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Joey Harrington

QB (retired)

Joey Harrington: facts drawn from the play-by-play.

FanIQ Research · May 10, 2026 · 7 facts, every one from the play-by-play

7-year career across DET, MIA, ATL, NO. 14,693 career passing yards. The iconic Matt Millen DET-era bust.

Milestone

Career regular-season totals

Stat	Total
Yards	14,693
TDs	79
INTs	85
Completions	1,425
TD/INT ratio	0.93

DET disaster (2002-05): #3 overall pick, 4 years of futility. MIA cameo (2006). ATL backup (2007-08). NO last call (2009).

Trend

Harrington career arc

Phase	Years	Highlight
DET	2002-2005	#3 overall, 18-37 record
MIA	2006	2,236 yds (peak)
ATL	2007-2008	Post-Vick gap year
NO	2009	3rd-string, no game action

DET years: 10,242 yards in 4 seasons of losing. MIA + ATL: 4,451 yards in 3 more years.

Split

Harrington career splits

Stop	Years	Yds	TDs
DET	2002-05	10,242	60
MIA	2006	2,236	12
ATL	2007-08	2,215	7

His 22 INTs in 2003 led the entire NFL — and DET went 5-11.

Rare

2003 NFL INT leaders

Rank	Player	INTs
1	Joey Harrington	22
2	Brett Favre	21
3	Vinny Testaverde	18
4	Jake Plummer	15
5	Aaron Brooks	15

His DET passing yards by year show no upward arc — the development never came.

Comparison

Harrington DET yards by season

x	y

He was a Heisman finalist + nicknamed 'Joey Heisman' at Oregon — finished 4th in 2001 voting behind Eric Crouch.

Anomaly

2001 Heisman finalists

Rank	Player	School
1	Eric Crouch	Nebraska
2	Rex Grossman	Florida
3	Ken Dorsey	Miami
4	Joey Harrington	Oregon
5	David Carr	Fresno St.

Post-NFL: licensed pilot + concert pianist. He plays piano on stage at Oregon Symphony charity events.

Anomaly

Harrington post-NFL

Phase	Detail
Retirement	2009 after NO release
Pilot	FAA licensed since college
Pianist	Charity concerts ongoing
Broadcasting	Pac-12 Network analyst

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