Starting at quarterback for Seattle’s inaugural season in 1976, Jim Zorn immediately made his mark in Seattle with his prolific passing and his ability to scramble and extend plays. He would go on to play nine seasons in Seattle, starting 100 games and throwing for 20,122 yards and 107 passing touchdowns. The dynamic QB  also rushed for 17 touchdowns. In 1991, the Seahawks honored Zorn by making him the second player to be inducted into the franchise’s Ring of Honor.  

Zorn signed with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent out of Cal Poly-Pomona in 1975 but was released before the start of the regular season. He would have to wait until the next season to get another chance to play in the NFL as he would go on to the sign with the Seahawks in 1976 and would eventually win the starting job heading into the franchise’s first season.  

In his first season in the NFL, Zorn led the league in pass attempts with 439 and threw for 2,571 yards to rank seventh of all passers. Zorn was recognized for his impressive performance in his rookie season as he was awarded the NFC’s Offensive Rookie of the Year by the NFLPA, was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team and was honored as the Seahawks’ first team MVP.  

After suffering an injury that limited Zorn to 10 games in 1977, he returned to lead Seattle’s offense, ranking third in the NFL in total offense and sixth in total passing yards in 1978. He threw for 3,283 yards and 15 touchdowns, earning second-team All-Pro honors and finished third in league MVP voting that season. While he didn’t win the NFL MVP award, he was named the Seahawks MVP for the second time in three seasons.  

Seahawks quarterback Dave Krieg would take over the starting job in the middle of the 1983 season, and Zorn would serve as the backup for the remainder of that year as well as the 1984 season.  

Following a storied playing career in the NFL, Zorn would become a coach, starting in the  college ranks with stints at Boise State, Utah State and the University of Minnesota. He would return to the NFL as a coach in 1997, where he spent the season with the Seahawks as an offensive assistant. He spent three seasons in Detroit serving as the team’s quarterback coach but would return to Seattle coaching in the same role from 2001-2007. Zorn helped Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck reach three Pro Bowls during his coaching tenure in Seattle and was named Washington’s head coach in 2008 where he would coach for two seasons. His last coaching stops in the NFL came when he was the quarterbacks coach in Baltimore in 2010 and in Kansas City from 2011-2012. He most recently served as the head coach and general manager of the XFL’s Seattle Sea Dragons in 2020.