Ranking the Top 10 Lions quarterbacks of all-time
By Ryan Heckman
There are some difficult jobs out there, and I respect those who put their lives on the line each day. Whether it be the military, police officers or other occupations that also help save lives, they deserve the respect. But, have any of them ever been asked to compile a list of the top 10 Detroit Lions quarterbacks of all-time?
Before we kick off attempting to rank them, let's just establish some facts, here.
The list is rough. It's not a fun read. So, grab a drink of whatever calms those nerves before continuing.
The Lions have never been to a Super Bowl, so we can't even use that as a caveat for putting a certain guy higher than the rest. That's out of the conversation. This team's history is rich with, well, I'll let you fill in that blank.
Lastly, let's remember that Daunte Culpepper once went 0-10 as a starter for Detroit. So, there's some perspective (no, he's not on the list, praise the Lord).
10. Jon Kitna
And, we're off. It all begins with no. 10, Jon Kitna, who spent just three seasons with the Lions. Yet, somehow, he managed to lead the NFL in a few categories throughout his time in Detroit. First, the positive.
In 2006, the Lions may have went 3-13, but Kitna led the league in completions with 372.
Then, in 2007, he notched the season's longest completion at 91 yards, which is fairly impressive. However, he would also lead the NFL in interceptions that year with 20, along with being the most-sacked quarterback (63).
Kitna ranks 8th all-time in passing yards for the Lions with 9,034. He threw 44 touchdowns and 47 interceptions in Detroit while going 10-26 as a starter. Kitna did give the Lions one thing they can hold over a rival's head, though: a pair of 4,000-yard seasons, which the Bears still have yet to see in their 100-plus year history.