Matthew Stafford and Daunte Culpepper, Detroit Lions / Image: Zuma Press

Obviously, the two players’ on-field performances will be the determining factor in who wins the starting spot. But with a contract that includes $41.7 million in guaranteed money, you can be sure Matthew won’t be on the bench for too long. I guess you could say the handwriting is on the check.

One thing is for sure. Lions owner William Clay Ford won’t be the one calling the shots when it comes to any potential quarterback controversy. Mr. Ford acknowledged he has the right people for that job:

“I do not, contrary to public opinion, interfere with the football side of it. I mean, if so-and-so plays lousy, I’ll say ‘I think he’s a bum.’ But, no, I’ve never said, ‘Play this guy or that guy’ or “Don’t play him.’ No, these guys know more about the game than I do by 10 miles. I’m not going to try to second-guess them. Now, if it goes wrong, we’ll talk about it.”

Source: MLive.com

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Daunte Culpepper or Matthew Stafford?

Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions / Photo: Newscom

Matthew seemed to embrace the pressure that comes with that kind of investment:

“I was extremely surprised, you know, I didn’t know any of the numbers going in. I didn’t know what he (agent Tom Condon) was negotiating off of or anything. I just thank the Ford family for trusting me that much and putting their name out on the line for me because, you know, that’s a lot of positive pressure for me. I like that. It’s something I have to live up to and I have to prove that I’m worth, and that’s exciting for me ….. I think I’m prepared, I’ve been through a lot in my football career. Obviously in college you win more football games than you do in the NFL and you don’t lose as many. Every guy has to adjust to that coming from college to the pros, but I feel like I’m ready for the challenge. I’ve played in a lot of football games and I know what it takes to win. I’m anxious to learn what it takes to win at the NFL level. It’s going to be a learning process but something that I’m really excited about.”

I’m not saying Matthew won’t be a great quarterback for the Lions. I’m not saying he won’t be the first Lions QB since 1971 to make a Pro Bowl. And I’m not saying he won’t be able to take a winless Detroit team to the playoffs next season. What I am saying is this: all he has to do is win one game to move this team in the right direction. Those would be pretty low expectations, of course. But if Matthew can get the Lions to the playoffs, he’ll be doing what no quarterback has done for the team since 1999. Still, I’m wondering when he’ll get his chance. Returning starting QB Daunte Culpepper reported to minicamp in the best shape of his career and appears fully ready to assume the starting role. It will be a tough call, though, because the Lions have — you know — 41.7 million reasons to start Matthew immediately.

Source: NFL Media

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Matthew Stafford: ‘I Think I’m Prepared’

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Following a 31-21 loss to the Green Bay Packers today, the Detroit Lions became the first team in NFL history to go 0-16. I can’t even imagine how difficult a season it was for the players and coaches. After today’s game, quarterback Dan Orlovsky said:

“I don’t ever want to be a part of this again. We haven’t won since — November of ‘07 — maybe? I don’t even know the last time we won a game.”

It was December 23 of last season, actually. But the fact remains, there are so many problems in Detroit, it’s hard to determine where to start. I guess you begin at the top with owner William Clay Ford Sr. What he does this offseason will go a long way in determining if the Lions repeat this kind of performance in 2009. He already did the right thing by ousting former President and CEO Matt Millen back in September, but it seems to me a total housecleaning is in order. Nevertheless, it appears Mr. Ford is probably going to continue with General Manager Martin Mayhew and Chief Operating Officer Tom Lewand. Head coach Rod Marinelli even stands a chance of returning to the team, which seems pretty unfathomable when you consider his 10-38 record as head coach of the Lions the past three seasons. The Lions have some good core players with whom to build a solid team around (namely Calvin Johnson, Mike Furrey, Kevin Smith, Paris Lenon, Ernie Sims and potentially Daunte Culpepper), but without a proven franchise quarterback (like Matt Cassel, perhaps) and the right leadership, they’re just going to continue to spin their wheels.

Source: NFL.com, Photo: Newscom

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Detroit Lions Make NFL History

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With starting quarterback Dan Orlovsky nursing a thumb injury that might require surgery, new Detroit Lions QB Daunte Culpepper is expected to start tomorrow against the Jacksonville Jags. If this happens, it will be a stunning turn of events in a very short amount of time. After all, he announced his retirement just two months ago. But why not? What have the Lions got to lose? As long as Daunte is physically able to perform and has enough of the offensive scheme down to get through a game, he might as well play himself into football shape and get some on-the-job training:

“I definitely feel I can go out there and be myself now. I feel I’m 100-percent healthy, I feel great. I was told it would take about two years to be back to about 100-percent, and it’s (been) a little bit over two years now so I feel good — all I can say is I feel good.”

