How did Daunte Culpepper end up playing for the Detroit Lions?

After spending multiple years with the Minnesota Vikings, quarterback Daunte Culpepper finished up his NFL career as a member of the Detroit Lions.

After his seven-year career with the Minnesota Vikings ended on a sour note during the 2006 offseason, quarterback Daunte Culpepper found himself back in the NFC in the middle of the 2008 campaign when he agreed to a deal with the Detroit Lions.

The Lions were the worst team in the NFL in 2008, and they were just looking for some sort of spark when they decided to sign Culpepper.

Unfortunately, the former Vikings quarterback wasn’t much help, as Detroit went on to end the 2008 season as the first team in league history to finish with an 0-16 record.

Detroit Lions were final NFL stop for former Minnesota Vikings QB Daunte Culpepper

Before signing with the Lions, Culpepper spent the 2006 season with the Miami Dolphins and the 2007 season with the Oakland Raiders. Neither stint went well for the veteran quarterback, and it was clear he was nearing the end of his time in the league.

Culpepper had offers to join the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers during the 2008 offseason, but the former Minnesota first-round pick declined both opportunities, and he actually opted to retire instead.

It didn’t take for Culpepper to get the itch to play again though. After declining to meet with the Kansas City Chiefs, he signed with Detroit during the middle of the 2008 campaign.

With the Lions, the veteran quarterback was very far removed from the player who was once an MVP contender with the Vikings.

Culpepper started 10 games in two seasons with Detroit, and all of these starts resulted in losses. During these 10 games, the former Minnesota quarterback completed just 54.8 percent of his passes for seven touchdowns and 12 interceptions while averaging less than 135 passing yards per contest.

A start against the Chicago Bears in the 2009 regular-season finale was not only Culpepper’s last appearance in a Lions uniform, but it was also the last time he got a snap in an NFL game.

It was an unfortunate end to a career that once seemed very promising during his first few seasons in Minnesota. But injuries, a decline in performance, and contract demands ultimately resulted in Culpepper’s time in the NFL looking like a gigantic missed opportunity.