3 retired NFL QBs who can still come back and play
The entire NFL world was taken aback by what appeared to be a Michael Vick coming out party. A few days ago, it was rumored that the 41-year-old former NFL star would dust off his cleats and return to the field to play in the Fan Controlled Football League.
Since then, however, Vick has shot those rumors down, claiming that he'll remain on the sidelines and has no intentions of playing. Regardless of the entire occurrence, Vick's sudden un-retirement and re-retirement have us thinking. Are there any current NFL quarterbacks who decided to hang up their jerseys but can play in the league today?
We believe there are. Ironically enough, Vick didn't quite make the cut on this list. While he was dynamic and undoubtedly one of the greatest athletes the NFL has ever seen, what made Vick special was his incredible speed, which he's probably lacking at the moment. Also, even at his best, Vick struggled to stay healthy, making it more complicated for him to make the cut.
Still, surprisingly enough, there are plenty of retired quarterbacks who we believe can return to the game and make a legitimate impact. So who are the best of that currently retired bunch? Keep reading to find out.
Still suited to come back: retired NFL QBs who can return
#1 - Brett Favre
Following what has appeared to be the end of every NFL season, Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers and Tom Brady of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, especially Rodgers, have flirted with the idea of hanging up their cleats for good. Before them, however, Brett Favre was well-known for pulling the same stunt.
For years on end, Favre would torment both the Green Bay Packers organization and their fan base with a consistent cloud of doubt surrounding his career in the NFL. Eventually, the Green Bay franchise moved on from Favre and handed the team's reins to Rodgers on a full-time basis.
Nonetheless, during Favre's final three seasons in the NFL, he was terrific. At the age of 39 and 40, Favre was named to back-to-back Pro Bowls. In 2009, as a 39-year-old, Favre threw for 3,472 yards and 22 touchdowns. At the age of 40, he was even better. Favre threw for 4,202 yards and 33 touchdown scores to only seven interceptions.
His final season, which he played at the age of 41, didn't go exactly the way he planned. Favre threw for just 2,509 yards and 11 touchdowns while leading the Minnesota Vikings to a meager five wins.
This still one of the greatest throws I’ve ever seen...and the man was 39🤯 #brettfavre #vikings #GoPackGo #skol https://t.co/nhnqL0WmCB
More than a decade later, Favre hasn't thrown an NFL pass, but he appears to be in pristine shape. Just remember, in 2020, Favre was set to end his retirement and play in the XFL before those plans were unfortunately canned.
#2 - Andrew Luck
Andrew Luck's career got off to a strong start worhy of a place in the NFL Hall of Fame. An immense amount of pressure was already heaped upon his shoulders once he was taken with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. Still, considering that he was set to replace Peyton Manning on the Indianapolis Colts, the pressure went up a few notches.
Throughout it all, Luck handled it well. He led the Colts to three consecutive 11-win seasons and was named to three Pro Bowls along the way. However, while Luck was experiencing extreme success, his body was paying the ultimate price.
Luck battled through numerous injuries due to a porous offensive line. Thanks to those physical damages, he would go on to miss the 2017 NFL season before returning to play in 2018. Once Luck came back, he looked terrific, leading the Colts back to the playoffs and being named to the Pro Bowl for the fourth time in his career.
Perspective. Thank you, #AndrewLuck @Colts https://t.co/DXY74PRrDX
Although the Colts found themselves fully immersed in the championship picture, Luck decided against returning, citing a beaten-up body as one of his primary reasons. At the age of 32 and only three years removed from the game, Luck can easily return to the field whenever his football itch becomes too bothersome to ignore.
At this point, it's doubtful that Luck ever does decide to throw on his shoulder pads and returns to the NFL, but if he did, there's a good chance that he's still a franchise-level quarterback.
#3 - Philip Rivers
Destined for the Hall of Fame one day, Philip Rivers remained one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL for over a decade. In 13 years, Rivers threw for at least 4,000 yards in 12 out of 13 seasons.
No matter how hard Rivers tried, winning a Lombardi Trophy simply wasn't impossible. But it's not like he wasn't surrounded by a considerable amount of talent on the Los Angeles Chargers squad.
At times, Rivers' vagarious play led to interceptions at the wrong time, but at the age of 40, he should be able to return to the field if he genuinely wanted to.
During his final season in the league, which took place in 2020, a 39-year-old Rivers threw for 4,148 yards and 24 touchdowns and completed 68 percent of his passes.
Although he's enjoying the retirement life, Rivers did say that he's going to "stay ready just in case the perfect storm hits."
“I saw a lot of those things yesterday. It was interesting to see. Like I told you guys six or eight weeks ago, I’m going to stay somewhat ready in case the perfect storm hits. There’s nothing to it (the Saints talk). It was fun to see yesterday.”
The NFL is a brutal sport, and more times than not, quarterbacks have been the victims of some heavy hits that have knocked them out for the year. If everything goes accordingly, there is a chance Rivers does get that call.