The Hall of Famer spent 11 seasons in the Burgundy & Gold.
WASHINGTON — Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Sonny Jurgensen, a four-time All-Pro and a member of the Washington Commanders Ring of Fame, has died. He was 91.
Jurgensen is widely looked at as one of the best pure passers in NFL history. He spent 11 seasons in the Burgundy & Gold, retiring after leading the league in passing three times, totaling more than 32,000 career passing yards to go along with 255 touchdown passes. That resume was good enough to secure a place on the NFL’s 1960s All-Decade Team and eventually, the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
Commanders Managing Partner Josh Harris called Jurgensen “one of the defining legends of Washington football,” adding that he was “the embodiment of what it means to don the Burgundy & Gold: tough, smart, and endlessly devoted to this franchise and its fans.”
The Wilmington, North Carolina, native came to D.C. from Philadelphia in a 1964 trade that sent Norm Snead and Claude Crabb to the Eagles. That would go down as one of the most important trades in franchise history, bringing the team a true star at the quarterback position.
After retiring in 1974, Jurgensen moved into the broadcast booth, serving as part of the team’s radio network until 2019. In that time, Jurgensen was on the call for the Joe Gibbs years – an era that saw the team win the Super Bowl three times.
It was those 38 seasons on the radio, paired with his playing career, that really made Jurgensen one of the game’s most enduring ambassadors.
“Few players could rival Sonny Jurgensen’s genuine love of the game that continued long after his playing days,” said Pro Football Hall of Fame President Jim Porter. In a statement, he thanked Jurgensen for “captivating audiences and introducing generations of fans to the sport.”
Prior to his professional career, Jurgensen was a two-time All-ACC player for Duke University, leading the Blue Devils to multiple conference titles and a win in the 1955 Orange Bowl
Jurgensen is survived by his wife of nearly 50 years, Margo Hurt, his four sons, six grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.