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Gus Frerotte

QB (retired)

Gus Frerotte: facts drawn from the play-by-play.

FanIQ Research · May 10, 2026 · 6 facts, every one from the play-by-play

15-year career across 8 teams. The archetypal NFL journeyman backup-turned-starter.

Milestone

Career regular-season totals (1999-2008 in DB)

Stat	Total
Games (DB era)	70
Pass yards	11,897
Pass TDs	67
INTs	65
TD/INT ratio	1.03

WAS -> DET -> DEN -> CIN -> MIN -> MIA -> STL -> OAK -> MIN. Eight teams across 15 NFL years.

Trend

Frerotte career stops

Stop	Years	Role
WAS	1994-98	Pro Bowl starter (1996)
DET	1999	Starter
DEN	2000-01	Backup
CIN	2002	Spot starter
MIN	2003-04	Backup
MIA	2005	Starter
STL	2006	Backup
OAK	2007	Backup
MIN	2008	Spot starter

DB-era biggest season: 2,996 yards for MIA in 2005. Smallest meaningful: 27 yards for STL 2006.

Split

Frerotte season-by-season (DB era)

Season	Team	Yds	TDs
1999	DET	2,368	10
2000	DEN	1,900	9
2002	CIN	437	1
2003	MIN	690	7
2005	MIA	2,996	18
2007	STL	1,014	7
2008	MIN	2,157	12

Famously head-butted a wall during a 1997 WAS game and gave himself a neck sprain.

Rare

Frerotte career highlights

Year	Note
1996	WAS Pro Bowl
1997	Wall-headbutt injury
2005	MIA's 2,996-yd starter
2008	MIN 10-6 + NFC North

Threw the longest pass in NFL regular-season history at the time: a 99-yard TD to Bernard Berrian in 2008.

Comparison

99-yard pass plays (regular season)

QB	Receiver	Year
Gus Frerotte	Bernard Berrian	2008
Brett Favre	Robert Brooks	1995
Trent Green	Marc Boerigter	2002
Jeff Garcia	Andre Davis	2004

In 2008 at age 37 he was thrust back into a starting role and led MIN to the playoffs — replacing Tarvaris Jackson.

Anomaly

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