Every Starting Quarterback in Cowboys History, Ranked by Wins

The Dallas Cowboys have been around for an incredible 65 years, making their NFL debut in 1960 under the direction of legendary head coach Tom Landry. With America’s Team being so iconic in the sports world, few positions carry more notoriety than being the starting quarterback in Dallas.

Some, like Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman, do the role proud and help solidify the Cowboys' prestige. Others, like Steve Pelluer or Quincy Carter, aren't cut out to carry the mantle.

Below, we'll look at every single quarterback to start a game for the Cowboys, ranked by their total number of wins, then we'll break them down into tiers, which should provide more clarity on their standing in the franchise. But first, some quick facts about the position:

• Total starting QBs in Cowboys history: 45
• Most wins: Troy Aikman (94)
• Highest win percentage (min. 5 starts): Roger Staubach (74.6%)
• Lowest win percentage (min. 5 starts): Eddie LaBaron (17.9%)
• Winless starting QBs: 13

Every Cowboys Starting Quarterback, Ranked By Wins

All-Time Cowboys Quarterback Tiers

The Golden Standard

• Troy Aikman
• Roger Staubach

When you think about the history and lore of the Dallas Cowboys, the first two QBs that come to mind are Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach. 

Staubach, also known as Roger the Dodger, made his first start in 1969. The Navy Midshipmen star helped the Cowboys reach new heights as they won their first Super Bowl in 1971 after losing it in 1970. 

During that 1971 season, Staubach had a pristine 10-0 record in 10 starts (13 games). He also completed 59.7% of his passes for 1,882 yards, 15 TDs, and 4 INTs. Staubach was also a threat on the ground, adding 343 rushing yards and two TDs en route to being named to his first Pro Bowl and finishing 2nd in MVP voting.

Staubach spent 11 years in Dallas, accumulating accolades and establishing himself among the greats in his era. Meanwhile, Aikman became one of the best quarterbacks of his era and in Cowboys' history, winning three Super Bowls in the 1990s.

Unlike Staubach, the Cowboys took Aikman No. 1 overall in the 1989 NFL draft and immediately threw him into the fire as a rookie, where he started in 11 games. Aikman struggled mightily in his first year (0-11).

To his credit, Aikman eventually figured things out, thanks to Jimmy Johnson and the development of WR Michael Irvin and RB Emmitt Smith, who became Hall of Famers in their own right.

The Cowboys have struggled to regain the level of winning that still plagues them to this day. As for Aikman, he’s the franchise’s leader in wins (94), has six Pro Bowls on his resume, along with a Super Bowl XXVII MVP. One has to wonder if concussions had never derailed Aikman's career, how much better his numbers would be?

The Franchise Quarterbacks

• Dak Prescott
• Tony Romo
• Danny White
• Don Meredith
• Craig Morton

These QBs in this tier aren’t on the same level as Aikman and Staubach in Cowboys lore. But they have had their moments in Dallas, and hold their own in the all-time record books.

Prescott quietly leads the group with 80 wins and is inching closer to Staubach, which speaks to his level of winning in the regular season in Dallas. Now, that level of success during the regular season hasn’t translated over to the postseason, as Prescott is 2-5.

However, Prescott has given Dallas a level of consistency under center, and he’s also 14 passing TDs away from tying Tony Romo (248) for most in franchise history. Prescott might not end up having the success like Aikman or Staubach, but it's hard not to say that he's the third-best QB in team history. And for a guy who was a fourth-round pick in 2016, he's exceeded all expectations.

Romo is another guy who exceeded expectations and carved out a nice career as an undrafted free agent. The former Eastern Illinois QB didn't have much success in the postseason (2-4), but had four seasons with 30 or more passing touchdowns and was named to four Pro Bowls. His last two years in Dallas were marred by injury, but that shouldn't take away from his overall resume.

Depending on your age and how long you've been watching football, some Cowboys fans might say Danny White, Dandy Don Meredith, or Craig Morton could make a case to be the third or fourth-best QBs in team history. The new-age Cowboy fan might not agree, but that's the fun thing about these lists and tiers: it's all subjective at the end of the day.

If you watched football between the 1960s and 1980s, you may be more inclined to lean towards Morton, White, or Meredith. And we shouldn't discount their accomplishments as they've paved the way for the QBs behind them. But for the new-age Cowboy fans, all they know is Romo and Prescott.

