Broncos Ring of Fame QB Craig Morton Passes Away

The Denver Broncos are mourning the passing of former quarterback Craig Morton. The Broncos announced the news on Monday, revealing that the 83-year-old had passed away on Saturday.

We are saddened to learn of the passing of #BroncosROF quarterback Craig Morton, who died on Saturday at the age of 83.

Morton quarterbacked the Broncos from 1977-82 and led the team to its first playoff appearance and Super Bowl berth (XII vs. Dallas) in the 1977 season.

📰 »… pic.twitter.com/3hpZT1vDss
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) May 11, 2026

Morton played his final six NFL seasons with the Broncos. However, he entered the NFL in 1965 as a Dallas Cowboys first-round pick.

Morton would go on to lead the Cowboys to a Super Bowl berth in the 1970 season. Alas, he and the Cowboys came up short against Johnny Unitas and the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl V.

In between his Cowboys and Broncos tenures, Morton spent three seasons with the New York Giants. Things failed to click in the Big Apple, and the Giants traded him to the Broncos in 1977, which sparked a career turnaround.

Broncos Tenure

Craig Morton. — Denver Broncos quarterback #7 CRAIG MORTON in action against the Cincinnati Bengals at Three Rivers Stadium. | Malcolm Emmons-Imagn Images

In Year 1 with the Broncos, a 34-year-old Morton led the team to its first Super Bowl berth, becoming the first NFL quarterback to start a Super Bowl game with two different teams. The Broncos lost to Morton's former team, though, as Roger Staubach and the Cowboys emerged victorious, 27-10.

Morton was named the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year in 1977, which was the biggest individual accolade he earned as a pro. He led the Broncos to the playoffs three times during his six-year run. In 1981, the Broncos won 10 games with Morton, and he passed for a career-high 3,195 yards and 21 touchdowns, with 14 interceptions.

Morton was sacked 54 times in 1981, a franchise single-season record that stood until Russell Wilson broke it in 2022 with 55. Despite winning 10 games in 1981, the Broncos failed to qualify for the playoffs.

Father Time eventually caught up to Morton, and he retired following the 1982 season. In 1983, the Broncos were able to acquire John Elway — the No. 1 overall pick in the draft — from the Colts, and he would go on to forge a 16-year Hall-of-Fame career.

Despite only playing six seasons, Morton still ranks third in Broncos history in passing yards (11,985), behind only Elway and Peyton Manning. Morton's 74 career touchdown passes in Denver also rank third in team history.

To put it in perspective, Bo Nix already ranks eighth in Broncos history, with 7,706 passing yards. His 54 passing touchdowns rank seventh. It took quarterbacks of the '70s and '80s much longer than two seasons to get to 7,700 yards.

Morton was a pocket quarterback who threw the ball downfield, but the NFL passing game during his era was very different than today's. Throwing for over 3,000 yards in 1981 would kind of be similar to a modern-day quarterback eclipsing 5,000.

Morton's NFL career had some ups and downs, but he was one of the most prolific quarterbacks of his era. The fact that he was the first quarterback to start in the Super Bowl for two different teams reflects his staying power.

Morton was inducted into the Broncos' Ring of Fame in 1988. He remains one of the best quarterbacks in Broncos history, and the team and fans will mourn his passing.

Sign up for our free Denver Broncos On SI newsletter, and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

Add us as a preferred source on Google