KC Chiefs: Games Played by Drafted Chiefs Quarterbacks

PETE BEATHARD

52 GAMES, TWO STARTS

In the 1964 AFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs added quarterback depth behind Len Dawson with Pete Beathard, who they made the second overall pick in that year’s draft. Beathard was signed to be the backup behind Dawson with some hope that he could be the future starter if need be.

[Beathard] was yet another drafted quarterback who didn’t amount to much with the Chiefs.

Beathard only started two games in four years with the Chiefs, as Dawson was one of the best quarterbacks in the league at the time. While Beathard was only a backup, he did see plenty of time on the gridiron.

He threw for 1,649 yards, eight touchdowns, and 13 interceptions in his 52 total games with the organization. Beathard wasn’t anything special, but he was a nice backup. After five seasons spent with other teams, Beathard returned to the Chiefs in 1973, which ended up being his final NFL season.

In that final season, Pete Beathard appeared in nine games, tossing 389 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. If a team drafted a guy second overall nowadays, it’d be madness to have him be a permanent backup for your team, but it wasn’t crazy in the 1960s.

Beathard spent time as a starter with the Oilers, which was where most of his success in the league came. He was yet another drafted quarterback who didn’t amount to much with the Chiefs.