Joe Ferguson

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Ferguson's professional journey began with an immediate quarterback competition against Dennis Shaw. He started the first game on September 16, 1973, throwing two passes before Shaw took over as O.J. Simpson ran for 250 yards in a 31–13 win. By the third game against the New York Jets, Ferguson was the primary quarterback, completing 7-of-17 passes for 74 yards in a narrow 9–6 victory. His best statistical season came in 1975, where he threw for 2,426 yards and a league-leading 25 touchdowns (tied with Fran Tarkenton) to 17 interceptions, achieving an 81.3 passer rating. Despite leading the league in passing attempts (457), yards, and interceptions in 1977, he remained a fixture for the Bills. He suffered a back injury in 1976 that cost him seven games, but returned to lead the team to the postseason as a Wild Card in 1980 and again in 1981.

In Their Own Story

The 1981 postseason defined Ferguson's resilience. After throwing for a career-high 3,652 yards with 24 touchdowns, he faced the Jets in the Wild Card game, completing 17-of-34 passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns despite four interceptions to secure a 31–27 victory. In the Divisional Round against the Cincinnati Bengals, Ferguson threw 15-of-31 for 202 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions as the Bills lost after holding an early deficit. His final season as a Bill in 1984 saw him suffer an ankle injury four weeks in, yet he still threw for 1,991 yards with 12 touchdowns. In 1985, he was traded to the Detroit Lions, where he served as Eric Hipple's backup, starting only the finale against Chicago and throwing just 54 passes for the year.

Reader's Guide

Ferguson's career is marked by specific statistical peaks and valleys. He held the Arkansas Razorbacks' single-game completion record of 31 until 2012 and was MVP of the 1971 Liberty Bowl. In the NFL, he finished with 196 touchdowns thrown and 209 interceptions. He placed in the top 10 in pass attempts five times, completions and passing yards four times, and passing touchdowns six times. Ferguson was the fifth player to wear number 12 with the Bills before Jim Kelly retired it. Notably, his colorblindness was cited as a potential factor behind interceptions in later seasons due to confusion over white helmets in the division.

Did You Know?

• Ferguson held the Arkansas Razorbacks' single-game record for most completions (31 against Texas A&M in 1971) until it was broken in 2012.
• In 1984, Ferguson's colorblindness playing against teams with white helmets was reportedly behind his high interception rate that season.
• He once shared the NFL record for consecutive starts by a quarterback (107) with Ron Jaworski until September 30, 1984.
• Ferguson briefly came out of retirement in 1995 to serve as a backup for the San Antonio Texans in the Canadian Football League.
• He was diagnosed with Burkitt's lymphoma cancer in May 2005 and acute myeloid leukemia in January 2008, recovering from both by July 2009.