All-Time Broncos QBs Ranked: Elway #1, Manning #2

Steve Ramsey

#16 · Denver Broncos
Retired 6 Years In The NFL
🏆 | statlabel1 = TD–INT
Steve's
HAIR
14.9
HeyTC AI Rating

Questions about Steve Ramsey or the Broncos?

Steve Ramsey Legacy

HEYTC AI
Steve Ramsey was a Dallas kid who brought North Texas football to respectability before taking his shot in the NFL during an era when the Broncos were still finding their identity. He arrived in Denver just as the franchise was building toward something special, though his own tenure became a cautionary tale about timing and circumstance—those early '70s seasons under the Mile High lights were rough, completion percentages hovering near 50%. But Ramsey's real legacy lives at North Texas, where his 22-6-1 record as a sophomore-to-senior starter established him as one of the program's foundational figures. He threw for 6,437 yards across seven NFL seasons, a respectable body of work for a guy who never quite got the breaks. Ramsey passed in 1999 at just 51, leaving behind the memory of a competitor who understood what it meant to build something from nothing.
Steve Ramsey passed away on October 15, 1999 at the age of 51.

Steve Ramsey Rating Breakdown

Season
Subpar
Fantasy
Subpar
Playoffs
Non-Factor
Overall
NPC
6 years with the Broncos

Steve Ramsey Career Stats via Wikipedia

6,437 Pass Yards
35 Touchdowns
58 INTs
0.0% Comp %
14.9 HAIR
14-17 Record

Frequently Asked Questions About Steve Ramsey

How does Bo Nix compare to Steve Ramsey?

Bo Nix, the fresh-faced Broncos starter, has a mountain to climb to match Steve Ramsey's gritty '70s tenure—6,437 yards, 35 TDs, and a 7-5 record as QB1 in '76 when Denver nearly crashed the playoffs. Nix's arm talent screams potential, but Ramsey's era-tested poise in mud-and-blood games sits like a dusty trophy on the mantle.

Is Steve Ramsey in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

Nope, Steve Ramsey never made it to Canton—no bust gleaming under those Ohio lights for the Broncos/Saints journeyman who slung 6,437 yards across seven seasons. His 58.9 passer rating and 35 TDs whisper solid backup vibes, not Hall pedestal stuff, though North Texas still bows to his college legend.

How would Steve Ramsey perform in today's NFL?

Ramsey's gunslinger arm from North Texas—where he owned NCAA records and six 300-yard bombs—would feast under today's pass-happy rules with no facemask grabs or bump-and-runs. Picture his 7.0 yards per attempt juiced by RPOs and quick releases; he'd carve defenses like a '76 Orange Crush sideline chat, maybe sniffing 4,000-yard air.

How does Steve Ramsey compare to John Elway?

Steve Ramsey's 58.9 rating over 921 attempts pales next to John Elway's supernova 71.78 across thousands of throws—it's like comparing a reliable '72 Pinto to The Duke's rocket ship. Both Broncos gunslingers, sure, but Ramsey's 14-17 record as starter was no match for Elway's Super Bowl magic.