Former Washington quarterback Sonny Jurgensen, a four-time All-Pro, NFL champion and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, has passed away. He was 91.

"Sonny Jurgensen is, and always will be, one of the defining legends of Washington football," the team said in a statement. "He was a giant of the game, and a beloved part of our team's identity. Our hearts and prayers are with Sonny's family, friends and everyone who loved him."

Regarded as one of the finest pure passers in NFL history, Jurgensen ushered in a new era in Washington, delighting fans and decimating defenses with clinical throws and his uniquely entertaining style of play. During his 11 seasons with the Burgundy & Gold, Jurgensen led the league in passing yards (1966, 1967, 1969), passing touchdowns (1967), completion percentage (1970) and was named a member of the NFL's 1960s All-Decade Team. By the time he retired in 1974, Jurgensen totaled 2,433 completions, 32,224 passing yards, 255 touchdowns and five 3,000-yard seasons.

A native of Wilmington, North Carolina, who showed athletic prowess from a young age, Jurgensen opted to stay close to home for college and attended Duke University. He excelled as a defensive back, quarterback and punter for the Blue Devils, earning first-team All-ACC honors twice on his way to helping Duke win multiple conference titles and the 1955 Orange Bowl.

Jurgensen was selected in the fourth round (43rd overall) in the 1957 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, where he served mostly as a backup during his first four seasons. He was a member of the Eagles team that beat Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers in the 1960 NFL Championship game. In 1961, Jurgensen took over as Philadelphia's starting quarterback, passing for an NFL-record 3,723 yards and tying Johnny Unitas' single-season NFL record with 32 touchdown passes -- a mark that stood as the Eagles' team record until 2017. He finished that season with First-Team All-Pro honors and the first of his five Pro Bowl nods. The following year, he led the league once again with 3,261 passing yards.

In what was one of the most important trades in league history, Jurgensen was traded to Washington in 1964 in exchange for Norm Snead and Claude Crabb.

"When I looked back on it, being shocked initially, it was an opportunity to start fresh and to start anew," Jurgensen later said of the trade. "It was a team I had followed because the Redskins were part of the South. I had come up to see them play as a high school team. My family could come up and see me play. I enjoyed that."

It didn't take long for Jurgensen to make an impact once he arrived in the nation's capital. He was selected to the Pro Bowl and named a Second Team All-Pro in his first season with Washington. His talents shined and his dominance grew while wearing the burgundy and gold. Jurgensen's "golden arm" was no secret, yet opponents struggled to find answers for it.

"All I ask of my blockers is four seconds," he once explained. "I try to stay on my feet and not be forced out of the pocket … I beat people by throwing, not running. I won't let them intimidate me into doing something which is not the best thing I can do."

Watching Jurgensen fling tight spirals to the likes of Charley Taylor, Bobby Mitchell and Jerry Smith became a favorite pastime for Washington fans of the day. He became adored in the city, not just for his on-field performances but for his fun-loving persona. In the 1960s and into the 1970s, the entertaining signal-caller continued to break records and rack up impressive stats. In 1967, Jurgensen broke his own record by passing for 3,747 yards and set NFL single-season records in attempts (508) and completions (288). In 1968, he tied the NFL record for the longest pass play in league history, a 99-yard throw to Jerry Allen against the Chicago Bears.

Jurgensen played a star role in many pivotal franchise moments and cherished team memories during this period. When Washington fell behind against Dallas, 21-0, in 1965, the quarterback threw for 411 yards and mounted a 34-31 comeback win. Under the generational tutelage of Lombardi during the head coach's sole season in Washington, Jurgensen helped the Burgundy & Gold finish the 1969 season with a 7-5-2 record -- its best record since 1955. It was considered a turning point for the team.

"Jurgensen is a great quarterback," Lombardi said. "He hangs in there under adverse conditions. He may be the best the league has ever seen. He is the best I have seen."

In the early 1970s, Jurgensen and his teammate Billy Kilmer became a part of what many consider to be the NFL's first true "quarterback controversy," during which it was common to see fans sporting "I Love Billy" or "I Love Sonny" bumper stickers on their vehicles around the Washington, D.C. area. Jurgensen and Kilmer loved to help each other, however, and even became lifelong best friends. Both played a role in the run to the 1972 Super Bowl -- the team's first NFL championship appearance in nearly three decades -- where Washington fell to the Miami Dolphins.

Jurgensen capped off his NFL career in 1974 at 40 years old. Despite splitting time with Kilmer, he won his third NFL passing crown that year. His 82.62 career passer rating is the highest for any player in the "Dead Ball Era" (pre-1978).

Jurgensen's contributions to the Burgundy & Gold didn't stop after his retirement. He moved into broadcasting almost immediately after his playing days were over, first with CBS before teaming up with fellow Washington Legend Sam Huff and local sportscaster Frank Herzog on WMAL in 1981. As the broadcast voice behind the team's glory years under Joe Gibbs, the trio "became like family for Redskins fans," according to ESPN's John Keim. Jurgensen announced his retirement from broadcasting in 2019 after 38 consecutive seasons covering the Washington franchise.

In addition to being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Jurgensen is a member of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, the Philadelphia Eagles' Hall of Fame and Washington's Ring of Fame. In 2023, the Burgundy & Gold retired his No. 9 jersey, making him just the fourth player in the team's 90-year history to earn the distinction at the time.

Jurgensen died in Naples, Florida after a brief stay in hospice care. He is survived by Margo Hurt -- his wife of nearly five decades -- his four sons, six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. He is predeceased by his sister Betty Moscoso who passed away on this same day (February 6) in 2024.