alltimeQB.com
ESPN Football
NFL.com
ProFootballTalk
Tennessee Titans quarterback Kerry Collins (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Titans QB Kerry Collins retires from the NFL after 16 seasons. What’s his legacy going to be Seb?
I, for one, think he has had a very good career. In terms of productions, he is top 15-30 in every major passing categories, thanks to his longevity. Also took the Giants to the Super Bowl in 2000 (loss to the Ravens) and was able to overcome all kinds of personnal & professional issues early in his career to eventually become a respected leader and a productive player that would go on to play for 16 long seasons. That is quite an accomplishment. In my mind, Collins ranks with the likes of Vinnie Testaverde and Steve DeBerg: good quarterbacks who ended up having long and productive careers and who got better and better as the years went on.
Guillaume, and 
Seb are discussing.
Seb 1:25 am on July 11, 2011 Permalink
Reacting on your last sentence above: would you say the Panthers gave up on him too soon?
After a superb college career, including an undefeated season where he led Penn State to win the Rose Bowl, he was Carolina’s 1st pick ever and the 5th overall selection in the 1995 NFL Draft. He was chosen to build the team around. He showed signs of improvements in his first two seasons and helped lift the Panthers to the NFC Championship game! But after a poor 3rd year (21 interceptions vs. only 11 TDs, along with 27 sacks and a 4.6 yds/play average), and despite improving his game in 1998, the Panthers started off with an 0-4 record before he essentially asked himself out of the team. The Panthers immediately put him on waivers. We later learned he had been having personal issues with alcohol for some time already.
He went on to play as a back-up QB for the Saints, then Giants, then took the starting role and led them to the Super Bowl in 2000, which they eventually lost. His production in New York was above average, he passed for at least 3,600 yards on 3 out of 5 years, reaching the 4,000 mark (and 6.4 yds/play average) in 2002. Two years later, the Giants released him to make room for rookie Eli Manning and first-class veteran Kurt Warner. His stint at Oakland was unremarkable, but he rebounded well in Nashville, leading the Titans to a 13-3 regular season record and the Playoffs in 2008.
I agree with you bro, when all is said and done, Kerry Collins had a very good career. While he did not have many great seasons, his accomplishments, longevity in the league and repeated success leading three distinct teams to the Playoffs prove he was more than just “good”. Hence the question: did the Panthers rushed their decision to waive him in 1998?
Guillaume 6:34 am on July 12, 2011 Permalink
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/15310922/collins-ability-at-life-may-surpass-very-good-career
nice article about Collins’ retirement from CBS Sportsline’s respected editor (and HOF voter) Len Pasquarelli.
Says Collins rank at the top or near the top of the ‘Hall of Very Good”.
I would agree with this assessment.