The Denver Broncos are mourning the death of former quarterback Craig Morton at the age of 83.
In a statement, the Broncos paid their respects to Morton.
“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,” the Broncos posted on their official X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday.
Morton started his pro career with the Dallas Cowboys. He also had a stint with the New York Giants before going to the Broncos.
In the 1977 season, his first with Denver, Morton led the Broncos to the franchise's first-ever Super Bowl appearance. Denver lost to Morton's former team, the Cowboys, at Super Bowl XII, but he clearly made a mark.
That season, he went 12-2 as a starter and passed for 1,929 yards and 14 touchdowns against eight interceptions. Morton also rushed for 125 yards and four touchdowns on 31 carries. In the playoffs, he helped the Broncos beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in the divisional round and the Oakland Raiders in the conference championship game.
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For his admirable 1977 season, Morton won that campaign's AFC Offensive Player of the Year award. Moreover, he took home the Sporting News Player of the Year award and the PFWA Comeback Player of the Year honor.
With Morton at the helm of Denver's offense, the Broncos won two division titles and earned three playoff berths.
In 72 games with the Broncos, Morton passed for a total of 11,895 yards and 74 touchdowns with 65 interceptions, while posting a 41-23 record.
In 1988, the Broncos inducted him into the team's Ring of Fame.
The Denver Broncos are mourning the death of former quarterback Craig Morton at the age of 83. In a statement, the Broncos paid their respects to Morton. “We are saddened to learn of the passing of #BroncosROF quarterback Craig Morton, who died on Saturday at the age of 83.