I propose the following definition.
A franchise Quarterback will have made 64 or more starts for an organization.
The rationale behind this definition is two-fold. First, it is achievable on a rookie deal but only if every single potential start is made. Secondly, it's a rarer benchmark than you might anticipate. Since 1967, every Franchise has had at least one but no team has had more than five.
For this post, I'll go through each Franchise, note their Franchise QBs, their near-misses, a few additional thoughts of interest, and conclude with a word about Journeymen. In alphabetical order by city for no other reason than it seems sensible to me. All stats current as of week 13, 2019.
Arizona Cardinals (aka. St. Louis Cardinals, Phoenix Cardinals)
Franchise QBs
- Jim Hart - 179 starts ('67-'81, '83)
- Neil Lomax - 101 starts ('81-'88)
- Jake Plummer - 82 starts ('97-'02)
Current QB - Kyler Murray, 13 starts
Near Misses
- Carson Palmer - 62 ('13-'17)
- Kurt Warner - 57 ('05-'09)
Atlanta Falcons
Franchise QBs
- Matt Ryan - 186 ('08-now)
- Steve Bartowski - 121 ('75-'85)
- Chris Chandler - 67 ('97-'01)
- Michael Vick - 67 ('01-'06)
- Chris Miller - 66 ('87-'93)
Current QB - Matt Ryan
Near Misses
- Bob Berry - 51 ('68-'72)
Baltimore Ravens (Not Colts)
Franchise QBs
- Joe Flacco - 163 ('08-'18)
Current QB - Lamar Jackson, 21 starts
Near Misses
- Kyle Boller - 42 ('03-'05, '07)
Buffalo Bills
Franchise QBs
- Joe Ferguson - 164 ('73-'84)
- Jim Kelly - 160 ('86-'96)
Current QB - Josh Allen, 24 starts
Near Misses
- Ryan Fitzpatrick - 63 ('09-'12)
- Drew Bledsoe - 48 ('02-'04)
- Tyrod Taylor - 44 ('05-'17)
Carolina Panthers
Franchise QBs
- Cam Newton - 124 ('11-now)
- Jake Delhomme - 90 ('03-'09)
Current QB - Kyle Allen, 12 starts (Cam Newton is injured)
Near Misses
- Steve Beuerlein - 51 ('96-'00)
Chicago Bears
Franchise QBs
- Jay Cutler - 102 ('09-'16)
- Jim McMahon - 84 ('82-'88)
- Jim Harbaugh - 65 ('88-'93)
Current QB - Mitch Trubisky, 38 starts
Near Misses
- Bobby Douglass - 52 ('68-'75)
- Bob Avellini - 50 ('75-'79, '82, '84)
- Erik Kramer - 46 ('94-'98)
Cincinnati Bengals
Franchise QBs
- Ken Anderson - 172 ('71-'85)
- Andy Dalton - 130 ('11-'19)
- Boomer Esiason - 124 ('84-'92, '97)
- Jeff Blake - 66 ('94-'99)
Current QB - Andy Dalton
Near Misses
- Jon Kitna - 46 ('01-'04)
Cleveland Browns
Franchise QBs
- Brian Sipe - 114 ('74-'83)
- Bernie Kosar - 106 ('85-'93)
Current QB - Baker Mayfield, 26 starts
Near Misses
- Tim Couch - 59 ('99-'03)
- Bill Nelson - 51 ('68-'72)
- Mike Phipps - 51 ('70-'76)
Dallas Cowboys
Franchise QBs
- Troy Aikman - 165 ('89-'00)
- Tony Romo - 127 ('06'-'15)
- Roger Staubach - 114 ('69-'71, '73-'79)
- Danny White - 92 ('78, '80-'87)
Current QB - Dak Prescott, 61 starts
Near Misses
- Dak Prescott ('16-'19)
- Craig Morton - 48 ('67-'72)
Denver Broncos
Franchise QBs
