese (15) / Gus Frerotte (1) |
| 2002 | Brian Griese (13) / Steve Beuerlein (3) |
| 2003 | Jake Plummer (11) / Steve Beuerlein (2) / Danny Kanell (2) / Jarious Jackson (1) |
| 2004 | Jake Plummer (16) |
| 2005 | Jake Plummer (16) |
| 2006 | Jake Plummer (11) / Jay Cutler (5) |
| 2007 | Jay Cutler (16) |
| 2008 | Jay Cutler (16) |
| 2009 | Kyle Orton (15) / Chris Simms (1) |
| 2010 | Kyle Orton (13) / Tim Tebow (3) |
| 2011 | Tim Tebow (11) / Kyle Orton (5) |
| 2012 | Peyton Manning (16) |
| 2013 | Peyton Manning (16) |
| 2014 | Peyton Manning (16) |
| 2015 | Peyton Manning (9) / Brock Osweiler (7) |
| 2016 | Trevor Siemian (14) / Paxton Lynch (2) |
| 2017 | Trevor Siemian (10) / Brock Osweiler (4) / Paxton Lynch (2) |
| 2018 | Case Keenum (16) |
| 2019 | Joe Flacco (8) / Drew Lock (5) / Brandon Allen (3) |
| 2020 | Drew Lock (13) / Jeff Driskel (1) / Brett Rypien (1) / Phillip Lindsay (1)† |
| 2021 | Teddy Bridgewater (14) / Drew Lock (3) |
| 2022 | Russell Wilson (15) / Brett Rypien (2) |
| 2023 | Russell Wilson (15) / Jarrett Stidham (2) |
| 2024 | Bo Nix (17) |
† In Week 12 of the 2020 NFL season against the New Orleans Saints, backup quarterback Jeff Driskel tested positive for COVID-19 and all of Denver's quarterbacks were ruled ineligible due to being close contacts with him. As a result, practice squad receiver Kendall Hinton, who had some experience at quarterback, was activated to play in the game as the Broncos' primary passer. However, as the Broncos lined up in wildcat formation with running back Phillip Lindsay under center for the first four plays, Lindsay technically started the game at quarterback. However, Hinton became the first non-quarterback to play significant snaps at the position in an NFL game since running back Tom Matte with the Baltimore Colts in 1965.

### Post-season

| Season | Quarterback(s) |
| 1977 | Craig Morton (2–1) |
| 1978 | Craig Morton (0–1) |
| 1979 | Craig Morton (0–1) |
| 1983 | Steve DeBerg (0–1) |
| 1984 | John Elway (0–1) |
| 1986 | John Elway (2-1) |
| 1987 | John Elway (2-1) |
| 1989 | John Elway (2-1) |
| 1991 | John Elway (1–1) |
| 1993 | John Elway (0–1) |
| 1996 | John Elway (0–1) |
| 1997 | John Elway (4–0) |
| 1998 | John Elway (3–0) |
| 2000 | Gus Frerotte (0–1) |
| 2003 | Jake Plummer (0–1) |
| 2004 | Jake Plummer (0–1) |
| 2005 | Jake Plummer (1–1) |
| 2011 | Tim Tebow (1–1) |
| 2012 | Peyton Manning (0–1) |
| 2013 | Peyton Manning (2–1) |
| 2014 | Peyton Manning (0–1) |
| 2015 | Peyton Manning (3–0) |
| 2024 | Bo Nix (0–1) |

## Most games as starting quarterback

These quarterbacks have the most starts for the Broncos in regular season games (through the 2023 NFL season).
| Name | |
| GP | Games played |
| GS | Games started |
| W | Number of wins as starting quarterback |
| L | Number of losses as starting quarterback |
| T | Number of ties as starting quarterback |
| Pct | Winning percentage as starting quarterback |
| Name | Period | GP | GS | W | L | T | % |
| John Elway | 1983–1998 | 234 | 231 | 146 | 80 | 1 | .645 |
| Craig Morton | 1977–1982 | 72 | 64 | 41 | 23 | — | .641 |
| Peyton Manning | 2012–2015 | 58 | 57 | 45 | 12 | — | .789 |
| Jake Plummer | 2003–2006 | 59 | 54 | 39 | 15 | — | .722 |
| Brian Griese | 1998–2002 | 53 | 51 | 26 | 24 | — | .520 |
| Charley Johnson | 1972–1975 | 54 | 41 | 20 | 18 | 3 | .524 |
| Frank Tripucka | 1960–1963 | 44 | 39 | 13 | 25 | 1 | .346 |
| Jay Cutler | 2006–2008 | 37 | 37 | 17 | 20 | — | .459 |
| Kyle Orton | 2009–2011 | 34 | 33 | 12 | 21 | — | .364 |
| Steve Tensi | 1967–1970 | 41 | 32 | 10 | 21 | 1 | .328 |
| Steve Ramsey | 1971–1976 | 53 | 31 | 14 | 17 | — | .452 |
| Russell Wilson | 2022–2023 | 30 | 30 | 11 | 19 | — | .367 |
| Trevor Siemian | 2015–2017 | 26 | 24 | 12 | 11 | — | .522 |

## Team career passing records

Through the 2023 NFL season
| Name | Comp | Att | % | Yds | TD | Int |
| John Elway | 4,123 | 7,250 | 56.9 | 51,475 | 300 | 226 |
| Peyton Manning | 1,443 | 2,170 | 66.5 | 17,112 | 140 | 53 |
| Brian Griese | 1,044 | 1,678 | 62.2 | 11,763 | 71 | 53 |
| Jake Plummer | 944 | 1,596 | 59.1 | 11,631 | 71 | 47 |
| Craig Morton | 907 | 1,594 | 56.9 | 11,895 | 74 | 65 |
| Jay Cutler | 762 | 1,220 | 62.5 | 9,024 | 54 | 37 |
| Kyle Orton | 720 | 1,194 | 60.3 | 8,434 | 49 | 28 |
| Frank Tripucka | 662 | 1,277 | 51.8 | 7,676 | 51 | 85 |
| Russell Wilson | 589 | 930 | 63.3 | 6,594 | 42 | 19 |
| Charley Johnson | 517 | 970 | 53.3 | 7,238 | 52 | 52 |