Don’t write Daunte Culpepper’s NFL “obituary” yet. That’s the advice of a former NFL team executive who spoke earlier in the week about Culpepper and his situation in Miami.
The ex-Viking quarterback certainly hasn’t had a honeymoon start in Miami. Coming off of major knee rehabilitation and a trade to the Dolphins, Culpepper has shown limited mobility. He has been sacked 21 times and also suffered a shoulder injury.
It’s not even clear now if the former Pro Bowl quarterback will be the Dolphins starter. Culpepper didn’t play last Sunday, much to the delight of some Dolphins fans who have been booing the man-child quarterback. Culpepper, 6-4, 265, has been unimpressive statistically, throwing two touchdown passes and three interceptions in limited playing time.
He won’t play next Sunday because he started a rehab program for his right knee and his return date is unknown. Joey Harrington, a major disappointment during four seasons in Detroit, replaces Culpepper for the Dolphins who have a 1-4 record.
All of this doesn’t mean Culpepper, 29, is ready for the old folks home. The former NFL executive argues it can take two years for a player to recover from a major injury and return to normal performance. “It sounds like he’s not 100% in terms of his ability and he’s going into a new system,” the source said.
Culpepper is not only learning a new offense and playing for a “demanding” coach in Nick Saban, but he’s also working with a “struggling” offensive line, the source said. “The offensive line is a weak leak,” he added.
An indication of the ineffective line is the performance of running back Ronnie Brown. He’s averaging 3.3 yards per carry after averaging 4.4 last season.
How strange is it that both Culpepper and Randy Moss, neither of whom is yet 30 years old and once were the faces of the Vikings franchise, are playing for other teams and currently stalled out in team and individual glory? “It is interesting, but that’s the modern day NFL (with salary cap and player movement),” the source said.