For all of the celebrated numbers that come with clutch performances and heroic figures, the Kansas City Chiefs who've worned the No. 4 have set a remarkably low bar over the years. Having to pick a best player to ever wear the number comes with a relative shrug—sort of a "I guess if we have to pick somebody" sort of feeling about it all.
Of course, if a certain basket case can un-basket himself, then there's going to be a clear favorite down the road. But "Free 4", at this point, just means that the Chiefs would love it if someone would step forward and make the history of this jersey number better than it stands right now.
The complete history of Chiefs players to wear No. 4
The Best: Steve Fuller
We told you the bar was low.
For younger fans who wonder why the Chiefs went so long before picking a first-round quarterback when drafting Patrick Mahomes, Steve Fuller is a part of that answer. In 1979, the franchise used No. 23 overall on Fuller, a two-time ACC Player of the Year and a Heisman finalist for the Clemson Tigers. Known as a tremendous leader, Fuller was drafted to turn around a four-win franchise for head coach Marv Levy.
It's obvious how the story turned out. He finished with 22 touchdowns and 32 interceptions across 31 total starts, and injuries helped to cloud an already frustrating picture. The Chiefs moved on after the '82 season, and he'd follow that by backing up Jim McMahon for the Chicago Bears through the Super Bowl season of '85. (Yes, he sang in the "Super Bowl Shuffle.")
The Chiefs would follow that up with the selection of Todd Blackledge in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft—only to close themselves off to future heartbreak until Mahomes descended from the heavens in 2017.
The Talented Headache: Rashee Rice
The book is not yet written on this entry, but Rashee Rice is undoubtedly at the turning point of his NFL narrative. Coming into a contract season, Rice is both the most talented wide receiver on the roster of a team hoping to rebound into contender status. He's also spent his offseason rehabbing a surgically cleaned-up knee while serving a suspended 30-day jail sentence. That's the proper summation of Rice's tenure with the Chiefs.
When all is said and done, the only one who should keep Rice from being the best to ever wear the No. 4 is Rice himself. But that means staying available both physically (as in a clean bill of health) and mentally (as in making good decisions). The track record for both is non-existent, but he's still young and there's still time.
The Fan Favorite: Tyler Thigpen
Tyler Thigpen was the ultimate underdog, which is why everyone in Kansas City loved to root for him. Claimed off of the practice squad of the Minnesota Vikings, Thigpen was already a long shot as a seventh-round quarterback out of Coastal Carolina. But when injuries toppled the depth chart—both Brock Huard and Brodie Croyle were out—the team turned to Thigpen.
While he went 1-10 as a starter, he performed admirably for a miserable team, with 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Better yet, he was always a threat to run and had 386 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground that season. The Chiefs would trade Thigpen the following year to the Miami Dolphins and would flame out after that. But his surprising performance was a beacon in the storm for a fan base looking for something to cheer for.
Henne Given Sunday: Chad Henne
Did you say "fan favorite"? Because Henne warrants a mention in that conversation as well. The Chiefs have leaned on a rotating carousel of veterans behind Patrick Mahomes for the last few years as QB2, but only after Henne decided to retire from the game after five seasons in Kansas City. His brave outings in relief of Mahomes on multiple occasions proved he was the right man for the job and helped stabilize a worried franchise in dire moments. As Jarvis Landry put it, Henne's a dream-crusher—in a good way.
The All-Time Low: Tyler Palko
Speaking of poor quarterback play...
The Chiefs officially bottomed out in 2012 with a two-win season marred by organizational controversy and unspeakable tragedy. But Chiefs Kingdom knew things were coming apart at the seams in previous seasons, watching head coach Todd Haley insist on starting Tyler Palko at quarterback. Palko was in over his head from the jump, but went on to start four games in what was a battle of wills between the coaching staff and the front office (Scott Pioli).
Palko was not the only pitiful player under center during those years, and he even won a game in the process, but he was the most overwhelmed on the field. Palko's presence as starting quarterback was the manifestation of everything toxic behind the scenes, which further muddies the legacy of the No. 4 in Chiefs history.
Et Cetera
- Dan Stryzinski, P - Seven teams in 11 seasons says everything you need to know about this journeyman punter who held down the role for two seasons after Y2K was a worry.
- James Hanrick, QB - A replacement QB during the three-game NFLPA strike from the 1987 season.
- Bryan Barker, P - Served a vanilla four-year term as the Chiefs punter to start his career. Found impressive longevity over 16 seasons including a career peak with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 1997 when he made the Pro Bowl.
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