No. 17 is the rare Chiefs number with too many decent candidates and yet no obvious king. We have a revolving door of veteran quarterbacks, a wide receiver with a real place in NFL history, and a jersey whose single most famous moment technically belongs to a different number entirely. But this is what makes exploring each number in Kansas City history so fun.
The complete history of Chiefs players to wear No. 17
The Potential Best: Steve DeBerg
Steve DeBerg was in San Francisco when they drafted Joe Montana, in Denver when they selected John Elway, and Tampa Bay when they took Vinny Testaverde. Suffice it to say, DeBerg was used to getting bounced when he was dealt to the Chiefs in 1988.
But DeBerg's numbers aren't like other journeymen. He played for over 20 seasons, passed for over 32,000 yards, and nearly reached 200 touchdown passes. And with the Chiefs, he was sometimes sensational, with a 1990 campaign in which he led the team to an 11-5 record with 23 touchdowns while throwing only 4 interceptions (3 of them coming in a single game). DeBerg ranked No. 6 in MVP voting that season.
DeBerg's ability to get the Chiefs into the postseason in 1990 ended a decade-long playoff drought. What makes the story even more notable is that he played with a pin in a finger on his non-throwing hand after fracturing it late in the year. Amazingly, a career that began in 1978 officially finished in 1998, when DeBerg came out of retirement to play 8 games, and even start one, for the Atlanta Falcons.
The Other Potential Best: Mecole Hardman
While DeBerg proved to be a salve at quarterback for an ailing franchise, it's also hard to ignore Mecole Hardman when discussing the best to ever wear No. 17. After all, there's some serious hardware involved in Hardman's era. Not only was he a potential game-breaker as a returner early in his career, but his offensive contributions helped to fuel three Super Bowls during a golden era. We already celebrated this when profiling No. 12, but Hardman's Super Bowl-winning catch on "Tom & Jerry" will forever be a part of Chiefs lore.
The End-Zone Initiator: Elmo Wright
There's no way to say for sure who invented the end-zone celebration, but Elmo Wright has laid claim to that unofficial honor since he was the Chiefs' first-round pick in 1971. The dynamic wide receiver enjoyed a record-setting career at Houston, where he had eight catches fo 50+ yards in a single season, but it was his penchant for high-stepping and dancing after touchdown catches that turned heads. Even at the professional level, Chiefs head coach Hank Stram was all for it, although Wright wasn't nearly as productive in K.C. as he was at Houston. Wright finished his four-year stint in Kansas City with 66 catches for 1,070 yards, but he did have 6 opportunities to celebrate a score.
The Stopgap: Dave Krieg
After 12 years in Seattle, the Chiefs asked Krieg to start for the team following DeBerg's departure in 1991 and he would serve as a serviceable quarterback until Joe Montana arrived two seasons later. Krieg kept the Chiefs steady enough on offense, but a pair of uninspired postseason appearances would lead K.C. to chase Joe Cool in '93.
The Literal Film Student: Chris Conley
The Chiefs selected Chris Conley in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft as a speedy target out of Georgia who also had an eye on a film career. When entering the league, he had a stated goal of to play a decade and he did just that, despite only lasting through his four-year rookie deal in K.C. Conley had a quiet yet steady career with the Jags, Texans, and 49ers after leaving the Chiefs. He retired in 2025 and went back to film school—just as he said.
The Current Wearer: Alohi Gilman
Gilman might be the most important addition for the Chiefs that no one is talking about. Not only did the Chiefs miss having a veteran safety in the secondary for the first time in seven years in 2025 but the team also watched their best overall safety, Bryan Cook, grab the bag in free agency with the Bengals. That makes Gilman's signing to a three-year deal an important addition for multiple reasons. The Chiefs can only hope Gilman turns in the sort of impactful performance that Justin Reid and Tyrann Mathieu have given the secondary in years past.
Et Cetera
- Shane Buechele, QB - Stuck around the Chiefs for a few seasons as a developmental arm from 2023-25.
- Donnie Avery, WR - Likely deserves a mention here in greater form, but this is a deeper number than others. Deep target for Alex Smith in his first two seasons in K.C.
- Lance Long, WR - A deep cut. Caught 20 passes for 178 yards in a half season of work in 2009.
- Fletcher Smith, DB - The eighth pick in the 1966 AFL Draft (remember there were only 8 teams in the league) had 6 interceptions in his second season before splitting to play in Cincinnati for the next four years of his career.
- Gardner Minshew, QB - One of many one-year veteran signings behind Patrick Mahomes in the last half-decade.
- Richie James, WR - Former Giants WR who was a cheap roster play sidelined too much to maintain any consistent impact.
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