Marc Bulger: Latest Rumors and Speculation
The forgotten 34-year-old quarterback Marc Bulger has been a hot topic for teams that are desperate for a temporary starter at the quarterback position.
Bulger was once a prominent starter in the NFL as the signal caller for the St. Louis Rams, but recent years have not been too friendly for him.
Bulger's rise to fame began during the 2002 season. The Rams were coming off a loss to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 36, and the star quarterback that led their high-powered offense—Kurt Warner—hurt his thumb early in the season.
Warner started the first four games of the 2002 season, but his injury resulted in him fumbling the ball multiple times, and his overall performance on the field was not acceptable, so the Rams eventually benched Warner.
Warner's replacement, at least for seven of the games in 2002, was third-string quarterback Marc Bulger.
Bulger had 14 touchdowns and only six interceptions, and he was 6-1 as a starter- which was enough to earn him the job as the Rams' full-time starter by the second week of the 2003 season.
In 2003, he went 12-3 as a starter and was elected to his first Pro Bowl—where he was named the Pro Bowl MVP.
He continued his success as a starter into the 2004 season, but he started only eight games in 2005 due to injury.
He put together a career year in 2006- he threw for 4,301 yards with 24 touchdowns and only eight interceptions, while earning a second trip to the Pro Bowl.
But it was all downhill from there.
From 2007 to 2009, the team won a combined six games in those three season, and Bulger's quarterback rating never even hit 72.0.
He was released from the team following the 2009 season, and he signed with the Baltimore Ravens as a backup to quarterback Joe Flacco.
Some fans believe Bulger was shell-shocked from taking too many hits, and they say his success was just the result of a great supporting cast on offense, rather than superb quarterback skills.
Others say that the Rams' offensive line was so bad that no quarterback in the league could have been effective.
Teams that need a quarterback might be willing to take a gamble and see if Bulger has any juice left, so let's take a look at his future options...
Arizona Cardinals
1 of 6
Adam Schefter of NFL.com reported that Larry Fitzgerald and the Arizona Cardinals' front office discussed the possibility of Marc Bulger as the team's starting quarterback in 2011.
It was speculated that Fitzgerald requested (or demanded) the presence of a capable quarterback.
Given that Fitzgerald is the face of the franchise and he'll possibly be a free agent after 2011, it would not be wise for the Cardinals to ignore his request.
In 2010 the Cardinals finished last in the NFC West with a 5-11 record, despite winning the division in both 2008 and 2009.
The most noticeable difference in 2010 was the absence of quarterback Kurt Warner, who retired after the 2009 season.
The fact that the team drastically deteriorated after Warner's retirement suggests that perhaps a suitable quarterback is the only thing keeping the Cardinals from being a playoff contender- which explains their interest in a a veteran quarterback, rather that drafting a rookie that needs to be developed.
However, the feeling might not be mutual.
Reports from John Clayton of ESPN suggest that Bulger is happy on the East Coast where his family lives. Clayton also indicated that Bulger is not interested in becoming a starting quarterback once again.
If Bulger does not have the desire to revive the Arizona Cardinals, then the team will be forced to look elsewhere.
However, rumors run rampant in the NFL, and it's possible that Bulger would actually be thrilled to redeem himself as a starter—or at least be given the opportunity.
Miami Dolphins
2 of 6
If you ignore the quarterback situation, then the Miami Dolphins have a talented roster otherwise.
Chad Pennington's knee injury is his latest addition to a career full of bad luck, and this particular injury could spell the end of his career.
And the primary starter Chad Henne is just flat out ineffective.
The passing game is pretty stale with Henne under center, and he's more likely to throw an interception than a touchdown.
Bulger has been able to succeed in the past when surrounded by proper fire power, which Miami would be able to provide in the form of wide receiver Brandon Marshall.
It's safe to say that Bulger would not be a long term answer for the Dolphins—but does anyone really believe that Henne and Pennington are long term answers either? The only difference is that Bulger could be better in the short run.
Tennessee Titans
3 of 6
The Tennessee Titans just drafted quarterback Jake Locker in the first round of the NFL Draft last April.
Locker is clearly who the Titans want as their starter for the long run, but they can't be certain that he'll be ready to start immediately.
Locker was constantly criticized prior to the draft for not having suitable throwing accuracy, so the team might decide to develop his throwing mechanics for a year or so before tossing him into the fire.
Quarterback Kerry Collins started seven games for the Titans last season, but he is 38 years old. The team, as well as the fans, will not want to stomach another season with Collins as their starter.
If the Titans want a veteran quarterback that can serve as a starter for just one season, then Bulger could be an option.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Washington Redskins
4 of 6
If Marc Bulger were to start for the Washington Redskins, then he'd be able to stay close to his family on the East Coast.
The Redskins benched quarterback Donovan McNabb in favor of Rex Grossman- which says a lot regarding their faith in McNabb.
If the Redskins dump McNabb, then it would be hard to believe that they'd enter the 2011 season with Grossman as the only option at quarterback.
Bulger could possibly be a better option than Grossman, but starting for the Redskins would not be an appealing offer for Bulger.
Washington has no one at running back, they has a suspect offensive line and possibly the worst wide receivers in the NFL (if Santana Moss leaves).
Bulger proved in St. Louis that he can't succeed with a terrible supporting cast, so he wouldn't want to put himself into that situation again.
But there's nothing saying that Washington would not have some interest.
Baltimore Ravens
5 of 6
If the rumors are true, and Bulger has no interest in becoming a starter, then why would he leave if he's happy?
Since Bulger is a free agent, there would have to be interest from the Baltimore Ravens if he wants to be re-signed, but that should not pose a problem.
The Ravens likely felt pretty comfortable with Bulger as their backup, and if Bulger wants to stay close to his family on the East Coast then everybody wins.
It would break the hearts of Arizona fans if Bulger turned down their starting job to remain a backup (they always have the Kevin Kolb option), but you can't really blame the guy if you've witnessed the hits put on him over the years.
Retirement
6 of 6
Why not?
It's possible he'll never regain his form as a capable starter in the NFL, and reports have indicated he might not even want to start if given the opportunity.
So why keep it up? Is being a second-string quarterback really that fun and rewarding?
In 2007, Marc Bulger signed a six-year, $62.5 million contract with the St. Louis Rams and $27 million was guaranteed money.
He didn't get all $62.5 million, as he signed the contract just before the three worst seasons of his career, so certain incentives were not met. And the team cut him after 2009, so he did not play all six years of the contract.
But still- the guy has a considerable amount of money. If he doesn't want to play football anymore, then why not retire at the tender age of 34? There's many people that would definitely take that deal.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Post-June 1 Trade Candidates ☎️")
.JPG?w=600 "TO Talks Cowboys Relationship")
.jpg?w=600 "Taylor Heinicke Retiring")
.jpg?w=600 "49ers OC Hypes Mike Evans 🤩")