Dave Krieg David Michael Krieg ( ; born October 20 , 1958 ) is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League . He attended Milton College and made the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent . In his 19 - year NFL career , Krieg played for the Seahawks ( 1980 – 1991 ) , the Kansas City Chiefs ( 1992 – 1993 ) , the Detroit Lions ( 1994 ) , the Arizona Cardinals ( 1995 ) , the Chicago Bears ( 1996 ) and the Tennessee Oilers ( 1997 – 1998 ) . College career . At Milton , an obscure and now - defunct small private college in Milton , Wisconsin , Krieg began as the 7th - string quarterback for his school ' s NAIA team . Given the opportunity to play in the fourth game of his freshman season , he completed four passes — three of them for touchdown s - - and continued to play well enough to start for the rest of his college career . Professional career ( 1980 - 98 ) . Krieg is one of the most prolific passers in NFL history , ranking among the all - time top 15 in most passing categories . In 19 seasons , Krieg played in 213 games , completed 58 . 5 percent of his passes ( 3 , 105 for 5 , 311 ) for 38 , 147 passing yards , 261 touchdowns , 199 interceptions and an 81 . 5 rating . He also had 417 rushing attempts for 1 , 261 yards and 13 touchdowns and 3 pass receptions for 10 yards . Dave Krieg played in 12 postseason games and completed 51 . 1 percent of his passes ( 144 for 282 ) for 1 , 895 passing yards , 11 touchdowns , 10 interceptions and a 70 . 86 rating . He also had 17 rushing attempts for 20 yards and 1 touchdown . Seattle Seahawks ( 1980 - 91 ) . Undrafted in 1980 , Krieg tried out for the Seahawks and caught on as a third - string quarterback . He saw the field only once , taking a few unremarkable snaps in the final game of his team ' s dismal 1980 season . By the middle of the 1981 season , Krieg bypassed Sam Adkins on the depth chart to become the Seahawks ' second - string quarterback . When injuries sidelined Jim Zorn late in the season , Krieg started the last three games and played well , helping the team record two of its six wins that year . In his first NFL start against the New York Jets , Krieg ran for one touchdown and threw for two others , including a 57 - yard game - winning completion to Steve Largent . Krieg began the strike - shortened 1982 season as the Seahawks ' starting quarterback and played respectably until a thumb injury sidelined him for several weeks . Zorn reclaimed his former role , but played inconsistently . When Zorn continued to struggle in the final game of the season , Coach Mike McCormack inserted Krieg , who rallied Seattle to a victory over the Denver Broncos . Returning to the bench at the outset of the 1983 campaign , Krieg remained there until Zorn ' s performance faltered in midseason . At that point , Coach Chuck Knox named Krieg the Seahawks ' new starting quarterback . The Milton product ' s consistent play complemented the considerable talents of All - Pro wide receiver Steve Largent and Pro Bowl running back Curt Warner , allowing the Seahawks to make the playoffs for the first time in the team ' s history . Krieg played brilliantly in the wild card round of the playoffs , helping his team rout Steve DeBerg and the Broncos in the Kingdome . The next week , Krieg ' s steady performance helped the Seahawks upset Dan Marino and the Miami Dolphins on the road . However , Krieg and Seahawks offense were overwhelmed by the aggressive defense of the L . A . Raiders in the American Football Conference Championship Game . Knox replaced Krieg with Jim Zorn to finish out the game as the visiting Seahawks lost to the Los Angeles Raiders , who would go on to win Super Bowl XVIII . Despite a prodigious effort by Mike McCormack to recruit Warren Moon to join the QB ranks in Seattle , Krieg resumed his starting role 1984 after Moon declined Seattle ' s offer and chose to play for the Houston Oilers instead . In the year ' s first game , a knee injury sidelined the Seahawks ' star running back Curt Warner for the rest of the season , forcing Coach Knox to discard his run - oriented " Ground Chuck " offense and adopt a new philosophy : " Air Knox . " Rising to the occasion , Krieg threw for 3 , 671 yards and 32 touchdowns , leading his team to a 12 - 4 record and another wild card playoff appearance . In recognition of this impressive performance , Krieg ' s NFL peers named him to his first Pro Bowl . Moreover , his steady play helped the Seahawks eliminate the reigning Super Bowl champion Raiders in a wild card showdown in the Kingdome . Krieg also played well in Miami the following week , but the Dolphins defeated the Seahawks and went on to lose Super Bowl XIX . Krieg ' s inconsistency contributed to the mediocrity of the Seahawks ' 1985 campaign . In the team ' s eight