11th With No Bullets

Kerry Collins retired at some point, because guys like Kerry Collins just do that, usually without anyone noticing too much. Here's the story.

The interesting thing to me about Collins' career is, well, two points.

1) If not for the worst game of his life against a defense that was particularly apt to deliver it (aka, the fearsomely awful to watch Ravens of Trent Dilfer's selling to Satan year), he'd be remembered entirely differently. I know he doesn't have the bloodlines or the ring, but there's not all that much difference between him and Eli Manning... other than that Collins has a better arm. But for a single win, he'd probably still be employed in New York, with a career that would be borderline Cantonese.

2) Between the many years, some of them with big numbers in Carolina, and the part of his lucky life where he joined the NFL when the league went to 16 games and pass-wackery that is the modern age, here's a fun fact... only 10 men in history have thrown for more yards than Kerry Collins. But 40,441 yards is still a damn lot; 10-12 years of health and the job even at the current modern rate. And even if he gets lapped by a few dozen guys, it's still a pretty nice career, really.

And honestly, one win would have made everyone look at him worlds differently. (Or, if you pine for the woebegone Panthers, sobriety.)

Oh, and one last point. Collins is, like every other man who has played on the league who is not a five-star attention whore, someone who is going to retire and stay retired. Ever notice that ever since His Brettiness, everyone thinks we need to wonder about that for any QB of any stature?