When Bo Nix goes behind center for the Denver Broncos this weekend, he will rapidly ascend a pretty exclusive list: Former University of Oregon or Oregon State quarterbacks who have started in the NFL. Last week, when he started against the Seahawks, Nix became the 26th player from either school to start a game in the NFL as a quarterback. The list ranges from legends to players useful only for trivia nights. Where will Nix wind up on the list of Oregon college division one quarterbacks? It will take a Hall of Fame-worthy career to reach the top of the list. But cracking the top five? It might be possible even if his career never takes off. Here are the Top 10 quarterbacks from Oregon or Oregon State to start a game in the NFL.
10) Bo Nix-Oregon: And here’s your attention grabber right here. Yes, Nix has exactly one career start. Yes, he threw a killer interception into triple coverage to seal the loss, but the bones of what could be a great career were there. He used his legs and arm, and he kept a subpar Denver team in the game against a solid Seattle defense. So yes, it would be easy to grab someone like Craig Whelihan, AJ Feeley, or Akili Smith in this spot, but none of them have the upside that Nix does.
9) Bob Berry-Oregon: Berry carved out a decent career as a part-time starter and backup over a decade from the mid-60s to the mid-70s. He started for the better part of 4 years with the Atlanta Falcons, including one Pro Bowl appearance, and was also the backup on several Minnesota Vikings teams that made it to the Super Bowl
8) Matt Moore-Oregon State: Being on this list at all is a testament to Moore’s perseverance. He went from an undrafted rookie cut in his first training camp to a career that lasted over a decade. His best statistical season came in 2011 for Carolina when he started 12 games and tossed 16 touchdowns. He would be a backup in Miami for six years, starting three games in that span, before closing his career with Kansas City in 2019.
7 ) Joey Harrington-Oregon: Harrington entered the league with great fanfare as the third overall pick of the Detroit Lions in 2002. That would prove to be the high point of his NFL career. He spent four seasons in Detroit, starting all 16 games in two of them, and never finished with a winning record. After seven years, he would bounce around to three more teams and be out of the NFL.
6) Marcus Mariota-Oregon: It’s hard to believe Mariota has been in the NFL for ten years. His career started with a promise as the Tennessee Titans’ second overall pick of the 2015 draft. He quickly proved that his combo of running and decent arm strength could play in the league, throwing for 19 touchdowns to just 10 interceptions while rushing for 250 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. However, he could never take his game to the next level. He finished with a winning record in each of the three seasons, but injuries took their toll, and soon enough, he was off to a backup role for the Raiders. He had one last burst in 2023 for the Falcons, starting 13 games while throwing 15 touchdowns and rushing for a career-high 438 yards and four touchdowns. However, that just led to another backup role in Philadelphia. After signing a one-year contract with Washington this summer, he landed on injured reserve in the preseason, which may end his time in the NFL.
5) Derek Anderson-Oregon State: While there are QBs with better stats, more touchdowns, and more stats that could be in this spot, Anderson gets the nod for a spectacular and odd 2007 season. The Browns drafted him in 2006 and had so little faith in him that they drafted Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn for the following offseason. With Quinn breathing down his neck, Anderson posted a career-high with 29 touchdowns and led the Browns to a 10-6 record. The Browns, being the Browns, failed to make the playoffs. Anderson would never hit such highs again and settled into a backup role for most of his remaining career.
4) Justin Hebert-Oregon: Hebert is still active in the NFL but could challenge for the top spot on this list by the team he is done with if Jim Harbaugh can turn around the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers have made the playoffs once in Hebert’s career, but not much of that has been his fault. He won Rookie of the Year in 2021 and made the Pro Bowl in 2023. He’s averaging over 275 yards per game and has a nearly 3:1 touchdown to interception ratio in his career.
3) Chris Miller-Oregon: Miller had a decade-long career, mostly spent with the Falcons, and reached the playoffs and Pro Bowl once. He probably could have squeezed in a few more years as a backup if concussions had not put an end to his career. However, my lasting memory of Miller is that in Tecmo Super Bowl for NES, you could call a QB bootleg run for Miller instead of handing the ball off to Mike Rozier. Calling the bootleg play was usually an invitation to lose at least 10 yards.
The fact that a decade-long journeyman backup made it to No.3 on this list might make you think I’m setting you up for an underwhelming finale, but no, the top two on this list were tough competition and could certainly spark debate over who gets which spot.
2) Dan Fouts-Oregon: Over three seasons, he finished with 37 touchdowns to 54 interceptions, and the Ducks never played in a bowl game during his time in Eugene. He did show enough promise with his arm to be drafted in the third round by the San Diego Chargers. He started six games in his rookie year (which would be enough to put him 13th on the list of most games started by a former Oregon QB). It took him the better part of six years to put it all together, but in his seventh NFL season, he made the first of six Pro Bowls and was named first-team all-pro while finishing second in MVP voting. He continued to start for San Diego until he retired in 1987, eventually making the Hall of Fame in 1993.
1) Norm Van Brocklin-Oregon: “The Dutchman” may be second on this list in career starts, but his accomplishments push him to the top. He left Oregon with a year of eligibility remaining in 1948 to give the NFL a shot. To this day, he holds the record for most passing yards in a single game, a mark he set in 1951 when he threw for 554 yards in a Los Angeles Rams win over the New York Yankees. Despite only being a part-time starter early in his career, he led the league in passing yards numerous times with the Rams while winning the NFL championship in 1951. He closed his career with three magnificent seasons in Philadelphia, guiding the Eagles to the NFL championship in his final season in 1960. In addition to his stellar arm, Van Brocklin also excelled as a punter, and he pulled double-duty punting for his teams for his entire NFL career while averaging nearly 43 yards per kick. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971.
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