If franchise history in any guide, the introduction of a new quarterback for the Chiefs this season should not be as disruptive as you might expect.

Second-year quarterback Brodie Croyle or veteran Damon Huard will be the 13th new full-time quarterback to start a season since the franchise began in 1960. Cotton Davidson led the Dallas Texans to an 8-6 record, starting a trend of quarterbacks who won right out of the box.

Of the franchise’s 12 new quarterbacks, eight right away led their teams to winning records, including five who immediately reached the playoffs. Only two – Mike Livingston in 1976 and Trent Green in 2001 – made their debuts as full-time starters in losing seasons. Two others — Steve Fuller in 1980 and Todd Blackledge in 1984 – led 8-8 teams. Both shared time with Bill Kenney.

This repeated success for first-year quarterbacks may seem surprising because from 1974 through 1988 the Chiefs had only two winning seasons and made the playoffs just once. But even during that dry spell, in the years they went with new quarterbacks, they weren’t half-bad.

No coach was busier changing quarterbacks than Marty Schottenheimer. He introduced five different full-time starters during his 10-year stint. Constant turnover at the game’s most critical position is supposed to be a recipe for failure, yet each of Schottenheimer’s new quarterbacks was a winner right away. He had four consecutive newcomers – Dave Krieg, Joe Montana, Steve Bono and Elvis Grbac – who started off with playoff seasons.

All were veteran quarterbacks stepping into solid, winning situations and benefitting from a balanced attack and strong defense. Schottenheimer usually wanted his quarterbacks to become equal partners with the running game and avoid turnovers at all costs. Only with Montana did he regularly expect his quarterback to take over a game.

Under Herm Edwards, the quarterback’s role is more reminiscent of the Schottenheimer than Dick Vermeil era. Vermeil’s offense, though it included great backs, revolved around the quarterback. Green in 2001 was a veteran already well-versed in the offense brought over from St. Louis.

Going with a young quarterback, however, poses a riskier proposition. Should Croyle beat out Huard, he would become the third second-year quarterback in franchise history to open a season. Fuller in 1980 and Blackledge in 1984 had been first-round draft choices and both helped improve teams that had been losers in their rookie seasons.

It seems odd that Green is among only two Chiefs’ quarterbacks to break in as losers because he went on to make two Pro Bowls and enjoy three straight 4,000-yard passing seasons. But he was interception-prone in 2001 as he was asked to elevate the offense and overcome a weak defense while he was still not fully recovered from a series of knee surgeries.

The moral here is that Croyle or Huard stands the best chance for success if he’s not asked to do too much.