victories , Krieg ' s passer rating averaged more than 114 — an excellent mark — but in the Seahawks ' eight losses , his rating hovered just above a dismal 40 . In 1986 , Krieg played well initially , leading the Seahawks to a 5 - 3 record . However , he faltered in midseason , so Coach Knox benched him in favor of Gale Gilbert . When that remedy failed to avert a four - game losing streak , Knox gave Krieg another chance . Nicknamed " Mudbone " by his Seattle teammates , Krieg led the Seahawks on five - game winning streak to finish the season , during which his passer rating exceeded 126 . That December , Krieg was named AFC Player of the Month . However , the 10 - 6 Seahawks failed to qualify for the playoffs . Despite a brief midseason slump , Krieg played more consistently during the strike - shortened 1987 season . In the year ' s first game , Krieg set a team record by throwing his 108th touchdown ; in less than four years as a starter , Krieg had broken a record Zorn had compiled over more than seven starting seasons . Krieg proceeded to lead the Seahawks to another playoff appearance , but Krieg ' s performance failed to prevent a narrow loss on the road in the first round against the Houston Oilers . During the offseason , the Seahawks acquired Kelly Stouffer from the Phoenix Cardinals , and began to groom him as the franchise quarterback of the future . Perhaps due to this increased competition , Krieg ' s consistency increased further in 1988 . Although he missed seven games with a separated shoulder , his excellent play helped propel the Seahawks to their first AFC West Division Championship . In the regular season finale , Krieg dissected the Raiders ' secondary , throwing for 410 yards and four touchdowns , thereby securing the division title and relegating the Raiders to a wild card berth . However , Krieg ' s pedestrian performance on the road in the playoffs contributed to the Seahawks ' swift elimination at the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals . Nevertheless , Krieg ' s strong regular season showing earned him another Pro Bowl appearance . In the spring of 1989 , Krieg competed in ABC ' s prestigious " Superstars " competition , a series of physical challenges pitting athletes from various sports against one another . Krieg placed third overall , behind Willie Gault and Herschel Walker . Krieg placed first in the basketball and rowing events , beating athletes including Gault , Walker , Randall Cunningham , Evander Holyfield , and Carl Lewis . In 1989 , Krieg struggled to lead an offense depleted by injuries . All - Pro Steve Largent missed several games because of a fractured elbow . The running game sputtered as injuries slowed Curt Warner , and the aging offensive line struggled to open holes for him . Krieg came to rely on fullback John L . Williams , who replaced Largent as the team ' s perennial leading receiver . Although the Seahawks managed only a 7 - 9 record , Krieg played well enough to earn a return trip to the Pro Bowl , where he performed impressively , helping lead the AFC to victory . Krieg ' s burden grew heavier in 1990 , with the retirement of Largent and the continued decline of the offensive line and the running game . Consequently , inconsistency again plagued Krieg . His play ranged from awful ( 2 games with passer ratings below 15 ) to mediocre ( 5 games in the 50s and 60s ) to good ( 4 games in the 70s , 80s or 90s ) to brilliant ( 5 games with ratings over 100 ) . In the most memorable game of the season , on November 11 , the Seahawks made their annual visit to Arrowhead Stadium , where they had not won since 1980 . The Kansas City Chiefs sacked Krieg 9 times , including an NFL - record 7 sacks by linebacker Derrick Thomas . However , on the last play of the game , as time expired , Thomas closed in for yet another apparent sack , but Krieg eluded the linebacker and threw a 25 - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Paul Skansi for the win . Krieg ' s leadership helped the Seahawks compile a respectable 9 - 7 record in 1990 , but they again missed the playoffs . In 1991 , the Seahawks spent a first - round draft pick on another quarterback of the future , Dan McGwire . After breaking his thumb in the season opener , Krieg missed 6 games in 1991 . Without a strong supporting cast , Krieg turned in another inconsistent year . The Seahawks finished a disappointing 7 - 9 , leading to the resignation of Coach Knox . Seattle General Manager Tom Flores decided to retain Stouffer and McGwire , and to let Krieg become a free agent . That decision helped doom the Seahawks to several seasons of misery and mediocrity under a succession of uninspired quarterbacks . Kansas City Chiefs ( 1992 - 93 ) . Krieg signed with the Seahawks ' division rivals , the Kansas City