Plummer retires to avoid trade to Tampa Bay
The Bucs want Jake Plummer, but the feeling isn't mutual.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made a deal to acquire the quarterback from Denver on Friday for a fourth-round draft pick in this year's draft.
But according to a league source, Plummer has decided to retire, nullifying the deal that would have sent him to Tampa Bay. Plummer apparently was not interested in joining a team which would not name him to an immediate starting spot, which the Buccaneers refused to do.
Plummer would have had to battle returning starter Chris Simms for the starting job in Tampa Bay. The deal also could have opened the door for an AFC West battle between the Broncos and Oakland Raiders for the rights to free agent signal caller Jeff Garcia, who has received initial interest from both teams.
Plummer lost his job in Denver last season to rookie Jay Cutler after playing inconsistently over the first half of the season. Plummer also fell out of favor with the Broncos during the playoffs in the 2005 season after a poor performance in the AFC championship game against Pittsburgh.
The 32-year-old Plummer finished last season with 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 11 starts. Plummer played well in the previous three seasons, throwing 60 touchdowns and 34 interceptions in that span.
Plummer seemed to lose his confidence as last season progressed. After losing his starting job, Plummer was upset with how Denver coach Mike Shanahan dealt with the change. Plummer was particularly angry that he received a phone call from his position coach to inform him of the change rather than hearing directly from Shanahan.
