He played college football for the Maryland Terrapins and was selected in the second round of the 1984 NFL draft by the Bengals, where he spent 10 non-consecutive seasons.

Esiason's most successful season was in 1988 when he won NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP) and led the Bengals to an appearance in Super Bowl XXIII, which ended in a close defeat.

[2] Irene, a singer, dancer and piano player, from whom he inherited his blond hair and blue eyes, died at the age of 37, of ovarian cancer when he was seven years old.

His father Norman, a veteran of WWII, never remarried, and in spite of a three-hour daily commute to New York City raised Esiason and his two sisters.

[7] Esiason played college football at the University of Maryland for head coaches Jerry Claiborne and Bobby Ross and offensive coordinator Ralph Friedgen.

[9] Esiason was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 1984 NFL draft with the 38th overall pick, surprisingly low considering his successful college career.

He took over for Ken Anderson as the Bengals' full-time starting quarterback on September 22, 1985, in a 44–41 home loss to the San Diego Chargers and future Hall of Famer Dan Fouts.

On December 21, 1986, the final game of the 1986 season, Esiason set a team record by throwing five touchdown passes, as the Bengals defeated the New York Jets 52–21.

After leading Cincinnati to six straight wins to begin the 1988 season, Esiason set a dismal single game team record on October 16 by throwing 5 interceptions in a 27–21 loss to the New England Patriots.

The team finished the season 12–4, utilizing the highest scoring offense in the NFL, and securing the organization's fifth AFC Central division title.

Bengals cornerback Lewis Billups dropped what seemed like a sure interception in the end zone when they were up 13–6 on a drive that led to a San Francisco touchdown.

The 49ers, led by future Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana, marched 92 yards on their last drive, scoring on a touchdown pass to receiver John Taylor with 34 seconds remaining in the game.

On October 29, 1989, Esiason tied his own record for touchdown passes in a game with five, as the Bengals demolished the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 56–23.

On October 7, 1990, he threw for 490 yards (a single game team passing record) in a 34–31 victory over the Los Angeles Rams.

[15] Esiason played three seasons for the Jets, each year under a different head coach: Coslet (1993), Pete Carroll (1994), and Rich Kotite (1995).

It was during this season, on November 10, 1996, that he threw for the fifth best passing yardage day in NFL history, with 522 yards in a 37–34 overtime victory over the Washington Redskins.

He was effective after replacing Jeff Blake midway through the 1997 campaign, throwing for 13 touchdowns against only two interceptions, and garnering a passer rating of 106.9 for the season.

[26] Esiason has appeared in over 25 commercials including ones for Diet Coke, Wheaties, Reebok, Samsung, Hanes, Doritos and Domino's Pizza.

He has also appeared in many TV shows and movies, such as The Game Plan, Miss America 1999, Spin City, and Blue Bloods among others.

[42] In 2015, he became the Commissioner of the FFL (Feline Football League) for Kitten Bowl II on the Hallmark Channel, and still holds that position today.

[44] While still playing, Esiason appeared as a color analyst on the USA Network's two-year broadcast of the World League of American Football (WLAF) on Monday nights, partnered with Brad Nessler.

"[45] He currently serves as an in-studio analyst Inside the NFL on Showtime, and hosts Boomer and Gio on WFAN Radio in New York and the CBS Sports Network.

In September 2012, CBS Radio announced he was added to their collection of talent to deliver five sports updates per day Monday through Friday.

The Boomer and Carton radio program became the number-one rated morning show in all key demographics in the greater New York listening area and was seen on the MSG Network from 2010 to 2013.

[58] The Boomer Esiason Foundation (BEF) was formed soon after Gunnar's diagnosis to fund research to find a cure for cystic fibrosis.

[62] In 1996, Esiason formed a partnership with Cantor Fitzgerald and Howard Lutnick (CEO) as the foundation offices were moved to the North Tower of the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan on the 101st floor, which was destroyed in 2001 in the September 11 attacks.

All five full-time employees survived, as none were in the building at the time, but "Esiason figured he knew over 100 people personally" who were killed in the attack, including his best friend Tim O'Brien who was a partner at Cantor.