Chiefs , and started for them throughout 1992 , leading his new team to a 10 - 6 record , including two victories over Seattle . However , Krieg ' s poor performance in the playoffs on the road contributed to the wild card Chiefs ' swift elimination by the San Diego Chargers . In the offseason , the Chiefs signed Joe Montana and made him their starting quarterback . However , Krieg still saw substantial action in 1993 , relieving Montana in six games , and starting five games for the oft - injured Hall of Famer . Together , Montana and Krieg led the Chiefs to an 11 - 5 record and an AFC West Championship . In the first round of the playoffs , when the Chiefs hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers , an injured Montana briefly left the game . In relief , Krieg threw just one pass , a 23 - yard touchdown . Two weeks later , at the AFC Championship Game in Buffalo , Montana sustained a concussion and left the game in the third quarter . Krieg led a 90 - yard touchdown drive to bring the Chiefs within 7 points , but the Buffalo Bills scored 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to qualify for their fourth straight Super Bowl appearance . Detroit Lions ( 1994 ) . In 1994 , Krieg signed with the Detroit Lions to back up Scott Mitchell . Although Mitchell ' s erratic play contributed to the team ' s poor 4 - 5 start , coach Wayne Fontes stuck with the young quarterback as his starter until an injury sidelined him in mid - season . Krieg came off the bench and ignited a dynamic offense showcasing the talents of running back Barry Sanders and wide receiver Herman Moore . Statistically , the 1994 season was the best of the journeyman ' s career : Krieg completed 61 . 8 % of his passes and threw 14 touchdowns versus only 3 interceptions , for a passer rating of 101 . 7 . Moreover , Krieg ' s leadership rallied the Lions to a 5 - 2 regular season finish and a wild card playoff berth . Despite Krieg ' s solid play , the visiting Lions lost narrowly to the Green Bay Packers in the first round of the playoffs . Although Krieg had set Detroit Lions regular - season records for fewest passes intercepted ( 3 ) and highest passer rating ( 101 . 7 ) , the team decided to stick with Mitchell and let Krieg become a free agent . Arizona Cardinals ( 1995 ) . The Arizona Cardinals rewarded Krieg for his 1994 performance by signing him to be their starting quarterback in 1995 . However , operating behind a porous offensive line , Krieg had another inconsistent year . Again , his passer rating told the tale : 3 horrible games ( below 50 ) , 4 mediocre ones ( 50s and 60s ) , 5 good efforts ( 70s and 80s ) , and 4 outstanding performances ( 90s or better ) . However , even Krieg ' s good games rarely resulted in Cardinals victories . The team went 4 - 12 , and Coach Buddy Ryan and Krieg lost their jobs . Chicago Bears ( 1996 ) . In 1996 , the Chicago Bears signed Krieg to back up Erik Kramer . Although Kramer ' s poor play contributed to the Bears ' feeble 1 - 3 beginning , Coach Dave Wannstedt allowed him to continue starting until an injury sidelined him for the remainder of the season . Krieg — by then 38 years old — came off the bench and helped rally an injury - wracked Bears team to a respectable 6 - 6 finish . Statistically , Krieg ' s performance was inconsistent : his passer rating ranged from subpar ( 4 games below 60 ) to mediocre ( 2 games in the 60s ) to good ( 3 games in the 80s and 90s ) to outstanding ( 3 games over 100 ) . Tennessee Oilers ( 1997 - 98 ) . Dave Krieg finished his career with the Tennessee Oilers , backing up the seldom - injured Steve McNair in 1997 and 1998 . Even when the young starter played poorly , coach Jeff Fisher declined to insert Krieg . On rare occasions , Krieg would mop up in garbage time or take a knee at the end of a game . However , in the 1998 season opener in Cincinnati , McNair exited the game with a bruised elbow . Krieg — by then nearly 40 years old — came off the bench to rally the Oilers to victory . Although McNair recovered from his injury and could have re - entered the game , the team let Krieg finish . " Dave was in the zone , " McNair explained . " He was doing a great job moving the team up and down the field . It ' s a matter of doing what ' s right ( for the team ) . At that time , what was right was letting Dave stay in . " Later that month , the Jacksonville Jaguars knocked McNair out of a game , but Krieg ' s comeback effort failed . Krieg retired after the 1998 season . Since retirement . Krieg is now a motivational speaker and real estate investor in Phoenix , Arizona . He was inducted into the Seattle Seahawks Ring of Honor in 2004 . Krieg also became part owner of the af2 ' s Green Bay Blizzard in 2007 along with former Green Bay Packer linebacker Brian Noble .