- John Elway - 231 ('83-'98)
- Craig Morton - 64 ('77-'82)
Current QB - Drew Lock, 2 starts (Joe Flacco is injured)
Near Misses
- Peyton Manning - 57 ('12-'15)
- Jake Plummer - 54 ('03-'06)
- Brian Griese - 51 ('99-'02)
- Charley Johnson - 41 ('72-'75)
Detroit Lions
Franchise QBs
- Matthew Stafford -149 ('09-now)
- Greg Landry - 95 ('68-'78)
Current QB - David Blough, 2 starts (Matthew Stafford is injured)
Near Misses
- Eric Hipple - 61 ('80-'86, '89)
- Scott Mitchell - 57 ('94-'98)
- Joey Harrington - 55 ('02-'05)
- Gary Danielson - 54 ('77-'78, '80-'82, '84)
- Rodney Peete - 47 ('89-'93)
- Charlie Batch - 46 ('98-'01)
Green Bay Packers
Franchise QBs
- Brett Favre - 253 ('92-'07)
- Aaron Rodgers - 171 ('08-now)
- Lynn Dickey - 101 ('76-'77, '79-'85)
Current QB - Aaron Rodgers
Near Misses
- Dan Majkowski - 49 ('87-'91)
- Bart Starr - 46 ('67-'71) easily eclipses 64 if pre-1967 starts are considered
Houston Texans
Franchise QBs
- Matt Schaub - 88 ('07-'13)
- David Carr - 75 ('02-'06)
Current QB - DeShaun Watson, 35 starts
Near Misses - None.
15 total QBs, franchise started in 2002.
Indianapolis Colts (aka Baltimore Colts)
Franchise QBs
- Peyton Manning - 208 ('98-'10)
- Bert Jones - 92 ('73-'81)
- Andrew Luck - 86 ('12-'16, '18)
Current QB - Jacoby Brissett, 27 starts
Near Misses
- Johnny Unitas - 49 ('67, '69-'72) had pre-1967 starts
- Jeff George - 49 ('94-'97)
- Mike Pagel - 47 ('82-'85)
- Jack Trudeau - 47 ('86-'90, '92-'93)
- Jim Harbaugh - 46 ('94-'97)
Jacksonville Jaguars
Franchise QBs
- Mark Brunell - 117 ('95-'03)
- David Garrard - 76 ('02, '04-'10)
- Blake Bortles - 73 ('13-'18)
Current QB - Gardner Minshew, 9 starts
Near Misses
- Byron Leftwich - 44 ('03-'06)
Kansas City Chiefs
Franchise QBs
- Len Dawson - 90 ('67-'75) had pre-1967 starts
- Trent Green - 88 ('01-'06)
- Bill Kenney - 77 ('80-'88)
- Alex Smith - 77 ('13-'17)
- Mike Livingston - 76 ('69-'79)
Current QB - Patrick Mahomes, 28 starts
Near Misses
- Elvis Grbac - 47 ('97-'99)
- Matt Cassel - 47 ('09-'12)
- Steve DeBerg - 41 ('89-'91)
Los Angeles Chargers (aka San Diego Chargers)
Franchise QBs
- Philip Rivers - 221 ('06-now)
- Dan Fouts - 171 ('73-'87)
- John Hadl - 78 ('67-'72) had pre-1967 starts
- Stan Humphries - 68 ('92-'97)
Current QB - Philip Rivers
Near Misses
- Drew Brees - 58 ('02-'05)
Los Angeles Rams (aka St. Louis Rams)
Franchise QBs
- Jim Everett - 105 ('86-'93)
- Marc Bulger - 95 ('02-'09)
- Roman Gabriel - 82 ('67-'72) had per-1967 starts
Current QB - Jared Goff, 51 starts
Near Misses
- Pat Haden - 55 ('76-'81)
- Jared Goff ('16-'19)
- Kurt Warner - 50 ('99-'03)
- Sam Bradford - 49 ('10-'13)
- Vince Ferragamo - 43 ('79, '81-'84)
- Tony Banks - 43 ('96-'98)
Miami Dolphins
Franchise QBs
- Dan Marino - 230 ('83-'99)
- Bob Griese - 151 ('67-'80) had pre-1967 starts
- Ryan Tannehill - 88 ('12-'16, '18)
Current QB - Ryan Fitzpatrick, 10 starts
