All-Time Cardinals QBs Ranked: Warner #1, Hart #2

Don Panciera

Retired 1 Year In The NFL
🏆 Second-team All-Eastern (1946)
Don's
HAIR
7.5
HeyTC AI Rating

Questions about Don Panciera or the Cardinals?

Don Panciera Legacy

HEYTC AI
Don Panciera, Westerly, Rhode Island's gridiron pride, was the local kid who turned heads at Boston College before grabbing the fourth-round nod from the NFL and inking with the AAFC's New York Yankees. What set him apart? Fearless grit—he started all 12 games as a rookie QB in '49, slinging it for a ragtag squad in pro football's wild frontier days, then bounced through Lions, Cardinals, and even Toronto's Argos, proving versatile as halfback and defensive back too. A true ironman in an era of leather helmets and raw ambition. Don passed in 2012, forever Westerly's own NFL star.
Don Panciera passed away on February 9, 2012 at the age of 84.

Don Panciera Rating Breakdown

Season
Non-Factor
Fantasy
Subpar
Playoffs
Non-Factor
Overall
Cooked
1 year with the Cardinals

Don Panciera Career Stats via Wikipedia

1,383 Pass Yards
10 Touchdowns
25 INTs
0.0% Comp %
7.5 HAIR

Frequently Asked Questions About Don Panciera

How does Kyler Murray compare to Don Panciera?

Kyler Murray operates in a completely different universe from Don Panciera. Murray's a dual-threat dynamo with MVP hardware and 30,000+ passing yards; Panciera was a journeyman from the early 1950s who threw for 1,383 total yards across multiple leagues. Murray's the face of a modern franchise; Panciera was a stopgap solution who couldn't stick anywhere long-term.

Is Don Panciera in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

No, Don Panciera never made it to Canton. He was a career backup and journeyman who bounced between the Yankees, Lions, Cardinals, and Toronto Argonauts from 1949-1953. His 36.5% completion rate with the Cardinals tells you everything about his Hall of Fame prospects.

How would Don Panciera perform in today's NFL?

Panciera would've been a backup at best in today's pass-happy NFL. His 5.6 yards per attempt and interception-to-touchdown ratio (25 picks, 11 TDs) would get him benched faster than you can say "analytics". Modern conditioning and coaching might've helped, but his arm talent simply wasn't there—even accounting for era adjustment.

How does Don Panciera compare to Jim Hart?

Jim Hart absolutely dwarfs Panciera in the Cardinals ledger. Hart posted a 34.49 rating compared to Panciera's 7.47, threw for thousands more yards, and actually sustained a career. Hart was a legitimate franchise QB; Panciera was a warm body filling a roster spot during the league's Wild West years.