Super Bowl QB Craig Morton's Last Words Are Brutal, And Fans Need to Hear Them

Man, this one hits different. Former NFL quarterback and Super Bowl champ Craig Morton tragically passed away last week at 83, and now we've got the official word on what happened. This dude was a legit legend, the first QB ever to start Super Bowls for two different franchises, and the details surrounding his passing are just gut-wrenching. It wasn't some quiet fade, it was a fight, and his final words? They tell you everything you need to know about the pain he was going through.

He Was Just Tired: Morton's Battle Off the Field

The NY Post dropped the official cause of death on Monday, and it’s rough. Morton died on May 9 from "acute respiratory failure due to severe sepsis due to urinary tract infection." He passed at the MarinHealth Medical Center in Greenbrae, California, according to the Marin County Vital Statistics Office. But what really hits hard are the words from his wife, Kym Galloway, who spoke to the Denver Post. She said Morton was just "tired of being sick." Imagine that, a guy who battled on the field for 18 seasons, expressing that kind of exhaustion. Galloway revealed he was in "a lot of pain with his back" and just said, "I give up. I’m ready to go. I don’t want to do this anymore. I’ve had an amazing life. And I’m just tired." Can you even imagine the strength it takes to say that? Then she dropped the line that just slaps you in the face: "And then ... he said, ‘I’ve never said I give up, in my life.’" That's the real story right there. This wasn't just a physical battle, it was a fight he was ready to finish.

Two Super Bowls, One Legend: What Morton Did On The Field

Before those final, agonizing days, Craig Morton built an incredible NFL career. We’re talking 18 seasons, from 1965 all the way to 1982. This wasn't some flash-in-the-pan player, he was a fixture. He spent time with three franchises: the Dallas Cowboys, the New York Giants, and the Denver Broncos. And get this: he led both the Cowboys and the Broncos to their first-ever Super Bowl appearances. That's a legacy right there! He started Super Bowl VI for Dallas in 1971 and Super Bowl XII for Denver in 1978, though he lost both. But don't sleep on his hardware, because Morton did lift the Lombardi Trophy in 1972 as the backup to Roger Staubach for the Cowboys. Dallas drafted him No. 5 overall in 1965, and he played more than 100 games for them before being traded to the Giants in 1974. After two and a half seasons in New York, he went to the Broncos and finished his career there with 27,908 passing yards. What a run, man. It's tough to hear about a legend going out with so much pain, but his words, that final declaration, it speaks volumes about the man he was. He was a warrior on the field, and it sounds like he fought until he simply couldn't anymore. Rest in peace, Craig Morton.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.