Former NFL quarterback Craig Morton died on May 9 from “acute respiratory failure due to severe sepsis due to urinary tract infection,” a spokesperson for the Marin County Vital Statistics Office told The California Post on Monday.
Morton’s location of death was listed as the MarinHealth Medical Center in Greenbrae, Calif., the rep added.
Morton was 83 years old.
Kym Galloway, the ex-Broncos signal-caller’s wife, revealed to The Denver Post last week that her husband had expressed he was “tired of being sick” before his passing.
“He was tired of his back, he was really in a lot of pain with his back,” Galloway said. “And he just said, ‘I give (up). I’m ready to go. I don’t want to do this anymore. I’ve had an amazing life. And I’m just tired.
“And then … he said, ‘I’ve never said I give (up), in my life.’”
Morton began his NFL career with the Cowboys in 1965, and in 1969, he took over as the team’s full-time starter. In 1970, he helped lead the organization to Super Bowl V, where the Cowboys narrowly lost to the Baltimore Colts, 16-13.
In 1971, after Morton began splitting reps with Roger Staubach, the Cowboys won Super Bowl VI.
Following his time in Dallas, Morton went on to play three seasons for the Giants. In 1977, he joined the Broncos and had a career revival.
He steered the team to its first-ever Super Bowl appearance in 1978, and ultimately played in a total of 72 games for the franchise.
He ended his 18 years in the NFL with a career record of 81-62-1.
The Broncos, who inducted Morton into their Ring of Fame in 1988, said in a statement on May 11 that they were “saddened to learn” of his passing.