5 Most disappointing Dallas Cowboys quarterbacks of all-time
By Randy Gurzi
5. Steve Pelluer (1984-1988)
Steve Pelluer was a fifth-round pick by the Cowboys in 1984, so his disappointment didn’t have to do with him coming in with huge expectations. Instead, he was a player who had backed Danny White up and the team traded away Gary Hoegeboom with the belief that Pelluer could get the job done if called upon.
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That happened in 1986 when White was injured and Pelluer started nine games. In those games, Dallas was just 3-6 as Pelluer threw 17 interceptions while scoring only eight touchdowns through the air.
However, he won the team over again in 1987 when he took over for White and had a strong finish to the season. That led to Pelluer being the starter full-time in 1988 which was an abysmal season. Pelluer threw 17 touchdown passes against 19 picks and the team won only three of his 14 starts.
Pelluer was traded in the following offseason as new head coach Jimmy Johnson used the No. 1 overall pick on Troy Aikman.
In the end, the Cowboys were just fine as Aikman went on to become one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL and is a Hall of Famer. However, there was some hope that Pelluer could have done more for them when they turned to him, which is what made him one of their bigger disappointments.