Near Misses
- Jay Fiedler - 59 ('00-'04)
- David Woodley - 40 ('80-'83)
Minnesota Vikings
Franchise QBs
- Tommy Kramer - 110 ('77, '79-'89)
- Fran Tarkenton - 93 ('72-'78)
- Daunte Culpepper - 80 ('00-'05)
Current QB - Kirk Cousins, 29 starts
Near Misses
- Wade Wilson - 48 ('83-'91)
- Brad Johnson - 44 ('96-'97, '05-'06)
New Orleans Saints
Franchise QBs
- Drew Brees - 213 ('06-now)
- Archie Manning - 129 ('71-'75, '77-'81)
- Aaron Brooks - 82 ('00-'05)
- Bobby Herbert - 78 ('86-'89, '91-'92)
Current QB - Drew Brees
Near Misses
- Jim Everett - 47 ('94-'96)
- Billy Kilmer - 40 ('67-'70) had pre-1967 starts
New England Patriots (aka Boston Patriots)
Franchise QBs
- Tom Brady - 280 ('01-now)
- Steve Grogan - 135 ('75-'90)
- Drew Bledsoe - 123 ('93-'01)
Current QB - Tom Brady
Near Misses
- Jim Plunkett - 61 ('71-'75)
- Tony Eason - 49 ('83-'89)
New York Giants
Franchise QBs
- Eli Manning - 233 ('04-now)
- Phil Simms - 160 ('79-'81, '84-'93)
- Fran Tarkenton - 69 ('67-'71) had pre-1967 starts for Minnesota as well
- Kerry Collins - 68 ('99-'03)
Current QB - Eli Manning (Daniel Jones is injured)
Near Misses
- Dave Brown - 53 ('94-'97)
New York Jets
Franchise QBs
- Ken O'Brien - 106 ('84-'92)
- Joe Namath - 103 ('67-'76) had starts pre-1967
- Richard Todd - 94 ('76-'83)
Current QB - Sam Darnold, 24 starts
Near Misses
- Mark Sanchez - 62 ('09-'12) guess "Sanchize" didn't end up being a good nickname
- Vinny Testaverde - 61 ('98-'03, '05)
- Chad Pennington - 61 ('02-'07)
- Boomer Esiason - 42 ('93-'95)
Oakland Raiders (aka Los Angeles Raiders)
Franchise QBs
- Ken Stabler - 96 ('71-'79)
- Derek Carr - 91 ('14-now)
- Daryle Lamonica - 84 ('67-'73) had pre-1967 starts
- Rich Gannon - 77 ('99-'04)
Current QB - Derek Carr
Near Misses
- Jim Plunkett - 57 ('80-'86)
- Jay Schroeder - 57 ('88-'92)
- Jeff Hostetler - 55 ('93-'96)
- Marc Wilson - 50 ('81, '83-'87)
Philadelphia Eagles
Franchise QBs
- Donovan McNabb - 142 ('99-'09)
- Ron Jaworski - 137 ('77-'86)
- Randall Cunningham - 107 ('85-'95)
Current QB - Carson Wentz, 53 starts
Near Misses
- Carson Wentz ('16-'19)
- Norm Snead - 51 ('67-'70) had pre-1967 starts
- Michael Vick - 40 ('10-'13)
Pittsburgh Steelers
Franchise QBs
- Ben Roethlisberger - 216 ('05-now)
- Terry Bradshaw - 158 ('70-'83)
- Kordell Stewart - 76 ('97-'02)
- Bubby Brister - 67 ('86, '88-'92)
Current QB - Devlin Hodges, 2 starts (Ben Roethlisberger is injured)
Near Misses
- Neil O'Donnell - 61 ('91-'95)
- Mark Malone - 45 ('81, '84-'87)
Seattle Seahawks
Franchise QBs
- Matt Hasselbeck - 131 ('01-'10)
- Russell Wilson - 125 ('12-now)
- Dave Krieg - 119 ('81-'91)
- Jim Zorn - 100 ('76-'83) pre-1967 starts
Current QB - Russell Wilson
Near Misses
- Rick Mirer - 51 ('93-'96)
San Francisco 49ers
Franchise QBs
- Joe Montana - 129 ('79-'90)
- Steve Young - 124 ('87-'99)
- Alex Smith - 75 ('05-'07, '09-'12)
