Legendary Chiefs QB enters hospice care

Feb 6, 2016; San Francisco, CA, USA; Former NFL player Len Dawson on the red carpet prior to the NFL Honors award ceremony at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Legendary Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson, 87, has entered hospice care.

KMBC-TV, the Kansas City-based station where Dawson broke into broadcasting, revealed the news on Friday via confirmation through his wife, Linda.

Dawson was originally a first-round pick (No. 5 overall) of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1957 NFL draft. After three seasons with the Steelers, he spent two years with the Cleveland Browns before joining the Dallas Texans of the AFL in 1962.

The Texans moved to Kansas City in 1963 and were renamed the Chiefs. There, Dawson would continue his stellar play and go on to cement himself as a franchise legend and future Pro Football Hall of Famer.

In 211 career regular season games, Dawson posted a record of 94-57-8. He completed 57.1% of his passes for 28,711 yards, 239 touchdowns and 183 interceptions. He also gained 1,293 yards and scored nine additional touchdowns on 294 rush attempts.

Dawson was named Super Bowl IV MVP — the team’s first NFL title. Additionally, he was a one-time Pro Bowler, six-time AFL All-Star, two-time First-Team All-AFL, three-time AFL champion, one-time AFL Championship MVP and AFL MVP (1962). He was also the NFL’s Man of the Year in 1973 and later named to the AFL All-Time Team.

In 1979, Dawson was enshrined in the Chiefs Hall of Fame followed by his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987.

“Looking back on my career, I’ve been blessed for what I had the opportunity to do,” Dawson said in 2017.

Following his playing career, Dawson joined the aforementioned KMBC-TV as their first-ever sports anchor. He also became a game analyst for NBC and the Chiefs’ radio network, and co-hosted HBO’s groundbreaking “Inside the NFL” show for 24 years.