aIt sounds crazy, but former Arizona Cardinals star quarterback Kurt Warner legitimately was considering an NFL comeback not too long ago.
Warner killed the comeback rumors in recent discussions with media outlets, but he admitted there was a point in the offseason that he pondered if he could still sling it in the pros at age 46.
How serious was the aging Warner? It’s tough to say, but he did say he talked about a return with a current NFL coach and got the green light from his wife to play another year.
Whether Warner was completely serious is one thing. The actual interest a professional football team would have in a 45+ year old passer is another.
Beyond that is the question of whether or not an aging quarterback who last tossed a professional pass in 2009 would actually be able to provide value at the game’s highest level.
This is the main question, since Warner is 46 years old and will be 47 this summer. That, and he hasn’t played a down since getting knocked around as a member of the Arizona Cardinals back in 2009.
Warner got flat-out abused in his last game with the Cardinals, yet the team wanted him to return for one last run in 2010. He didn’t oblige, and he’s been retired since.
While that was the end of Warner’s illustrious pro football career, he was only 37 years old at the time, and he arguably could have continued playing at a high level.
Stellar play from other aging passers in recent years certainly aids that argument. Brett Favre delivered one of the best seasons of his career as he turned 40 back in 2009, while Tom Brady just balled out in Super Bowl 52 at age 40 as well.
Other aging passers like Drew Brees, Philip Rivers, and Ben Roethlisberger seem like they could play for several more years as well.
It’s a bit of a reach, but Warner’s game never really relied on elite athleticism or ridiculous arm strength.
Warner was always a great pocket passer who relied on timing, accuracy, and precision. There’s a strong argument that his awareness in the pocket, arm strength, accuracy, and ability to take a beating would all regress.
Still, in theory, Warner would have all of the same attributes that made him a Hall of Fame talent and got him to three Super Bowls. If he trained hard and stayed healthy, there is an argument for Warner actually making a successful comeback to some degree.
There are other things that would need to break just right for Warner to be successful in his return, of course.
His skills obviously would have to still be there, and he’d have to stay healthy. He’d also need to be working behind a strong offensive line and would probably require an above-average running game and solid wide receiver talent around him.
If Warner stepped into an amazing situation (something akin to what the Patriots have), it’s not crazy to think he’d put up solid numbers and win some games.
That got me to thinking. Warner is about to be 47 and probably never coming back, but there have been old quarterbacks in the NFL in the past, and with the advances in modern medicine, it’s possible other aging passers could consider a return down the line.
Who else could be viable options if teams didn’t factor in age or health concerns? Here are five retired big names that would pop off the board.
If not Kurt Warner, then the next big name you think of that’s retired and aging is probably Brett Favre.
Favre lasted one more season than Warner, but you could argue he should have called it quits after getting the Minnesota Vikings to the NFC title game. Heck, some Green Bay Packers fans would say it should have been even before that.
Favre didn’t get much help from a regressing supporting cast – one that didn’t have an injured Sidney Rice and had few options in the passing game beyond a young Percy Harvin.
That put a lot of pressure on Favre, who got hit more and more as the season wore on. Still, Favre had a few clutch moments and some nice games along the way, suggesting that in the right setting, he could have still been productive.
There have been quiet rumors over the years since that Favre could be brought in somewhere as a mercenary, but he’s shot those talks down every time.
Now pushing 50, it’s clear Favre’s NFL playing days are over, especially when he talks about how all of the hits he’s taken have taken their toll. The Packers legend even estimates his concussion count has to be in the thousands.
That feels like a reach, but Favre does contest that if he didn’t have to worry about the daily grind and getting hit every play, he could still hang with the best of them in the NFL.
I don’t exactly disagree. The situation would have to be amazing, though. Not only would Favre need a good defense and a healthy offense around him, but he’d need elite pass protection.
Once a pretty mobile passer, Favre’s athleticism waned in his final years. He still has a good arm and was able to get rid of the football in a timely manner, but at age 48, he’d need a little extra time to make his magic happen.
Realistically, Favre’s done playing football. However, if he were ever to return, it’d have to be an amazing situation where he’d just finish out one season and be done.
