The Enigma That Is Jake Delhomme

Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme is one of the most controversial quarterbacks in the league.

The media accuses him of being the weak link on the Panthers' offense because he’s so inconsistent and too often forces throws, which leads to a lot of interceptions.  He is the difference between the Panthers winning and losing.

Some Panthers fans rip him for poor stats and costly mistakes at the wrong times.  Others commend him for his leadership intangibles. 

But nearly everyone associated with the NFL in some way, shape, or form is now criticizing him for his historically bad performance in the Panthers’ divisional playoff game against the Cardinals, in which he turned the ball over six times, including five interceptions.

Even Delhomme’s most loyal fans began to question his effectiveness in the aftermath of Arizona's unexpected blowout win. Many are now wondering if he should even be brought back next season as Carolina’s starting quarterback.

For people looking in from the outside, it’s a no-brainer. They think the Panthers won’t hesitate to get rid of Delhomme, and they may be shocked when they hear that head coach John Fox, barring something unexpected and bizarre, plans to bring Delhomme back as the Panthers’ starting QB for 2009.

The choice he’s leaning towards already, only a few days after the Panthers’ 2008 season ended, is absolutely the right one.

It’s true that Delhomme doesn’t have the best stats of any passer in the league.   He’s also not the flashiest, most entertaining, and certainly not the most publicized or the funniest. 

But he doesn’t care. He goes about his business like a true professional, not worried about personal statistics or accolades or how he looks on paper. The only thing he cares about is the success of the team. 

If he cared about protecting himself in the face of public scrutiny, he would not have taken the exclusive blame for the Panthers’ loss to the Cardinals at the post-game press conference.  He would not have apologized to his teammates after the game for “not giving us a chance” or said that “the work I put in this week was not enough” otherwise.

That’s the kind of thing that teammates love: owning up to your mistakes.  That’s the No. 1 indicator of a team player.

What he does bring to the table is knowledge of how to win that only comes from experience. He has managed more fourth-quarter comeback wins than any of us care to remember—until he does it again.

Carolina’s defense is highly acclaimed most years. At the start of games, the Panthers’ defense usually is very good. But it often loosens up some in the second half, and Delhomme has bailed out these late defensive collapses more times than I care to think about.

Delhomme is also extremely competitive, a real fighter. No matter how badly he performs, he’s always out there on the next possession doing what he needs to do to give the team a chance to win.  He never quits or gives up, and he gives it his all in practice every day.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?