The Replacements

• Quincy Carter
• Drew Bledsoe
• Cooper Rush
• Andy Dalton
• Jon Kitna
• Vinny Testaverde

These starting QBs are nowhere near the level of the first two groups, and their performances on the gridiron reflected that. They were solid backups or a starter for maybe a year or two in Dallas. But you did not expect them to lead you to a Super Bowl in the end.

When you think of "The Replacements," not the movie in this case, the names of Bledose, Testaverde, and Kitna should immediately stand out. These three guys had established NFL careers, which is more than what Quincy Carter could say, who was a former second-round pick in 2001, but flamed out.

Bledsoe, for example, spent the last two years of his career in Dallas, which included him being a full-time starter in 2005. I'm sure Cowboys fans did not envision the guy who Tom Brady replaced in New England as their starting quarterback.

Funny enough, Testaverde preceded Bledsoe as he was the Cowboys' starter in 2004 at 41 years old. That's how you know Dallas was down bad at the QB position. If only the Carter pick had worked out, it could've changed the trajectory of the Cowboys' franchise.

It's hard to say who was the "best" QB in his list. They all had their limitations. However, you got to give them credit for finding a way to keep their careers going in one way or another.

The "Who"?

• Gary Hogeboom
• Jason Garrett
• Steve Pelluer
• Eddie LaBaron
• Steve Buerlein
• Chad Hutchinson
• Kevin Sweeney
• John Roach
• Babe Laufenberg
• Reggie Collier
• Garrett Gilbert

The QBs in this tier are likely somewhat familiar to Cowboys fans, but they didn't do a lot of winning in Dallas. Hogeboom leads this group with six wins, but barely played his first four years in Dallas, as he was behind Danny White on the depth chart.

Then there's Jason Garrett, who played quarterback for the Cowboys and eventually took his talents to the sidelines and then to TV. Garrett the head coach, was at least better than Garrett the QB.

However, the name that stands out on this list who some newer Cowboys fans is Steve Pelleur. Pelleur had the most wins in this tier (8), but he was terrible. If you were a Dallas fan in the 1980s, it was dread watching the former fifth-round pick under center. The best that can be said in his defense is that his struggles earned the Cowboys the first-overall pick that brought them Troy Aikman in the 1989 NFL Draft.

He had an 8-19 record, along with 28 touchdowns and 38 INTs in 47 games (27 starts), which is unheard of. If Pelleur played in today's game with those stats, he would likely not be on a roster. In terms of skills and numbers, Pelleur is definitely one of the worst QBs in franchise history, and he could've easily been in the forgettable tier.

The Forgettable

• Randall Cunningham
• Steve Walsh
• Matt Cassel
• Anthony Wright
• Rodney Peete
• Clint Stoerner
• Stephen McGee
• Clint Longley
• Glenn Carano
• Brad Johnson
• Jerry Rhome
• Drew Henson
• Brandon Weeden
• Kellen Moore
• Kyle Orton
• Bernie Kosar
• Don Heinrich
• Trey Lance
• Ben DiNucci

The starting QBs in this tier have only won one or no games in Dallas, but there are some familiar names, such as Randall Cunningham, Matt Cassel, Rodney Peete, Brad Johnson, Drew Henson, and Brandon Weeden.

If you're a Cowboys fan reading this story, you likely wouldn't expect to see a player like Cunningham on the same list with DiNucci, Trey Lance, and Weeden, but in terms of winning or lack thereof, they're all in one group.

That said, we can agree that in terms of QB play, Cunningham is the best guy in this group, even when you include his small stint with the Cowboys (six games/three starts) that some fans might not even remember. Many QBs in this tier wish they had the success of Cunningham.

Drew Henson is another notable, yet forgettable name in Cowboys' QB lore. Henson had some buzz around his name due to being a dual-sport athlete (signed with the New York Yankees).

Dallas acquired Henson in a trade for a third-round pick from the Houston Texans a year after he was drafted, because why not?

The Cowboys' gamble on Henson failed as Dallas, along with the rest of the NFL, realized that he wasn't starting or even backup QB material. He only appeared in seven games and made one start in 2004.

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