Daunte Culpepper announced his retirement from the NFL today, bringing an end to his nine-year pro career. When I first heard that he was retiring, I just couldn’t believe it.
Why would he just give up so soon? He still has so many years left in him, and the right opportunity could still present itself.
Culpepper’s retirement got me thinking about how he arrived in his situation in the first place. I looked back at the downfall of his career and realized that much of it wasn’t his fault.
In 2005, after Randy Moss was traded, Culpepper did not come back to the same team. Besides losing Moss, the Vikings had a very weak offensive line.
They had a weak rookie guard in Marcus Johnson. Tackle Bryant McKinnie was bothered by a sprained left foot and had an off year. Also, they lost their perennial Pro Bowl center Matt Birk at the beginning of training camp and couldn’t fill the void he left.
The Vikings ended up finishing second in the league in sacks allowed in 2005, with 54. Obviously, a quarterback isn’t going to play well if he doesn’t have time to throw the ball.
In Week Eight, Culpepper tore a tendon in his right knee and was injured for the rest of the year. The following season, he was traded to Miami. Many experts picked Miami as a Super Bowl sleeper.
Culpepper played a few games with the Dolphins, but it became obvious his knee wasn’t ready and he sat out the rest of the season. A player who has a serious knee injury needs way more than eight months to heal before his knee is back to full strength.
Just look at the Phoenix Suns' Amare Stoudamire. He had a serious knee injury and it took him two years before he was finally back to All Star form. Just like Culpepper, he tried to come back early and he ended up sitting out another year.
Last season, Culpepper made the same mistake Kerry Collins and Aaron Brooks made.
If a quarterback is looking to rebuild, it doesn't make any sense to go to a team like the Raiders, who have no offensive line.
Culpepper was doomed from the beginning. I don’t know if there are any quarterbacks in the league that could have found success with the Raiders.
Culpepper’s knee looked fine last season and at times he looked very good. When he had five touchdowns passes (and three rushing) in a game against the Dolphins, his knee looked great.
But unless the Raiders were going to play the Dolphins every week, there was no way Culpepper was going to have a successful season.
I believe that Culpepper could return to his 39-touchdown form if he is put in the right situation. He still has physical tools that no other quarterback has ever had.
No other quarterback as big as Culpepper has ever been as mobile as he is. He knows he can still play, and he can’t understand why he isn’t being offered a starting job. I can’t really blame him for being upset.
Why are the Bears starting Kyle Orton when Culpepper is available? Why isn’t Culpepper a starter in the league if the Ravens don’t have a starter right now and have become so desperate that they’ve signed Joey Harrington? Why isn’t he a starter in the league if the Falcons could use a veteran starting quarterback until Matt Ryan is ready?
Most starting quarterbacks in the league are not as good as a healthy Culpepper.
However, although I do feel sorry for Culpepper, I don’t understand why he couldn’t just humble himself and be a backup for a good team. Why didn’t he just accept the Packers' backup role that they offered him this year?
Aaron Rodgers is injury prone and there is a good chance that Culpepper could have played this year.
Just look at Randall Cunningham. He stayed in the league as a backup after nobody wanted him. Because of an injury to the Vikings' starting quarterback, he became the starter for a great team and had an MVP season in 1998.
Even though he has supposedly retired, I hope that if Culpepper gets the right phone call, he can humble himself enough to return as a backup somewhere. Maybe then he'll at least have a chance to rebuild his career.
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