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

Craig Penrose

#12 · Denver Broncos
Retired 5 Years In The NFL
🏆 First-team All-Coast (1975)
Craig's
HAIR
9.8
HeyTC AI Rating

Questions about Craig Penrose or the Broncos?

Craig Penrose Legacy

HEYTC AI
Craig Penrose, the lanky gunslinger from Woodland, California, who lit up San Diego State as First-team All-Coast in '75, crashed the NFL party as a fourth-round Bronco in '76, forever etched for that gritty December 5, 1979, thriller at Mile High. Stepping in cold against the Chiefs, he willed Denver to a 17-16 nailbiter, his first—and only—pro win, sealed by Jim Turner's boot as the clock ticked out. A brief Jets cameo followed, then USFL stints, but Penrose embodied the underdog spark, proving you don't need Marino's arm to own a Mile High memory.

Craig Penrose Rating Breakdown

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

Craig Penrose Career Stats via Wikipedia

711 Pass Yards
5 Touchdowns
12 INTs
0.0% Comp %
9.8 HAIR

Frequently Asked Questions About Craig Penrose

How does Bo Nix compare to Craig Penrose?

Bo Nix, the Broncos' current gunslinger leading them to an 11-2 start, has already eclipsed Craig Penrose's entire NFL output—711 yards, 5 TDs—in a single season's worth of Sundays, while Penrose scraped by as a spot starter over four years with a grim 41.2 rating. Nix's arm talent and mobility make Penrose look like a dusty backup reel from the Dead Ball Era.

Is Craig Penrose in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

Nope, Craig Penrose never sniffed Canton—his 711 yards and 5 TDs across four Broncos seasons (plus a Jets cup of coffee) don't move the Hall needle. He's the ultimate trivia answer, not a bust-en enshrined legend, more like that guy who held the clipboard when Elway was warming up.

What is Craig Penrose doing now in 2026?

No fresh intel on Penrose in 2026—he's faded from the gridiron spotlight after his USFL stint (2,605 yards, 17 TDs). Probably kicking back in Colorado, maybe coaching high school kids or selling real estate, the quiet life for a guy who once dreamed big but settled for journeyman scraps.

How would Craig Penrose perform in today's NFL?

Penrose's noodle arm and 41.2 rating scream DOA in today's pass-happy NFL, where QBs air it out 35 times a game under protective bubbles. Modern rules might gift him a few extra yards avoiding sacks, but without zip or accuracy (5 TDs, 12 INTs), he'd be UDFA fodder behind mobile wizards like Nix.

How does Craig Penrose compare to John Elway?

Comparing Penrose's 9.81-ish rating (call it 41.2 officially) to Elway's sky-high 71.78 is like pitting a pop gun against a howitzer—both Broncos QBs, sure, but Elway slung 56,000 yards while Penrose mustered 711 as a bench ornament. Apples to Orange Crush eras.