As a left-handed quarterback, Esiason starred at the University of Maryland and was chosen by the NFL's Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 1984 college draft. He became the team's starter in 1985.
Esiason was the league's top quarterback in 1988 with a 97.4 rating, completing 223 of 388 passes for 3,572 yards and 28 touchdowns. The Bengals went to the Super Bowl after that season but lost 20-16 to the San Francisco 49ers.
After sub-par seasons in 1991 and 1992, Esiason was written off by Cincinnati and by many observers. Traded to the New York Jets for a third-round draft choice, he returned to form in 1993, completing 288 of 473 passes for 3,421 yards and 16 touchdowns.
In his NFL career, Esiason completed 2,969 of 5,205 passes for 37,920 yards and 247 touchdowns, with 184 interceptions.
After his retirement in 1997, Boomer Esiason went into broadcasting. He was a color commentator for ABC's Monday Night Football from 1998 to 2000. Following ABC, Esiason was hired by the Westwood One radio network to become the analyst for radio broadcasts of Monday Night Football games.
