With Super Bowl LX just two days away, the football world is mourning the death of one of the game’s all-time greats.
On Friday, the Washington Commanders announced that Hall of Fame quarterback Sonny Jurgensen has passed away at the age of 91. The four-time All-Pro selection and NFL champion spent six seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles and 11 years with the Washington Redskins, who he also served as a broadcaster for following his playing career.
“Sonny Jurgensen is, and always will be, one of the defining legends of Washington football,” the Commanders said in a statement announcing Jurgensen’s death. “He was a giant of the game, and a beloved part of our team’s identity. Our hearts and prayers are with Sonny’s family, friends and everyone who loved him.”
A native of Wilmington, North Carolina, Jurgensen spent his college career at Duke, where he earned two first-team All-ACC selections. After being selected by the Eagles in the fourth round of the 1957 NFL Draft, he started just four games during the first four seasons of his career before becoming Philadelphia’s starting quarterback ahead of the 1961 season.
Jurgenson earned a first-team All-Pro selection in his first season as a starter and spent three seasons as the Eagles’ No. 1 quarterback before being traded to the Redskins ahead of the 1964 campaign. In Washington, the man nicknamed “Red Roach” flourished, earning four Pro Bowl and four All-Pro selections while leading the NFL in passing in four separate seasons.
Jurgenson ultimately spent 11 seasons in Washington, where he retired as the franchise’s all-time leader in passing yards, touchdowns, completions and starts. He is widely considered one of the greatest quarterbacks of football’s “Dead Ball Era” and was selected to the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 1960s.
Following the conclusion of his playing career, Jurgensen maintained a presence in Washington, initially serving as a game analyst for CBS before joining ex-linebacker Sam Huff in the Redskins’ radio booth. In addition to his radio role, he also covered his former franchise for WRC-TV from 1994-2008 and worked as a preseason game analyst at preseason games and training camp studio analyst before retiring from broadcasting in 2019.
Jurgensen was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983. According to the Commanders, is survived by Margo Hurt, his wife of nearly five decades, his four sons, six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.