Daunte: Return might be later In Daunte Culpepper's first news conference as the Dolphins' quarterback, he said he might not be ready to start the season. BY ARMANDO SALGUERO asalguero@MiamiHerald.com Daunte Culpepper thinks the Dolphins have enough talent to be ''great,'' and realizes he represents the hopes of an entire organization. But Miami's new starting quarterback doesn't seem as certain about playing in the regular-season opener as he once did. Those were the major points Culpepper made during his first South Florida news conference Monday. ''I think that with the players we have right now, we have a great opportunity to be a good football team, even to be a great football team,'' Culpepper said in a matter-of-fact tone. ``Not just with the players, but with the coaching staff we have in place. ``I think everything's in place. Everybody needs to fall in line and get to work. And I am very excited about what we can do right now, not in two or three years.'' Nearly a month after coming to Miami via trade from the Minnesota Vikings, Culpepper seemed at home, wearing jean shorts, a white T-shirt and a big smile. IN NO RUSH Culpepper answered seven questions about his rehabilitation from surgery to repair three torn ligaments in his right knee. But in answering those questions he backed off the statement he made last month on ESPN, when he said, ``I definitely will be ready when the season starts, without a doubt.'' ''Well, me personally, that's my goal, but there really is no timeline on when I am going to be 100 percent or ready to play,'' Culpepper said Monday. ``Me personally, that's my personal goal, but I still have a good picture of the whole thing, and I'm real good with reality and I know that an injury like this, it's tough to come back from that quick.'' Culpepper said he is running straight ahead but not making cuts yet. He is trying to strengthen his knee with ``squats, leg extensions, leg curls, things like that.'' He is scheduled this week to visit Dr. James Andrews, who performed the surgery. In previous visits, Andrews has told Culpepper his progress is more than satisfactory. ''He said to me jokingly, and also seriously, that if he had done the surgery 100 times, he didn't think he could have done it any better,'' Culpepper said. ``That's all I really needed to hear. I am going to go at this thing full force. I am going to play the way I have always played with the same tenacity and the same eagerness to make plays and get it done either way, running or throwing. Whatever it takes.'' Culpepper said he has transitioned his rehabilitation program to South Florida, moving from the Orlando facility new Vikings coach Brad Childress had concerns about when Minnesota trainers visited this year. Childress has been critical of Culpepper since the trade to Miami, once comparing him to Terrell Owens because of what Childress has characterized as selfishness. Culpepper declined to answer Childress and through clenched teeth downplayed the personal importance of the Nov. 19 game between Miami and the Vikings. `JUST ANOTHER GAME' ''People say what they want to say, and people are going to make their own opinions, but people who know me know the type of guy I am and know what I am made of,'' Culpepper said. ``As far as the Vikings on our schedule, that's just another game on the schedule. I am going to take it one week at a time. Every game, that's the most important game, that next game. When that time comes, when we play the Vikes, I am going to take it just like I do every other week.'' Culpepper brings to the Dolphins the best credentials of any quarterback since Dan Marino retired. That is one reason season-ticket renewals are ahead of last year's pace, and club owner Wayne Huizenga has talked about the team's Super Bowl expectations. But though not deaf to such hype, Culpepper is apparently not moved by it. ''I just got here. I haven't been out in the community that much besides to stop and get gas or something,'' Culpepper said. ``Somebody might say `Hey man, good luck this year. We're glad you're here.' ``People are welcoming me back to Florida. It's pretty exciting, but like I said, nobody, I don't think, can put any more expectations on us more than we should put on ourselves.''
There's no need to rush his recovery. We still don't know if or when he'll be ready. Right now it's all about rehabing the knee, and hoping everything heals. Time isn't important right now in my opinion.... I'd rather have him 100%{and know it}, mid-way through the 2006 season, than throw him out there too soon, and risk his knee being re-injured.... We can survive with the ground game / defense in Miami until he's ready. Whenever that may be. It's not like we're really worried about the Jets or Bills showing us up this year. Even without Culpepper, we'll make a run at the Pats this year...
I thought Fleming had some inside knowledge about how since he was running sprints, he would be ready for opening day.
He's been throwing, and doing some light running from what I've heard. Not sure about sprints or anything that intense. I think he'll be ready by week 5 at the latest....
Hardly news. Him being ready for opening day has always been optimistic. What matters is that he gets healthy and is our long term solution. Nothing has changed.
Season's over. We might as well throw in the towel, and bow down to the Jets / Pats / and Bills. There's no way Culpepper will ever play again, and now Miami is doomed as a result.... Bwwwwwahhahahahahah!!!!!!!!!!
I thought he could be ready for opening day according to you, Ira. http://forums.theganggreen.com/showthread.php?p=50166#post50166
culpepper :beer: i personally dont see him ready for opening day, and even if he is ready, polamalu is going to destroy him!!!!:beer: :beer: :jets:
Spoken like a guy who revels in his own ignorance. Do you even know what his cap number is? I believe that Culpepper has a lower cap hit than Gus Frerrote did. Now, if you want to talk about a lot of money spent on a guy with no career left, lets talk about Penny's paycheck.
PFT had a report today that Culpepper might not play at all this season or come back very late. Take it with a grain of salt but that's not good news for the phins.
Again, certainly a possibility. But even if he takes almost the whole season to recover, so long as he gets back to his 2004 form he will still be well worth it.
I saw the Fins have a pretty decent season with a group of guys I didn't take for winning 6+ games last year. While Culpepper coming back later doesn't help the bottom line, it doesn't exactly hurt it either. They did a decent job with last years group. I'm sure they can survive a few games early in the season. Culpepper however, is either going to be the seasons comeback story and light it up, or he'll go on to finish spinning his career down the drain. I'm not convinced he's ever going to be as good as his first few years with Moss on the roster. Time will tell though.