Testaverde was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers first overall in the 1987 NFL Draft. After leaving as a free agent, he signed with the Cleveland Browns and was among the personnel transferred to the newly created Baltimore Ravens during a controversial relocation of the team. He then joined the New York Jets, where he achieved his greatest success. In the last four seasons of his career, he played with the Dallas Cowboys, the Jets for a second time, the New England Patriots and the Carolina Panthers for one year each.