Craig Morton Dies at 83 After Broncos Run to Super Bowl XII

craig morton died on May 9 at age 83, ending the life of a quarterback who helped turn the Broncos into a playoff team and a Super Bowl participant. He was surrounded by his loved ones in Mill Valley, California.

Morton’s 1977 Broncos surge

Morton spent six seasons with Denver from 1977 to 1982 and led the Broncos to their first playoff appearance and a berth in Super Bowl XII. That 1977 team finished 12-2, won home playoff games against the Steelers and Cowboys, and pushed the franchise into a new tier.

He played through a hip injury in the AFC Championship Game win, then finished the season with a haul of individual honors that matched the team result. Morton was named the AFC's Offensive Player of the Year, the Sporting News Player of the Year, the PFWA Comeback Player of the Year and the NFL UPI MVP for 1977.

Broncos records and honors

His Denver career left a deep statistical mark. Morton finished with franchise highs of 11,895 passing yards, 74 passing touchdowns, 1,594 pass attempts and 907 completions, and his 41 regular-season wins rank third in Broncos history.

Those numbers sat alongside team success. Morton led Denver to two division titles and three playoff berths during his time there, and he was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 1986 and the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame in 1988.

Morton’s path to Denver

Before Denver acquired him in a trade, Morton had already built a long career. He was the fifth-overall pick in the 1965 NFL Draft, starred at the University of California, played baseball there as well, spent 1965 to 1974 with the Cowboys, and later joined the Giants before landing with the Broncos.

His career totals finished at 183 touchdowns, 27,908 yards and 81 regular-season wins. Morton was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1992, and he is survived by his wife, Kym, his sister, his children and his grandchildren.