Jake Plummer: Could He Really Be Headed Back To The NFL?

Three years ago, Jake Plummer walked away from millions of dollars to get away from the sport he loved. Like his best friend Pat Tillman, Plummer needed some space and a change of pace.

But just a few days ago, Plummer suggested he wanted back in.

In an interview with Yahoo! Sports, Plummer said, “I would like to go in one more game and roll to my left and throw a ball, a sick wobbly lob pass to Larry Fitzgerald and he’d go up against eight [defensive backs] and pull it down and make me look good.”

That prognostication must sound awful good to Cardinals fans.

Plummer is only 35 years old, and was among the best quarterbacks in the league during his nine-year tenure. As recently as 2005, Plummer had a passer rating of over 90, leading the Denver Broncos to a great 13-3 mark. That year, he also went to the Pro Bowl for the first time. Two years later, he was out of the sport.

That year, Plummer lead his team to the AFC Championship, losing to the ultimate Super Bowl champions, the Pittsburgh Steelers. Even with a down year in 2006, Plummer was able to lead his team to a 7-4 record in games he started.

Known as “The Snake,” Plummer had a great ability to escape trouble and make plays. He reached nearly 30,000 yards passing and had been coming into his own during his last four years in the league, leading his team to a combined 39-15 record.

A number of teams around the league could use a talented starting quarterback. The list of interested teams is extensive, as nearly one team a division is in need of a new starting quarterback.

Prominently featured would be the Carolina Panthers, whose carousel of inexperienced starting quarterbacks has lead them to a 1-6 mark, and Plummer’s former team, the Arizona Cardinals, whose 3-4 record is only one game back of first place Seattle.

Throwing to Larry Fitzgerald, Steve Smith or the talented duo of Miles Austin and Roy Williams (he would most certainly be an upgrade over Jon Kitna), Plummer could again flourish. Given that he’s been out of the league for a few years, he could be had on the cheap.