Editing Jake Plummer (section)

==Professional career==
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|         note = All values from NFL Combine<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://nflcombineresults.com/playerpage.php?i=23051 |title=Jake Plummer, Combine Results, QB - Arizona State |website=nflcombineresults.com |access-date=January 28, 2022}}</ref>
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===Arizona Cardinals (1997–2002)===
Plummer was selected in the second round of the [[1997 NFL draft]] by the [[Arizona Cardinals]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=1997 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1997/draft.htm |access-date=2023-03-30 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> He played behind [[Kent Graham]] and [[Stoney Case]] at the start of his [[1997 Arizona Cardinals season|rookie season]]. He took his first snap late in the 4th quarter of the seventh game, and promptly led the Cardinals on a 98-yard drive, going 4-of-6 for 87 yards and capping it with a 31-yard go-ahead touchdown. He led the Cardinals to three of their four victories that year. Already locally popular from his days at ASU, according to teammate Chad Carpenter he was now treated "like a god. We go to a restaurant and people stand up and clap when he walks by."<ref name=si.ret /> In [[1998 Arizona Cardinals season|1998]], the Cardinals drafted Plummer's friend Pat Tillman, and the two started all sixteen games en route to a 9–7 regular season record. In the tenth game against [[Dallas Cowboys]], he threw for a stellar 465 yards and three touchdowns. In the playoffs, he led the Cardinals to an upset of the same Cowboys for the franchise's first postseason victory since 1947,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/crd/playoffs.htm|title=Arizona Cardinals Playoff History|work=Pro-Football-Reference.com}}</ref> before losing in the second round to the [[Minnesota Vikings]].

Plummer had a disappointing season in [[1999 Arizona Cardinals season|1999]]; he went 3–8 as a starter, threw nine touchdowns to 24 interceptions, and the Cardinals finished 6–10. Regarding Plummer's season, the [[Football Outsiders]] commented: "At the start of the 1999 season, Jake Plummer was being celebrated as one of the NFL's best young quarterbacks, the man who would make the Cardinals respectable again. By the end of the 1999 season, Plummer ranked as the league's worst quarterback."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.footballoutsiders.com/dvoa-ratings/2005/1999-dvoa-ratings-and-commentary|title=Football Outsiders: Innovative Statistics, Intelligent Analysis – 1999 DVOA Ratings and Commentary|work=footballoutsiders.com|access-date=June 7, 2011|archive-date=August 16, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170816110655/http://www.footballoutsiders.com/dvoa-ratings/2005/1999-dvoa-ratings-and-commentary|url-status=dead}}</ref> His reputation as a risk-taking "gunslinger" became a liability. In [[2000 Arizona Cardinals season|2000]] Plummer threw for 2,946 yards, 21 interceptions, and had a 66.0 quarterback rating. Although he reached 10,000 career passing yards (in 47 starts), Plummer compiled a 3–11 record and the Cardinals finished last in the NFC East.

Plummer bounced back in [[2001 Arizona Cardinals season|2001]] with his best statistical season with the Cardinals. He was one of only two NFL quarterbacks to take every snap for his team ([[Kerry Collins]] was the other), and he passed for 3,653 yards, eighteen touchdowns, and fourteen interceptions. During the season, he had a stretch of 142 consecutive [[pass attempt]]s without throwing an interception. Plummer also led the NFL in fourth-quarter passing yards (1,227) and the Cardinals to a 7–9 record.

Plummer's last season with the Cardinals was [[2002 Arizona Cardinals season|2002]] and again his statistics were down (65.7 passer rating, 2,972 yards, eighteen touchdowns and twenty interceptions). On September 22 against the [[San Diego Chargers]], he eclipsed 15,000 career passing yards.

{{As of|2017}}'s NFL off-season, Jake Plummer held at least nine Cardinals franchise records, including:
* Passing TDs: rookie season (fifteen in 1997), rookie game (four on 1997-12-07 WAS)
* Passer Rating: rookie game (119.1 on 1997-11-30 PIT)
* Sacked: game (ten on 1997-11-30 PIT), rookie season (52 in 1997)
* Yds/Pass Att: rookie season (7.44 in 1997)
* Pass Yds/Game: rookie season (220.3 in 1997)
* 300+ yard passing games: playoffs (two)

===Denver Broncos (2003–2006)===
[[File:Jake Plummer.jpg|thumb|240px|left|Plummer signs a football at Broncos training camp in 2006]]
After spending 5 seasons in [[Arizona]], Plummer signed as a free agent with the [[Denver Broncos]] in [[2003 Denver Broncos season|2003]], replacing [[Brian Griese]]. Though the laid-back Plummer would clash often with the domineering head coach [[Mike Shanahan]],<ref name=si.ret /> his guidance helped Plummer finish with a career-high 91.2 quarterback rating. On September 22, he had the longest run by a Broncos QB on [[Monday Night Football]], a 40-yard scramble in a 31–10 win over the [[Oakland Raiders]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200309220den.htm|title=Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos – September 22nd, 2003 – Pro-Football-Reference.com|work=Pro-Football-Reference.com}}</ref> He led the Broncos to a wild card playoff berth, where the Broncos were beaten 41–10 by the [[Indianapolis Colts]].

