Sources have told Point-Spreads.com that embattled Denver Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer will retire rather than accept a trade to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Plummer is upset because the deal doesn’t include a guarantee he will be the starting quarterback but must compete for the job with current Tampa Bay quarterback Chris Simms.
Plummer was the starting quarterback for the Broncos until he was benched by head coach Mike Shanahan due to poor play and replaced with the Broncos 2006 top pick in the NFL draft Jay Cutler. It is unsure if Plummer will follow through with his retirement plans.
Plummer signed as a free agent with the Broncos in 2003 replacing Brian Griese as the starting quarterback. With Shanahans guidance, he had his best season as an NFL quarterback to that point. Controversially, in the first game of the season, he pretended to have a concussion to mask a shoulder injury. He finished the season with a career high 91.2 quarterback rating. He had the longest run by a Broncos quarterback on Monday Night Football, 40 yards against the Oakland Raiders. He led them to a wild card playoff berth where they were beaten by the Indianapolis Colts 41-10 at the RCA Dome.
Plummer began his NFL career after being drafted as the 47th pick in the second round of the 1997 draft by the Arizona Cardinals where he played through the 2002 season. The young quarterback made an impact in his second season with the team as he threw for 3,737 yards and 17 touchdowns, but was intercepted 20 times. The Cardinals were 6-7 before winning their final three games by a total of eight points. The Cardinals clinched a playoff birth for the first time since 1982. Plummer then led the Cardinals to their first playoff victory since 1947, a 20-6 win over the Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium. Plummer was named a Pro-Bowl Alternate following that season.
