5 Longtime NFL Starters Who Deserve to Be Benched in Favor of a Rookie

Being a starter in the NFL is one of the greatest accomplishments for a football player. Unfortunately, players get old, and sometimes it is necessary for a longtime starter to be benched in favor of a rookie.

This isn't an exhaustive list since we are only one week into the NFL season, but here are five longtime NFL starters who deserve to be benched in favor of a rookie.

Donald Driver Benched for Randall Cobb

I'll start this list with the most difficult one for me to admit since I'm a huge fan of Donald Driver. He has been one of the better receivers in the history of the Green Bay Packers franchise during his 13-year career.

However, after watching his performance dip last year and an unimpressive performance in Week 1 of this season, questions are beginning to arise about whether Driver should still be starting. Many would replace Driver with Jordy Nelson or James Jones, but I prefer Randall Cobb over either of those two players.

After an extremely, extremely impressive performance against the New Orleans Saints, Cobb showed just how dynamic he can be in the NFL. While Nelson and Jones might be more polished right now, Cobb has more potential. I still like Nelson as the third receiver playing in the slot, and I'm not really sure why the Packers re-signed James Jones in the first place.

As much as I hate to say it, it's time for Green Bay to bench Driver and put in the stellar Cobb.

Joseph Addai Benched for Delone Carter

We all now know that without Peyton Manning, the Indianapolis Colts are a complete train wreck. So why not forget about this season and start letting players with huge potential get the majority of playing time?

Joseph Addai is a decent enough running back, but he clearly isn't a long-term answer for the Colts. I know they just signed him to a three-year contract, but it's still time to put him on the bench and let Delone Carter start carrying the load.

Carter looked fantastic throughout the preseason and looks to have the ability to be a franchise running back. I'm not saying the Colts should just stop trying this year because Manning is injured, but put Carter in there and see if he is the back of the future.

Casey Wiegmann Benched for Rodney Hudson

Casey Wiegmann is in his 16th season in the NFL. That is a long time for any position, especially an offensive lineman.

Wiegmann is certainly not the cause of the crushing defeat the Kansas City Chiefs faced against the Buffalo Bills, but a loss like that should get the team thinking about the future.

The Chiefs spent a second-round draft pick on Rodney Hudson. Even though he might not be fully ready to handle the starting position, if the Chiefs were willing to spend that high a draft pick on Hudson, they clearly think he is their future starting center.

The season is long from over for Kansas City, especially since this team was a playoff team last year. However, the Chiefs need to ask themselves if Wiegmann's old legs are the answer to turning around from last week's embarrassing loss or if the young Hudson should be given a chance.

Donovan McNabb Benched for Christian Ponder

This is an obvious one due to the fact that Donovan McNabb threw for a whopping 39 yards against the San Diego Chargers.

I was actually surprised that the Minnesota Vikings didn't throw in Christian Ponder at all during the game. The reason why McNabb needs to get benched is because all Minnesota needs is a game manager. They don't need an Aaron Rodgers or a Tom Brady, because they have the one and only Adrian Peterson.

This offense needs to run through Peterson, and all the quarterback should need to be able to do is hand the ball off and complete a short pass every now and then for a first down. McNabb clearly isn't that guy, so it's time to let Ponder give it a go.

Matt Hasselbeck Benched for Jake Locker

While many experts are high on Matt Hasselbeck after his first game for the Tennessee Titans, I believe his performance was mediocre at best and he isn't going to win this team many games.

At first glance, Hasselbeck's statistics of 263 yards, two touchdowns and one interception are pretty impressive. However, when you subtract his ridiculously lucky 80-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Britt, his game becomes much more pedestrian with only 183 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Those aren't numbers that are going to win football games.

Now, Jake Locker isn't as polished or seasoned as Hasselbeck, but the kid can play and needs to be given a chance. Much like with the Minnesota Vikings, the Titans are a run-first team, and all Locker will really need to be able to do is hand the ball to Chris Johnson.