During a recent interview with Vic Lombardi and Gary Miller of ESPN Radio in Denver, former NFL quarterback Jake Plummer teed off, a little, on former Broncos coach Mike Shanahan.
You can listen to the whole thing (while watching video of hosts who look like they just rolled out of bed to do the show) right here.
He agreed that his time in Denver was a positive experience, pointing out that "one guy isn't gonna make me hate Denver or hate my experience there."
Plummer was referring to Shanahan.
The Broncos' former head coach drafted Jay Cutler in 2006, benched Plummer during Cutler's rookie season, and then traded Plummer to Tampa.
Plummer retired without ever suiting up for the Bucs, and Plummer ultimately had to fork over a nice chunk of bonus money to Tampa.
The quarterback who signed in Denver after completing his rookie deal in Arizona compared his own exile from Denver to Shanahan's eventual departure, explaining that the NFL often pushes guys aside and moves forward.
And Plummer couldn't resist taking a crack at Shanahan's height. Or lack of it.
As the hosts were talking about the size of Shanahan's new mansion, and pointing out that the coach apparently upset that people are saying it's smaller than it really is, Plummer had this to say: "Well, he was what only five-four? But he wants them to think he's
five-six. Hey man, that's just like his mansion, he wants you to think
it's bigger than it is."
But Plummer doesn't hold a grudge. Or so he claims.
"Hey, you know what, if I saw the man I'd go shake his hand," Plummer said. "Geez, he gave me a chance to put a stamp on my career of a winner. . . . I have to live with myself, he's gotta live with himself down the road. So, you know, I don't have hard feelings and I don't hold grudges. He got his due there. I think it was a year past due, he should have been gone a year before, and I've already said all that stuff . . . . He'll find himself coaching somewhere again and, you know, cutting some other quarterback for another young kid."
Plummer was laughing through much of that. But his point is clear -- he doesn't agree with the manner in which his tenure in Denver ended, and he still blames Shanahan for it.
Plummer takes a few jabs at Shanahan
Posted by Mike Florio on July 17, 2009 3:30 PM ET
if I wasn't very good throwing with my right hand and then started throwing with my left hand.... I'd probably be benched and traded too.
As a Denver fan, I have to admit I was a little pissed that Shanny benched Plummer when he did, but with that being said, it didn't take long to see why he made the move. Jay had(has) a rocket arm that made Plummers look like a limp noodle. But I respect Jake and have a great deal of admiration for the guy. Even with that beard he was rockin as an homage for his boy Tillman.
This shouldn't be any great surprise. Yeah, being traded as a professional athlete is part of the business, but I can understand why an athlete would dislike being traded.
Strong words coming from a man that drives a Honda Element
Jake the Snake got a bad deal in Denver. It took Elway his entire career---a great defense and Terrell Davis to win a superbowl. The back to back superbowl temas were amazing all around....Plummer never had the help and always played well. Better rating and winning percentage then Elway. By no means is he a better player, but he had the tools to put them over the top. Shanny never brought the help and slowly dismantled the team with poor decisions. Jay Cutler sucks...
dunno about 07/08 but with plummer in 06 they would have managed one more win and made the playoffs.
Because the Tuna benched Bledsoe for Romo midseason and it worked out well, Shannahan thought he had to do the same with Plummer.
Result? Broncos haven't been to the playoffs since, after going 3 years in a row with Plummer.
Lesson? Don't bench a quarterback that takes you to the AFC Championship Game the year before, for a Rookie.
Love the part about the size of his "mansion."
So what was the reason for not playing in Tampa? Seemed like a very good fit for Plummer, and on a veteran=friendly team too.
I actually liked Plummer as a QB and had hoped that Chicago would have signed him when he was a free agent. Instead he chose to go to Denver and well, you know the rest of the story...
Shanny's hardly taller than Judge Judy?!?!! Wow.
I know this: Denver fired " Rat-Face" Shanny and replaced him with a cross-eyed juvenile. They're gonna really suck this year.
He was always a cool guy, and although my feelings for Denver are less than amicable, I think it was a mistake to go with Cutler the way they did. Yeah, he's a Pro-Bowl QB, but they've gone nowhere in a hurry since then. Go Pats.
$hiT happens
I must have missed something. Has the 2009 season already been played?
plummer..I watched your NFL days at that dump Sun Devil Stadium for years...Not only did you flip off the few people who had season seats ( nice move genius )...You sucked more than you made good plays...Face it, you were damn lucky the Cards and Broncos employed you...Get back to the woods bitter man
Do they not inform QBs in Denver that the NFL is still a business? I hope they've informed Orton.
Plummer's lucky he's not STILL in jail for rape he got away from whilst at ASU. The rest should just be gravy for him, no matter how slighted he feels... snake.
And what kind of man says "I'm going to let one head coach ruin the rest of my NFL career"? If the snake wanted to continue to play football, he could have. Tampa or probably another dozen teams would have let him suit up.
Maybe Shanny saw the half-hearted desire to really make it in the NFL from Plummer and his underlying desire to go play handball in Montana or where ever before Plummer saw it in himself.
As a die-hard bronco fan, I always liked Plummer. Sometimes he made bad choices, but all the guy did was win!
Seriously, it shows sometimes how fickle fans are: we had a guy (Plummer) who was not as tremendously talented who won a lot and people pissed and moaned that he wasn't good enough...
Then we got a guy (Cutler) with amazing physical skills and DIDN'T win, and people pissed and moaned???? What kind of sense does that make...
Shanny's hardly taller than Judge Judy?!?!! Wow.
I saw Shanny in-person when touring the Texans' complex before a preseason game. I was actually surprised with how tall he was. I would imagine he's nearly 6 ft.
too bad shanny cant here plummer behind his 3 rings. GO orange and blue
Plummer the way i see it don't be mad. You got the shaft in Denver sure but the buccaneers gave you the chance to be the starting QB and make a pretty nice check in the process you said you would rather remain a mountain man and now your upset cause you a bit to old to make a comeback.. hmmmm go drink some jack Daniels and hunt squirrels or something no one to blame but your self.
joeschmo:
Your memory is fading. Plummet was NEVER accused of rape.
After he was drafted, drunk at Club Rio, he was accused of molesting two women. One witness described Plummer's actions as those like a ventriloquist working a puppet; in other words, he put his hands under the dress of a woman or two who wasn't pleased. $$$ payoff, problem went away.
But there was NEVER a rape charge.
While Mike Shan. is coaching the 'Skins next year, Jake "the fake" Plummer will be on his ass reminiscing about that Rose Bowl Game. He was a joke as an NFL qb just like , Stafford, Lienhart, and V. Young will be.
Plummer signed with Denver AFTER his second contract with Arizona. That contract included a 17M bonus that the "cheap" Cardinals shelled out.