I will say that I admire Daunte’s work ethic and desire to get back from what was a gruesome knee injury three years ago. He’s worked hard and hasn’t exactly been in the best of situations (Miami and Oakland) for a comeback. Then again, I’m not sure Detroit is the right place for him or any quarterback to resume a comeback. But at least he’s got himself on a roster. He’s practicing and getting reps. Anything can happen from here. At the very least, it gives Lions fans something — anything — to get excited about.

Source: DetroitLions.com, Photo: Newscom

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Daunte Culpepper Expected to Start

As expected, quarterback Daunte Culpepper passed his physical and signed a two-year contract with the Detroit Lions today. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but here’s what Daunte wrote about it in an email:

“I have agreed to terms with the Detroit Lions and after taking a physical, I plan on signing a 2-year contract today. As a result of doing some research on different places to play, the Detroit Lions seemed to be the best fit for me. I am encouraged by the commitment of ownership, the vision of management and the great potential of the talent that is on the team. I am grateful to the Lions organization for giving me an opportunity to both continue my NFL career and make a positive impact in the Detroit community. I hope to contribute to the team in whatever role coach Marinelli needs for me to play.”

Lions head coach Rod Marinelli said he planned to get Daunte to work immediately to see how quickly he could become acclimated with the playbook. With Detroit’s quarterback problems (current starter Dan Orlovsky has a thumb injury), some reports are predicting that Daunte will start this Sunday against Jacksonville. That is completely unrealistic but not entirely out of the question. Coach Marinelli refused to say who would start, offering only that he wanted to keep the Jags “in the dark” when he, in fact, couldn’t possibly have much light to shed on the situation himself. The ink isn’t dry on the contract and Daunte hasn’t even practiced with the team yet. Drew Stanton or Drew Henson seem like more sensible options until Daunte can get his bearings.

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Daunte Culpepper Makes it Official

Recently unretired quarterback Daunte Culpepper got what he was looking for. I guess. Daunte agreed to a two-year contract with the Detroit Lions today. Terms of the deal are unknown at this point because Daunte is not expected to sign the contract until Monday.

In agreeing with the Lions, Daunte gets to be the starting quarterback and he gets more than a one-year deal. Which is what he was looking for. But he also gets to join one of the most distraught franchises in the NFL. And if the team cleans house this offseason (and why wouldn’t they), what does this mean for Daunte’s deal? It’s kind of a hazy mystery. I feel like this is a tryout of sorts. Obviously, the Lions’ season is all but over. Auditioning Daunte now gives the Lions an advance on their offseason restructuring. You like some of the pieces that are in-place in Detroit — players you can build a team around — but then you come to the realization that this is Detroit. It’s a wait-and-see outlook, but Daunte can start himself in the right direction by simply getting the Detroit Lions a victory. And we’ll go from there.

Source: ESPN.com

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Daunte Culpepper to Join Detroit Lions

Here’s an interesting one. Recently unretired quarterback Daunte Culpepper was scheduled to meet with the Kansas City Chiefs tomorrow to get a physical and discuss the possibility of a contract. He canceled that visit and told the Chiefs he has a better opportunity with another team. Which team? I have no idea, but last week he told all 32 NFL teams he not only wanted to sign a contract for more than just the rest of this season, he also wanted a 2009 payment of $10 million or more. That’s laughable. I think he has since agreed to negotiate for less. Daunte seems pretty picky for someone without a job. Maybe he’s holding out for a management position.

Source: Fox Sports

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Daunte Culpepper Cancels Visit With Chiefs

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I guess Daunte Culpepper wasn’t really enjoying retirement. After finally having come to his senses about leaving the game, Daunte released the following statement today about returning to the NFL:

“A number of teams have contacted me since my retirement announcement and have provided some important information that has caused me to reconsider returning to the league. As much as I have enjoyed my brief break from playing, I know that I love the game and I have some unfinished business in the NFL. It has never been because of a lack of passion for the game but rather the absence of a fair opportunity to complete and play that caused me to retire. Now that there are some real opportunities that match my desire to play, I will choose the one that is the best fit for both the team and me so that I can continue my NFL career. For the second half of this season, I hope to play a role in helping a team win some games. I want to thank all of those who encouraged me to ‘keep a light on’ for the right NFL opportunity that would eventually come back to me.”

