Daunte Culpepper: Should He Stay Or Should He Go?

By Krupka  |   Friday, February 24, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Minnesota Vikings
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For the past month or so Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper has been echoing a song made famous by The Clash, "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" It would seem bizarre to many that Culpepper would want to leave.

On May 9th, 2003 he signed a 10-year, $102 million contract that would seemingly keep him a Viking for his whole career. At a recent press conference, first-year head coach Brad Childress called Culpepper the "franchise quarterback." So why now is Daunte suddenly unhappy in Minnesota?

The Vikings even anointed Culpepper "the man" before this past season by trading away disgruntled wide receiver Randy Moss. It has been well-documented that former head coach Mike Tice and Culpepper were close friends. The quarterback had hoped his coach would still be around.

In April of 1999, the Vikings drafted Culpepper with 11th overall pick. He didn't attempt a pass in his first season. However, with the departure of Jeff George after the '99 season, Culpepper was named the starting quarterback. In his first year at the helm he led the Vikings to an 11-5 record and appearance in the NFC Championship game. That year he passed for 3,937 yards, 33 touchdowns, 16 interceptions, and rushed for 470 yards and 7 touchdowns on his way to the Pro Bowl.

Then in 2001, his early success vanished. Although he completed 64.2% of his passes, Culpepper only threw for 2,612 yards and a mediocre 14 touchdown to 13 interceptions. He did still run for 416 yards and 5 touchdowns. The Vikings were 5-11 and saw head coach Dennis Green leave prior to the last game of the season.

In 2002, it got worse for Culpepper. He did manage to throw for 3,859 yards, but had an unforgettable 18 touchdowns to 23 interceptions. It was his best year rushing as he ran for 603 yards and 10 touchdowns. The Vikings finished with a 6-10 record but played strong down the stretch.

Culpepper parlayed a good finish to '02 into a solid 2003 campaign, earning his second Pro Bowl appearance. He led the Vikings to a 9-7 record just missing out on the playoffs when they couldn't defeat the lowly Arizona Cardinals in the final week of the season. Culpepper threw for 3,479 yards, 25 touchdowns, only 11 interceptions, and rushed for 422 yards and 4 touchdowns.

If it wasn't for Peyton Manning, Culpepper would have easily been the MVP in 2004. He had one of the greatest single seasons of any quarterback in NFL history throwing for 4,717 yards, 39 touchdowns, only 11 interceptions, and rushed for 406 yards and 2 touchdowns.

After a loss in the playoffs to the Philadelphia Eagles, Culpepper and the Vikings became tired of wide receiver Randy Moss' antics and the aforementioned Moss trade occurred. The Vikings became the trendy pick to make the NFC Championship and Super Bowl - led by Culpepper and the new acquisitions on defense.

This past season was an abysmal one for Culpepper. He struggled mightily throwing 8 interceptions to zero touchdowns and fumbling twice as the Vikings faltered out of the blocks starting 0-2. If his poor play statistically wasn't bad enough, he was involved in a bye week sex cruise on Lake Minnetonka in which four Vikings players (Culpepper, Fred Smoot, Moe Williams, and Bryant McKinnie) were charged with indecent conduct, disorderly conduct, and lewd or lascivious conduct. His season was capped off when it ended early in week 8 against the Panthers. He took a hit to his knee and tore his ACL, MCL and PCL.

It would seem that a man who has been given security by the franchise in the form of a long-term contract and has been called the "franchise quarterback" by the head coach would be happy, yet Culpepper still is not. Proof of this is the fact that he has fired his agent and is asking for a $10 million raise.

Coming off of his worst season statistically and a devastating knee injury, he has no reason to be asking for a raise. There is no guarantee that he will even be ready to play this upcoming season.

After his season-ending injury, veteran quarterback Brad Johnson stepped in and played tremendous going 7-2 and nearly earning the Vikings a playoff spot. Letting his play speak for itself, Johnson has since expressed his desire to be a starting quarterback somewhere in the NFL. With Johnson under contract for the next 3 years and at an incredibly lower price than Culpepper, it's very possible that it would be better for both parties involved to trade Culpepper and hand over the reigns to Johnson. Of course by doing this the Vikings would have to draft a young quarterback for Johnson to groom.

In the past few weeks, rumors have been swirling. They link Culpepper anywhere from a re-uniting with Moss in Oakland, to Baltimore, to Miami. Trading a quarterback with the talent that Culpepper possesses is never a good idea, but especially in this case where he is injured and will not provide his true value.

With a $6 million roster bonus in March due to Culpepper, his future in Minnesota should become much clearer in the near future. It's been reported the Vikings are looking for a second-round pick in exchange for the unhappy quarterback.

Either way with the NFL Combine already underway and the draft only two months away, it is imperative for the Minnesota Vikings' brain trust to end the saga and make a firm decision on whether to keep Culpepper or get rid of him by means of trade or just releasing him.

Should he stay or should he go? The time to decide is now.
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