Warren Moon
IstartedwearingnumberoneincollegebecauseIalwayswantedtobetheNo.1guy.IalwayswanttoremindmyteammatesthatI’mthemanwhocangetitdone.
Prior to the 1978 NFL Draft, some NFL scouts expressed concern over University of Washington quarterback Warren Moon’s fit within traditional NFL offensive systems. Specifically, some questioned his experience in a rollout-based offense rather than a conventional drop-back scheme. Compounding these concerns were existing prejudices of the time, leading some evaluators to suggest Moon might need to switch positions.
Moon eviscerated every doubt and narrative put before him.
Rather than risk a fall in the 1978 NFL Draft, he signed with the Canadian Football League’s Edmonton Eskimos, where he authored one of the most dominant stretches of quarterback-play in CFL history. Over six seasons (1978–1983), Moon led the Eskimos to five Grey Cup championships, earned Grey Cup MVP honors twice (1980, 1982), and was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player in 1983.
In 1984, Moon made his highly anticipated transition to the NFL, signing with the Houston Oilers. In his first season, Moon set the Oilers’ single-season record for passing yards (3,338). By the conclusion of his tenure in Houston in 1993, he held the franchise's top six single-season passing yardage totals.
Operating within the Oilers’ high-octane run-and-shoot offense in 1990, Moon was named the Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year, leading the league in pass completions (362), passing yards (4,689) and touchdown passes (33). That same season, his nine games of 300 or more passing yards tied the NFL single-season record set by Dan Marino in 1984. In 1991, Moon set then NFL single-season records for passing attempts (655) and pass completions (404).
Traded to the Minnesota Vikings in 1994, Moon continued to produce at an elite level. He set a franchise record with 4,264 passing yards that season and broke the club record for pass completions in consecutive years — 371 in 1994 and 377 in 1995. His 33 touchdown passes in 1995 matched his career high from 1990 and established another Vikings single-season franchise record.
Remarkably, at age 41, Moon continued to defy expectations. With the Seattle Seahawks in 1997, he led the NFL in passing yards per game (245.2), set franchise records for pass completions (313) and passing yards (3,678), and earned another Pro Bowl selection.
Despite playing his first six professional seasons in the CFL, Moon amassed 3,988 completions on 6,823 attempts for 49,325 yards and 291 touchdowns during his 17 NFL seasons. His career spanned long enough to overlap with the final season of Fran Tarkenton’s career (1961-1978) and the first season of Tom Brady’s career (2000-2022).
At the time of his retirement, Moon ranked third all-time in both completions and passing yards, and fourth in touchdown passes. He was selected to nine Pro Bowls with three different teams, cementing his legacy as one of the most prolific passers in pro football history.