In [[2004 Denver Broncos season|2004]] he matched or surpassed several of Broncos [[NFL Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]] QB [[John Elway]]'s passing records (including passing yardage and passing touchdowns in a single season). In the opening game victory against [[Kansas City Chiefs|Kansas City]], he reached 20,000 career passing yards. In the eighth game, he threw for a spectacular 499 yards and four touchdowns against [[Atlanta Falcons|Atlanta]]. However, continuing a career-long shortcoming, he also threw three interceptions in the loss, and led the league that season with twenty. He led the Broncos to a second straight wild card playoff berth, but the Broncos were again beaten by the Colts 49–24, despite Plummer's 103.1 [[passer rating]] in the contest.

In [[2005 Denver Broncos season|2005]],  Plummer experienced arguably his best season as a professional. He threw 229 passes without an interception, the longest such streak of his career. He also began serving as Denver's holder, which he would continue to do through the 2006 season, as well. Along the way, Plummer helped the Broncos compile a 13–3 record, a #2 seed, and a first round bye in the AFC playoffs (behind the Colts). He also earned a Pro Bowl selection. The Broncos' first game was against the [[New England Patriots]] in the AFC Divisional Game at Invesco Field. Although not outstanding, Plummer's performance (15-for-26 for 197 yards, one touchdown, one interception) helped the Broncos break the Patriots' winning streak of eleven postseason games and gain their first postseason victory since [[Super Bowl XXXIII]]. However, Plummer accounted for four turnovers in the AFC Championship game and the Broncos were defeated 34–17 by the eventual Super Bowl champion [[Pittsburgh Steelers]].

On November 27, 2006, after a lackluster performance in the first eleven games, and following back-to-back losses to the [[San Diego Chargers]] and [[Kansas City Chiefs]], head coach Mike Shanahan announced that Plummer would be replaced at starting quarterback by rookie [[Jay Cutler]]. The decision to hand a 7–4 team over to a rookie quarterback was met by fans and media with mixed reactions.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=334&storyID=6292 |title=Cutler to Start |access-date=November 29, 2006 |last=Mason |first=Andrew |date=November 27, 2006 |publisher=DenverBroncos.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061129040145/http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=334&storyID=6292 |archive-date=November 29, 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=si.ret /> Those who viewed Plummer as inconsistent heralded the change as one that would revive the Broncos' struggling offense;<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.denverpost.com/ci_4722797 |title=Start the Cutler era |access-date=August 23, 2008 |last=Klis |first=Mike |date=November 26, 2006 |publisher=denverpost.com }}</ref> others claimed such a move was ill-advised, especially given that Plummer had guided the Broncos to the AFC Championship game the year before; Plummer had also been 40–18 with Denver in both regular season and playoff games, while leading his teams to thirty game-tying/winning drives in his career, a league high. In the last game of the season, Plummer came off the bench against the [[San Francisco 49ers]] after Cutler suffered a concussion. He played the remainder of the first half before Cutler played the second half.

As of the 2017 NFL off-season, Plummer holds at least two Broncos franchise records, including:
* Passing Yards: game (499 on 2004-10-31 ATL)
* Passer Rating: playoff season (103.1 in 2004)

===Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2007)===
On March 3, 2007, Plummer was traded to the [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]] for a 2008 conditional draft pick. However, rumors began to surface that Plummer was going to choose retirement over competition with the Buccaneers' four other quarterbacks on the roster ([[Bruce Gradkowski]], [[Tim Rattay]], [[Jeff Garcia]], and [[Luke McCown]]).<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.denverpost.com/ci_5340491 | title=Plummer refuses to take trade | publisher=DenverPost.com | date=March 2, 2007 | access-date=March 2, 2007 | author=Bill Williamson}}</ref> On March 9, Plummer ended the speculation by announcing his decision to retire.<ref name=si.ret/> Plummer also confirmed his retirement through the Jake Plummer Foundation's website.<ref>{{cite news| title= Plummer: I'm really retiring | date= March 3, 2007 | publisher=DenverPost.com | url=http://www.denverpost.com/ci_5351843  | first=Mike | last=Klis | access-date=March 13, 2015}}</ref>

Since he was still under contract to the Buccaneers and had already been given his contract signing bonus, Tampa Bay coach [[Jon Gruden]] met with Plummer in July to try to convince him to reconsider and report for training camp.<ref name=si.ret/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pewterreport.com/articles/view/3143 |title=Bucs News & Notes July 26, 2007 |publisher=PewterReport.com |date=July 26, 2007 |access-date=July 26, 2007 |author=Jim Flynn |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927211029/http://www.pewterreport.com/articles/view/3143 |archive-date=September 27, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> However, the attempt was unsuccessful and the team sued for recovery of the bonus. A settlement was finally reached on June 10, 2008, in which Plummer was required to pay back $3.5 million to the Buccaneers.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_9534656 | work=Denver Post | first=Mike | last=Klis | title=Plummer, Bucs reach settlement | date=June 10, 2008}}</ref>