Rex Grossman : Why He's The Best UFA QB

Before anyone criticizes this article about my support of Rex Grossman, please make it constructive. I have heard it all about how Grossman "this" and "that."

 

Around this point in time, many rumors occur within the league as to who's who in free agency; particularly the quarterback position. Teams like the Browns, Seahawks, And Raiders are searching for an arm and brain to lead the way.

I will be the first to tell you to mail your team a letter in support of signing the much criticized Grossman. Here is why.

Grossman started out by placing second in the Heisman Trophy standings while playing under center for the Florida Gators on his way to an award winning career. It all started when the Chicago Bears rested their franchise on Grossman's fragile shoulders in 2003 by selecting him as the 22nd overall pick.

A Star Waiting To Shine

Rex Grossman was a savior to many when he burst onto the scene of 2005. In a game where Kyle Orton had the routine 3 and out offense for the Bears, the fans booed and cheered when Coach Lovie Smith pulled Orton and threw in the young, constantly injured Grossman.

The fans displayed two standing ovations as Grossman trotted onto the field, the second as he completed a dart down the middle of the field to Muhsin Muhammad. It seemed as though the Bears finally had a quarterback with the strong arm to lead them to victory.

After losing to the Carolina Panthers in the 2005 Divisional Round of the Playoffs, Chicago declared that Rexy would be their starting quarterback in the 2006 season.

2006 Season

In the first month of the 2006 campaign, Grossman was named the NFC Offensive Player of the month of September and led the Bears to an undefeated start. 

Throughout the season, Grossman had his struggles and shining moments as the Bears coasted to a 13-3 season and a chance to become World Champs.

In Super Bowl XLI, the Chicago Bears lost by a score of 29-17. Many fans believe that if Grossman was a better QB, they would have won. I do support this believe, truthfully. Rex had 2 picks (4th quarter throws that he needed to force.) in which one was returned for a TD. Also, he had a couple of miscues with center Olin Kreutz to add onto his list of woes for the night.

But...through the woes of the night, Grossman completed 20-28 passes with a touchdown pass to Muhsin Muhammad, becoming the only Bears QB with a touchdown toss in the Super Bowl.

The Downfall

In the 2007 season, Grossman was benched because of his performance. Eventually, he came into a game versus the Oakland Raiders and completed a 57-yard go ahead strike to Bernard Berrian to secure the W. After his performance, Rex was given another shot to take control.

Emerging with his new-found confidence, Grossman had a 3 touchdowns and 1 interception on his way to giving Chicago's offense new strength. Eventually, Rex was injured once again in a game against the Redskins. This sealed the 2007 season for Grossman.

Coming into 2008, many believed that Rex Grossman will become the starter for the Bears and had confidence. However, that didn't happen. Orton was outplayed in training camp, but earned the starting role after just 2 games of preseason. This can be arguably controversial, but Chicago Bears' fans didn't seem to have a problem with it.

Rex Grossman was later brought into a game against the undefeated Titans, and performed well, but came out with a loss despite having 2 of the Bears' only touchdowns. After 2008, he was released and eventually, the Texans signed him.

Rex Grossman - Your New Starter?

In my imagination, I can see Grossman starting for the Carolina Panthers. It wouldn't happen, but they have Muhsin "Moose" Muhammad, Grossman's former teammate, and a solid running game. I do realize that Matt Moore performed very well when he came in, but I'd start Grossman off and have Moore come in if he doesn't live up to expectations. The reasoning behind that is Grossman has much more experience, has led a team to several playoff victories, and has a stronger arm. Also, since Moore is very young, he could learn from Rex a few years as Sexy Rexy doesn't have many years left and can become injured at any point. 

In conclusion, Rex Grossman is arguably one of the best quarterbacks on the market right now. Everyone knows that he has elite arm strength and can stretch the field all day. He played smarter after being given the opportunity to think through things, and made the best of it. Not only does he have a great playoff record (2-1,) but has commanded an offense that had an aging line, mediocre receivers, and an equal offensive coordinator, and still led them to a Super Bowl.

Yes, the Bears' defense was amazing in 2006. Yes, it was most of the reason why he was even in the Super Bowl.

Through it all, Grossman was still the one holding the reins to the NFL's 2nd best scoring team in 2006.