Perhaps if the injury bug struck the Packers again or guys like Drew Brees, Tom Brady, or Derek Carr went down, Favre would take the call.
Vick makes a lot more sense than Favre. He was playing as recently as 2015, and at age 37, he still may have the athleticism and arm strength to be a difference-maker.
It did not look like that was the case in his last few seasons, but the main issue with Vick as he slowly exited the league was that he appeared too timid.
Much like Favre, Vick would be a mercenary, coming in to take over for a fallen star and attempt to put a winning club on his back.
However, Vick was a flat-out baller when he suited up with the Philadelphia Eagles and before finalizing his retirement, and he had interest in latching on with a team as recently as this month.
Vick may have regressed, but even the biggest lost causes deserve a kicking of the tires when you factor in talent and drive. Add need to the mix, and certain teams might want to see if Vick can still sling the rock.
Teams with shaky quarterback situations like the Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, and Arizona Cardinals would be interesting landing spots. A reunion in Atlanta, should a Matt Ryan injury ever pop up, would just be so fitting, too.
Manning is older and less athletic than Vick, but he’s a far more accomplished NFL passer.
I’m sure he’s done for good and is just counting the days until he gets inducted into the Hall of Fame, but I also doubt he hasn’t at least thought about a comeback.
There is no denying the fact that Manning’s final season showed sharp regression. He’d lost a lot of arm strength and at one point was even benched. Health, arm power, and an ever-existing lack of high-level athleticism finally caught up to him, and he knew he was done.
Two things keep him in the conversation here, though. For one, he did overcome his limitations in the end, as he helped the Broncos get to the Super Bowl and win. He was able to ride off into the sunset, actually playing a solid role in earning his second Lombardi Trophy.
The other factor is that Manning has always relied more on preparation, accuracy, timing, and placement above all else. It’s also possible that after two years away from the field, Manning could have some of his strength back.
Manning joked about returning for the Miami Dolphins last year, but I have to think that if a dream situation was presented to him, he’d at least consider it.
A team like the Jacksonville Jaguars could make sense for Manning if he ever does want to return for one more run at a title.
Jacksonville already boasts fun +2000 Super Bowl 53 odds over at BetOnline and could be an even better bet if they had stability under center.
LATEST SUPER BOWL 53 ODDS
It’s fun to think about the return of living legends like Favre, Vick, and Manning, but the most realistic quarterback out there that could come back and play at an elite level is Tony Romo.
The former Dallas Cowboys star quarterback seems quite content crushing it as a CBS analyst. And truly, he’s only been on the job for a year and is brilliant at it.
However, Romo was still very good at playing quarterback the last time we saw him, he’s just 38, and he’s only one year removed from pro football.
The question of want is obvious.
Romo seems to have moved on, he’s got a whole new chapter of his life to be excited about, and there is something about retiring as a Cowboy without ever playing elsewhere that he has to covet.
There are plenty of teams that are conceivably one solid passer away from making a title run or teams that already have that piece in place that could become interested in the event of a devastating injury.
Romo was attached to a litany of teams just this past summer, and CBS job or not, the Tony Romo comeback rumors would certainly blast off if a big-name quarterback goes down.
Last year, it was the Miami Dolphins, while teams like the Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans, Denver Broncos, and even the Green Bay Packers were tightly linked to the former Dallas star.
Romo denied all rumors and stayed put with CBS, but who is to say he can resist the urge to return and nab that elusive Lombardi Trophy if the right opportunity stared him in the face?
I believe Romo can still play, and if the right situation unfolds, it wouldn’t be all that shocking to see him make a return.
Ultimately, it’s likely that none of these aging quarterbacks play again.
However, it’s interesting to ponder the likelihood, while the second rumors pop up, sports bettors can always make easy money by either correctly predicting where players will play or that they’ll say retired.
Beyond that, it’s also interesting to note the impact new players would have on their team, in this case how much of a boost a team’s Super Bowl odds would get.
Of this crop, Romo is the only guy I’d hold out hope for, and depending on where he’d wind up, I do think he’d give his new team a significant jolt in terms of Super Bowl 53 odds.
The post Kurt Warner and 4 Retired NFL Quarterbacks Who Could Still Play in the NFL appeared first on GamblingSites.com.
0 comments:
Post a Comment