- John Brodie - 73 ('67-'73) had pre-1967 starts
- Jeff Garcia - 71 ('99-'03)
Current QB - Jimmy Garoppolo, 21 starts
Near Misses
- Colin Kaepernick - 58 ('12-'16)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Franchise QBs
- Trent Dilfer - 76 ('94-'99)
- Vinny Testaverde - 72 ('87-'92)
- Doug Williams - 67 ('78-'82)
- Jameis Winston - 67 ('15-now)
Current QB - Jameis Winston
Near Misses
- Josh Freeman - 59 ('09-'13)
- Brad Johnson - 49 ('01-'04)
Tennessee Titans (aka Houston Oilers, Tennessee Oilers)
Franchise QBs
- Warren Moon - 139 ('84-'93)
- Steve McNair - 131 ('95-'05)
- Dan Pastorini - 107 ('71-'79)
Current QB - Ryan Tannehill, 7 starts
Near Misses
- Marcus Mariota - 61 ('15-now)
- Vince Young - 47 ('06-'10)
Washington Redskins
Franchise QBs
- Joe Theismann - 124 ('76-'85)
- Billy Kilmer - 74 ('71'-78)
- Sonny Jurgenson - 67 ('67-'74) had pre-1967 starts
- Mark Rypien - 66 ('89-'93)
Current QB Dwayne Haskins, 7 starts (Alex Smith is injured)
Near Misses
- Kirk Cousins - 58 ('12-'17)
- Jason Campbell - 52 ('06-'09)
- Gus Frerotte - 46 ('94-'98)
Only 2 men have managed to be Franchise QBs for two different teams. Fran Tarkenton with the Vikings and the Eagles, and Alex Smith with the 49ers and Chiefs.
So there you go, each Franchise and their "Franchise" QBs. How about the other side of the spectrum? Journeyman is the common nomenclature used for the gun for hire types who bounce from team to team but always manage to get work. Since 1967, 18 QBs have started a game for 5 or more different teams. Bold indicates they achieved Franchise status.
The 5's
Wade Wilson - Vikings, Falcons, Saints, Cowboys, Raiders
Jim McMahon - Bears, Chargers, Eagles, Vikings, Cardinals,
David Krieg - Seahawks, Chiefs, Lions, Cardinals, Bears,
Trent Dilfer - Buccaneers, Ravens, Seahawks, Browns, 49ers
Jeff George - Colts, Falcons, Raiders, Vikings, Redskins
Jeff Garcia - 49ers, Browns, Lions, Eagles, Buccaneers
Kyle Orton - Bears, Broncos, Chiefs, Cowboys, Bills
Matt Cassel - Patriots, Chiefs, Vikings, Cowboys, Titans
Case Keenum - Texans, Rams, Vikings, Broncos, Redskins
The 6's
Steve DeBerg - 49ers, Broncos, Buccaneers, Chiefs, Dolphins, Falcons
Vinny Testaverde - Buccaneers, Browns, Ravens, Jets, Cowboys, Panthers
Steve Beuerlein - Raiders, Cowboys, Cardinals, Jaguars, Panthers, Broncos
Kerry Collins - Panthers, Saints, Giants, Raiders, Titans, Colts
Josh McCown - Cardinals, Raiders, Bears, Buccaneers, Browns, Jets
Brian Hoyer - Cardinals, Browns, Texans, Bears, 49ers, Colts
The 7's
Chris Chandler - Colts, Buccaneers, Cardinals, Rams, Titans, Falcons, Bears
Gus Frerotte - Redskins, Lions, Broncos, Bengals, Vikings, Dolphins, Rams
The Ultimate Journeyman
Ryan Fitzpatrick - Rams, Bengals, Bills, Titans, Texans, Jets, Buccaneers, Dolphins
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