The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ “quarterback tree” is fascinating, if you really take a look at it. Five Bucs’ QBs won Super Bowls, but only one of those was with the Bucs. Their success (luck?) in general seemed to happen in other places. It sometimes seems the NFL odds have been stacked against the Bucs.
That’s right, Brad Johnson, Doug Williams, Trent Dilfer, Steve Young, and yes of course … Tom Brady … have won the big game, and also started games for the Bucs at one point in their careers. Obviously, Brady could change that in the next few weeks.
Chris Chandler, who led Atlanta to a Super Bowl runner-up finish to John Elway and the Denver Broncos in 1998, also once wore Tampa Bay’s colors.
While the Bucs’ 45-year span has been full of struggles (278 all-time wins to 429 losses and one tie), there have been some bright spots. The 2002 Super Bowl win obviously was one of those, as was the “era” wrapped around that win from 1997 to 2002, when the franchise won 60 games in six seasons and made the playoffs five times. The 1979 NFC runner-up team was another bright spot, with Doug Williams leading the way.
Also interesting to note … the Bucs’ first starting quarterback was Heisman winner Steve Spurrier, and their five-year starter Jameis Winston also won a Heisman Trophy. NFL betting lines would probably have favored one of those two winning big, but it wasn’t to be.
This year has obviously been another bright spot, as the Tom Brady-led team is heading into the NFC championship round for only the fourth time in team history (1979, 1999, 2002, 2020). And as we all know, stellar quarterback play can certainly help propel a team to big things.
Here’s a look at the top statistical passing leaders of all-time for the Bucs. This list also proves that sometimes the quarterbacks can also be the key reason a franchise doesn’t get off the ground. Also, this list gives you an idea of how prominently Tom Brady already figures in, even after just one season.
Take a look:
The Top QB Winners
All-time Tampa Bay Bucs’ starting quarterbacks, listed by their career wins:
| Rk | Player | TB Record | Starts | Time Span | Yds | TD | Int |
| 1 | Trent Dilfer | 38-38-0 | 76 | 1994-1999 | 12,969 | 70 | 80 |
| 2 | Doug Williams | 33-33-1 | 67 | 1978-1982 | 12,648 | 73 | 73 |
| 3 | Jameis Winston | 28-42-0 | 70 | 2015-2019 | 19,737 | 121 | 88 |
| 4 | Brad Johnson | 26-23-0 | 49 | 2001-2004 | 10,940 | 64 | 41 |
| 5 | Josh Freeman | 24-35-0 | 59 | 2009-2013 | 13,534 | 80 | 66 |
| 6 | Vinny Testaverde | 24-48-0 | 72 | 1987-1992 | 14,820 | 77 | 112 |
| 7 | Shaun King | 14-8-0 | 22 | 1999-2003 | 4064 | 26 | 20 |
| 8 | Jeff Garcia | 14-10-0 | 24 | 2007-2008 | 5152 | 25 | 10 |
| 9 | Brian Griese | 12-9-0 | 21 | 2004-2008 | 4841 | 32 | 26 |
| 10 | Tom Brady | 11-5-0 | 16 | 2020-2020 | 4633 | 40 | 12 |
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Brian McLaughlin is a writer for BetMGM and co-host of BMac and Herd’s FCS Podcast. He has written for The Sporting News, headed up the PARADE Magazine High School All American teams, covered the FCS for HERO Sports, and wrote for so many newspapers he lost count. Follow BMac on Twitter @BrianMacWriter.
