DENVER — Former NFL quarterback Craig Morton died Saturday in Mill Valley, California, at age 83. Morton spent 18 seasons in the NFL and became the first quarterback to start the Super Bowl for two franchises, the Dallas Cowboys and the Denver Broncos.

Morton is one of four quarterbacks to start the Super Bowl with two organizations. The other three are Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Kurt Warner, each of whom won at least one Super Bowl. Morton's only Super Bowl ring came as a backup.

Selected fifth overall in the 1965 NFL Draft by the Cowboys, Morton was also chosen in the 10th round of the 1965 AFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders. He played in four games as a rookie in 1965 and began his career as a backup to Don Meredith before becoming the Cowboys' starting quarterback in 1969.

Morton's first Super Bowl start came in Super Bowl V, ending the 1970 season, when the Cowboys lost 16–13 to the Baltimore Colts. He threw the Cowboys' first touchdown pass in a Super Bowl. Morton split playing time with Roger Staubach during the 1970 and 1971 seasons, sometimes alternating plays during games in 1971. Staubach became the starting quarterback in 1972 and led the Cowboys to a 24–3 victory over the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VI, earning MVP honors.

The Cowboys traded Morton to the New York Giants in 1974 in a package that included a draft pick used to select defensive lineman Randy White, who later became a Super Bowl MVP and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Morton appeared in 34 games for the Giants, throwing for 5,734 yards and 29 touchdowns while posting an 8–25 record.

Morton joined the Broncos before the 1977 season, when head coach Red Miller led a team with a defense later known as the Orange Crush. He led Denver to a 12–2 regular-season record and playoff wins over the Pittsburgh Steelers and Oakland Raiders, delivering the franchise's first playoff appearance and Super Bowl berth. Morton spent a week in the hospital with a hip injury before the win over the Raiders and was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year for the 1977 season.

In that Super Bowl, Morton threw for 39 yards and four interceptions before being replaced by Norris Weese. The Broncos lost 27–10, the first of four consecutive Super Bowl losses for Denver.

In 1981, Morton threw for a career-high 3,195 yards and 21 touchdowns. He retired after starting three games in the strike-shortened 1982 season, and the Broncos later acquired John Elway as his replacement. Over his career, Morton completed 2,053 passes for 27,908 yards, 183 touchdowns and 187 interceptions, ranking among the top 20 all-time in passing yards and touchdown passes at his retirement.

Morton played college football at the University of California, Berkeley, under coach Marv Levy and assistant coach Bill Walsh. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1992 and into the Broncos' Ring of Fame in 1988, alongside Haven Moses and Jim Turner.