All-Time Lions QBs Ranked: Layne #1, Goff #2

Andre Ware

#11 · Detroit Lions
Retired 4 Years In The NFL
🏆 Grey Cup champion (1997)
Andre's
HAIR
10.0
HeyTC AI Rating

Questions about Andre Ware or the Lions?

Andre Ware Legacy

HEYTC AI
Andre Ware was the electrifying gunslinger who lit up the Run & Shoot skies over Houston, becoming the first Black quarterback to claim the Heisman in 1989 despite his Cougars dancing on NCAA probation. Picture this kid from Galveston shredding Baylor's vaunted secondary for 514 yards and six scores, then torching SMU for 517 in one half of a 95-21 laugher—setting 27 NCAA records while averaging 53.5 points a game. NFL dreams fizzled quick with Detroit, but Ware snagged a Grey Cup north of the border and now breaks down the game as a sharp analyst, his college legend etched in Houston lore forever.

Andre Ware Rating Breakdown

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

Andre Ware Career Stats via Wikipedia

1,112 Pass Yards
5 Touchdowns
8 INTs
51.6% Comp %
10.0 HAIR

Frequently Asked Questions About Andre Ware

How does Jared Goff compare to Andre Ware?

Jared Goff's lapping Andre Ware like a Ferrari passing a Yugo on the Lions' depth chart—Goff's got over 20,000 yards and a Super Bowl chase, while Ware's four-year cameo netted 1,112 yards, 5 TDs, and a 63.5 rating in spot duty behind Peete and Kramer. Legacy? Ware's the Heisman bust who couldn't crack the rotation; Goff's the steady hand steering Detroit's revival.

Is Andre Ware in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

Nope, Andre Ware's not in Canton—his NFL line reads like a napkin sketch: 1,112 yards, 5 TDs, 8 picks over four Lions seasons, mostly garbage time. Heisman's in the College Hall, but Pro Football immortality? That's for guys who stuck around, not the '90 draft darling who flickered out fast.

What is Andre Ware doing now in 2026?

Andre Ware's thriving in the booth in 2026, calling Houston Texans games on radio alongside Marc Vandermeer since '02—24 years of sharp analysis on that high-octane offense he once torched college for. No pivot to suits or charity circuits; he's the voice fans tune in for, turning mics into his new gridiron.

How would Andre Ware perform in today's NFL?

Ware's cannon arm and quick release would've feasted under today's pass-happy rules—no more Peete-or-bust Lions, think 4,699-yard college magic with RPOs and zero blitzes. But that shaky 63.5 NFL rating hints at pocket poise issues; he'd be a Chad Pennington type—solid starter on a contender, not a Stafford clone.

How does Andre Ware compare to Bobby Layne?

Bobby Layne owned the Lions' QB throne with a 38.72 rating, whiskey-fueled comebacks, and three titles; Ware's 9.99 career mark over six starts was a blink-and-miss-it 1,112 yards. Layne was the gunslinger who defined Motown magic—Ware, the Heisman hype man who arrived too late to the party.