When was the last time a franchise QB willingly left a team?

[teeray]

The Op didn't ask who forced their way out of town:

No one thought Kurt Warner was still a franchise QB after he left St. Louis. He was awful his last two seasons there. And he was released, and it wasn't his decision to leave St. Louis.

[teeray]

I remember those talks here, and I'm pretty sure all the arguments for him were not because he was a franchise QB but some felt he could be a serviceable stopgap since at one point no one trout there were any franchise QBs in that draft. At best he was viewed as a potential Delhomme.

That would have been even worse. Who would trade 2 early round picks for a stop gap QB??

[Kevin Greene]

No one thought Kurt Warner was still a franchise QB after he left St. Louis. He was awful his last two seasons there. And he was released, and it wasn't his decision to leave St. Louis.

Apparently they were wrong. ;)

[JawnyBlaze]

Yea, woulda been catastrophic.

[Brooklyn Bully]

While Cam is indeed our franchise, he's not yet a Top 5 QB. So the better question to ask is, has a starter ever willingly gone on to a different team. Many come to mind: Brees, Orton, The Golden Calf of Bristol (from Playoffs to laughing stock), P. Manning, Montana, Warner, Delhomme, Pennington, Bledsoe, McNair, Favre, Palmer, Campbell... you know what, it's almost 4 AM and I'm tired, I don't even know what I'm typing or if I'm making sense. But the fact is, great QBs have indeed changed teams. The elite usually don't though. So if Cam continues to trend toward being elite, he won't go anywhere. If he just stays great on an average team, anything is possible.

[JawnyBlaze]

Yea, if the discussion was "has an above average QB ever changed teams for any reason whatsoever" you'd be right. But I don't think that's the point of this thread. I think the point of it was "has a franchise QB (something Cam is and half the guys you listed aren't) ever left a team because he didn't want to be a part of that organization any more (not because the organization didnt want him any more)?" The answer to that question is very very rarely.

[teeray]

While Cam is indeed our franchise, he's not yet a Top 5 QB. So the better question to ask is, has a starter ever willingly gone on to a different team. Many come to mind: Brees, Orton, The Golden Calf of Bristol (from Playoffs to laughing stock), P. Manning, Montana, Warner, Delhomme, Pennington, Bledsoe, McNair, Favre, Palmer, Campbell... you know what, it's almost 4 AM and I'm tired, I don't even know what I'm typing or if I'm making sense. But the fact is, great QBs have indeed changed teams. The elite usually don't though. So if Cam continues to trend toward being elite, he won't go anywhere. If he just stays great on an average team, anything is possible.

It doesn't, get some sleep.

Literally everyone you listed was either effectively forced out or was traded. All left against their will.

[Argus Plexus]

My God, the Brees/Rivers thing was sooooo long ago.

[Floppin]

The premise of this thread was basically this:

"What QB's in history have left their current team for another team, while their current team was actively trying to keep them?"

The answer....pretty much no one. You guys arguing about Warner are missing the point. It's not whether he was still a good QB - the question was whether the team he was currently on was actively trying to keep him around. The answer in every case, especially for Warner, was NO.

None of these examples apply to Cam because the idea that we won't seriously try to retain Cam, come contract time, is absolutely retarded, baring some serious regression or injury.

We will be offering him huge money, and no QB in history has forsaken their current team for another when their current team is offering them a comparable contract.

[Keith Moons Liver]

How many teams with franchise QBs have been as mismanaged as the panthers? The teams that can equal us in front office ineptitude rarely get a chance to work with a guy like Cam. We got a huge gift with him and seem to be doing everything in our power to squander it.

[teeray]

The premise of this thread was basically this:

"What QB's in history have left their current team for another team, while their current team was actively trying to keep them"

The answer....pretty much no one. You guys arguing about Warner are missing the point. It's not whether he was still a good QB - the question was whether the team he was currently on was actively trying to keep him around. The answer in every case, especially for Warner, was NO.

None of these examples apply to Cam because the idea that we won't seriously try to retain Cam, come contract time, is absolutely retarded, baring some serious regression or injury.

We will be offering him huge money, and no QB in history has forsaken their current team for another when their current team is offering them a comparable contract.

Thank you for explaining the point of my thread about 1,000x better than I did. :goodjob:

[solorca]

Carson Palmer is the only recent one, That's why the idea of Cam Newton leaving is such a crazy idea. The only way he leaves is if he crashes and burns in some way, and the team goes in another direction.

Franchise QB's don't leave teams until the team is ready to have a new QB.

[rodeo]

Almost all of the elite QBs you're thinking of who never changed teams were on successful teams. How many elite QBs suffered through their entire rookie contract and never had a winning season and then decided to stick around?

[teeray]

Almost all of the elite QBs you're thinking of who never changed teams were on successful teams. How many elite QBs suffered through their entire rookie contract and never had a winning season and then decided to stick around?

Fairly or unfairly, if you don't have a winning season in 4 years most people wouldn't consider you a successful QB.