I thought it was ridiculous that he retired in the first place. Of course, playing for the Oakland Raiders would make anyone want to consider quitting the game. But he should’ve accepted a backup role (for a cool million with the Green Bay Packers) and let things take care of themselves. It would be speculation to guess which teams have contacted Daunte. So, I won’t even go there. But he’s available and if an NFL team wants him for a backup (or even a starting) role, I would say he’d be a pretty good choice.

Source: ESPN.com, Photo: Newscom

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Daunte Culpepper ‘Unretires’

With Tom Brady on the shelf for the rest of the 2008 season, are the New England Patriots considering giving recently retired quarterback Daunte Culpepper a call? Shortly after Tom’s devastating injury yesterday, the Pats contacted free agent QBs Chris Simms and Tim Rattay. According to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen (reporting on Monday Night Countdown), when they showed up for their interviews/workouts today, both players were sent back to the airport because plans had changed. I just got off the phone with Patriots Executive Director of Media Relations Stacey James and all he knew of the matter was that Coach Belichick told him no quarterbacks worked out today.

Now, I don’t have any concrete information to share in regards to the Patriots’ potential interest in Daunte, but doesn’t it make sense? Who else are they going to consider? Rookie Kevin O’Connell is in line to take over if anything happens to Matt Cassel. Nobody else is left at that position on the active roster. The team cut Matt Gutierrez during the preseason. So who will the Patriots turn to? Who? Daunte Culpepper is the obvious choice. If Brett Favre can come out of retirement, why not Daunte Culpepper?

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Daunte Culpepper to Patriots?

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Here is free agent quarterback Daunte Culpepper’s surprising retirement announcement to members of the media today:

Farewell NFL. When Free agency began this year, I had a new sense of excitement about continuing to rebuild my career in the same way that I had rebuilt my knee after my catastrophic injury in 2005. Unfortunately, what I found out was that the league did not share any of the optimism about me as an Unrestricted Free Agent that I expected. In fact, there was an overwhelming sense that there was no room for me among this year’s group of quarterbacks; whether in a starting, competing or a back-up role. No matter what I did or said, there seemed to be a unified message from teams that I was not welcome to compete for one of the many jobs that were available at the quarterback position. It seems that the stance I took in both Minnesota and Miami regarding my rights as a person and player has followed me into Free Agency.

After taking a long look at my career and my personal convictions, I have decided to begin early retirement from the NFL effective immediately. Since the beginning of training camp I was told that my opportunity would come when a quarterback gets hurt. I cannot remember the last time so many QB’s have been injured during the preseason. I have been strongly encouraged from family, friends and league personnel to continue to be patient and wait for an inevitable injury to one of the starting quarterbacks in the league. I would rather shut the door to such “opportunity” than continue to wait for one of my fellow quarterback’s to suffer a serious injury. Since I was not given a fair chance to come in and compete for a job, I would rather move on and win in other arenas of life.

The decision I made in 2006 to represent myself rather than hire an agent has been an invaluable experience. I now understand why so many people within the NFL community are uncomfortable with a player really learning the business. The NFL has become more about power, money and control than passion, competition and the love of the game. Regardless of this shift, player’s rights are still supposed to be a part of this league. Since I will not be given the opportunity to honor the memory of Gene Upshaw by wearing a patch on my uniform this year, I will instead spend some of my energy applying what he taught me about standing up for what is right and not sitting down for what is clearly wrong.

I want to thank my family and my fans for their unwavering belief in me as a person and a player. I embraced both the peaks and the valleys of the game and my career. I am a better person today as a direct result of the experience of playing in the NFL. I can now focus on the enjoyment of watching some of the greatest athletes in the world play the game I love without the distraction of waiting for those elusive return phone calls.

Thankfully,
Daunte Culpepper

I hate to say he sounds a little bitter — but he sounds a little bitter. Of course, players come out of retirement, too. I hope Daunte will reconsider his retirement in the not-too-distant future. This past offseason, he was offered $1 million to serve in a backup role to Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay. He should’ve taken that offer. Daunte also might have been able to serve in a backup role to Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh, but he wanted to be the starter there as well and obviously that wasn’t a possibility. I think it was more a matter of Daunte’s ego getting in the way. I feel he just needed to get himself on a team, learn that team’s system and let things take care of themselves. I don’t doubt Daunte can still play the game at a high level. His 110+ passer rating in 2004 ranks fifth on the NFL’s all-time single season list. And his comeback from a knee injury three years ago was nothing short of remarkable. But his my-way-or-the-highway attitude is probably a big part of the reason there wasn’t more interest for his services this season.

Photo: Newscom

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Daunte Culpepper Announces Retirement