Rich Gannon played 17 years in the NFL, earned four Pro Bowl selections and won the 2002 NFL MVP award. Despite his decorated career, the former Raiders quarterback reveals that his four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs were defined by a lack of organizational backing.
Though more than two decades have passed since a neck injury forced his retirement in 2004, Gannon is now calling out specific people, pointing directly to a controversial quarterback dispute in 1997.
Rich Gannon reveals harsh treatment from Chiefs
Gannon originally served as a backup to Steve Bono and Elvis Grbac in Kansas City. The tension peaked during the 1997 season when Gannon went 5–1 as a starter while Grbac recovered from a broken collarbone. Despite Gannon’s success, head coach Marty Schottenheimer benched him for the playoff opener, resulting in a 14–10 divisional round loss to the Denver Broncos.
Feb 6, 2026; San Francisco, CA, USA; Rich Gannon on the SiriusXM Blitz show set at the Super Bowl LX media center at the Moscone Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Schottenheimer later admitted the team favored a younger quarterback, choosing the 27-year-old Grbac over the 31-year-old Gannon due to a prior organizational commitment. Though Schottenheimer did briefly turn to Gannon’s mobile style during a 1998 Monday Night Football game against Denver, the Chiefs ultimately let Gannon walk in free agency.
Decades later, Gannon revisited the snub alongside Jon Gruden on the Gruden Family Football Show, saying, “I was just so excited to be, you know, be in that little s—— locker room on the other side. Getting a chance to go against a team that kicked me to the curb. You know, Carl Peterson, Marty Schottenheimer, they never really believed in me, Jon.”
Following his departure from Kansas City, Gannon signed a four-year, $16 million contract with the Oakland Raiders ahead of the 1999 season. He immediately thrived under head coach Jon Gruden’s West Coast offensive system.
Gannon started all 16 regular-season games for Oakland, throwing for 3,840 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions with an 86.5 passer rating. His breakout performance earned him the first Pro Bowl selection of his career.
He later took sweet revenge in the 1999 regular-season finale, throwing for 324 yards and three touchdowns to lead a 17-point comeback win that knocked the Chiefs out of playoff contention.
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