Trent Green
Encyclopedia
Trent Jason Green is a retired professional American football quarterback. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers
in the eighth round of the 1993 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Indiana University
.
Green played for the BC Lions
, Washington Redskins
, St. Louis Rams
, Kansas City Chiefs
and Miami Dolphins
. He earned a Super Bowl ring
with the Rams and was selected to two Pro Bowl
s with the Chiefs.
He is currently a color commentator
for NFL on Fox
, as well as an analyst on NFL Network
's signature show, NFL Total Access
.
, and attended St. John Vianney High School
in Kirkwood, Missouri
, a suburb of St. Louis.
, he finally became a NFL starter in 1998 with the Washington Redskins. That year, Trent threw for 3,441 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Soon after Green rejected a 4-year $12 million offer from the Redskins and on February 15, 1999, Green signed a 4-year $17.5 million contract with the St. Louis Rams which included a $4.5 million signing bonus.
, a player for Green's former team, the Chargers. Kurt Warner
took over and led the Rams to the Super Bowl XXXIV
championship against the Tennessee Titans
. The next year, Green started the season as a backup again. He started most of the middle of the season while Warner was out with a broken hand. The Warner/Green duo led the Rams to the highest team passing yard total in NFL history, with 5,232 net yards. Due to a poor defensive unit, the Rams were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round by the New Orleans Saints
. Nine of the eleven defensive starters would be cut during the offseason. Green was traded during the offseason to the Kansas City Chiefs, who had just lost Elvis Grbac
to the Baltimore Ravens
.
In 2005, the Chiefs, with an improved defense, improved their record to 10-6, but failed to make the playoffs. Green had another strong season in 2005, throwing for 4,010 yards (second only to New England's
Tom Brady
), and only throwing just 10 interceptions, his lowest season total ever. Green was elected to his second Pro Bowl following the season. With a third consecutive 4,000 yard season, Green joins Drew Bledsoe
, Brett Favre
, Peyton Manning
, Dan Marino
, Dan Fouts
, Drew Brees
, Kurt Warner
, Tom Brady
, Philip Rivers
and Warren Moon
as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to pass for more than 4,000 yards in three or more seasons during their careers. Green has the distinction of having three consecutive seasons with a QB rating of 90.0 or better. Green has started 80 consecutive games during his first five years with the Chiefs, a team record.
Green's 2006 season was put in jeopardy by a severe concussion he suffered during the first game of the season on September 10, 2006, against the Cincinnati Bengals
in Kansas City
.
In a bizarre confluence of events, a scrambling Green attempted to slide during a third quarter play, but was hit hard by Cincinnati defensive end Robert Geathers
, who had lowered his shoulders, but instead struck the quarterback in an unusual position. However, the official determined that no foul had been committed and Geathers insisted that he had tried to check up, but was pushed by Chiefs receiver
Eddie Kennison
.
CBS
announcer Randy Cross
, a former offensive lineman with the San Francisco 49ers
, believed the hit was unintentional and supported the officials' decision. National Football League officials took the same position and, on September 13, 2006, declined to fine Robert Geathers because he did not have complete control of his body.
Green was rendered unconscious and the game was delayed for over fifteen minutes while he received medical attention. He reportedly regained consciousness in the tunnel and could not recall the play. According to Chiefs general manager Carl Peterson
, preliminary X-ray
s revealed a "very, very severe concussion" and stated that Green would be out indefinitely.
On Saturday, October 21, 2006, it was reported that Trent Green was cleared by doctors to return to practice. Chiefs president and general manager Carl Peterson said that this does not mean that he is cleared to play. Peterson confirmed that Green's return to practice would be in a controlled environment to see how far along he is in his recovery from a "very, very severe concussion."
On November 15, 2006, Kansas City Chiefs head coach, Herman Edwards
announced that Trent Green would take back his starting quarterback job from Damon Huard
who took over when Green suffered a concussion.
. Green initially was asked to take a pay cut in his 2007 salary, and had been granted permission to seek a trade to another team. Teams interested included the Miami Dolphins (who offered a seventh round draft pick to the Chiefs, but the Chiefs declined, instead seeking a fifth round pick), the Detroit Lions
, and Cleveland Browns
were also interested in Green prior to the 2007 NFL Draft
. Green was not traded on draft weekend as previously expected. Trent Green said he would not return to Kansas City, therefore making his release possible. Green had told the Chiefs that Miami was his preference being that he previously worked under both head coach Cam Cameron
and quarterbacks coach Terry Shea
.
On June 5, the Chiefs agreed to trade Green to the Miami Dolphins for a conditional fifth round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft
, pending a physical from Green which was subsequently passed. Green was introduced at a news conference in Miami on June 6. The draft pick would have become a fourth-round pick if Green played more than 70 percent of Miami's offensive plays. On August 20 the Dolphins named Green the starter with Cleo Lemon
named as his backup, despite the fact that neither of them had thrown a TD pass to that point in pre-season play. Second round pick John Beck was named third string.
Green's position with his new team—as well as his career—was instantly put in jeopardy on October 7 as he suffered another severe concussion early in a game against the Texans at Houston. With just under 4 minutes to play in the first quarter, Green put his shoulder low to the knees of 315-pound Houston defensive tackle Travis Johnson
in a successful attempt to block him on a play that started with a fumbled handoff to Dolphins rookie WR Ted Ginn Jr. Ginn, who was running right-to-left across the backfield when the exchange was fumbled, recovered the ball near the sidelines and then reversed field. Johnson went down in a sprawling tumble on the block at the same time Green fell face-down to the turf, knocked out cold after striking Johnson's knee with his helmet. Johnson, upon getting up and seeing Ginn had been stopped and the play ended, immediately walked towards Green's body, jabbing his finger at the motionless quarterback. Johnson was flagged with a 15-yard penalty for taunting, and medical personnel quickly made their way to Green. After being examined on the field for nearly five minutes, Green was carted off on a stretcher as Cleo Lemon stepped in to take his place.
After the game an angry Travis Johnson had harsh words for Green, comparing him to "the scarecrow [who] wants to get courage" and calling the block "malicious." Texans head coach Gary Kubiak
, while in some ways siding with Johnson in saying that NFL officials should review the rules on "chop" blocks, also called Johnson's reaction over a fallen player "inexcusable."
While many fans and sportswriters alike called for Green to retire, Green was back with the team in practice, albeit in street clothes, the Friday after the injury after returning from Kansas City
where he was evaluated by the same medical team that made the diagnosis in 2006. Coach Cam Cameron had initially expressed his plans for Green to return to the game before the end of the 2007 season. However, on October 20, 2007, the Dolphins announced that Green would be placed on injured reserve, and made Cleo Lemon their starting quarterback. Following the season, Green became one of nine players released by the Dolphins on February 11, 2008.
On November 9, 2008, against the Jets, Green took over for Marc Bulger
after Bulger was shut out by the Jets in the first half (after which the Jets led 40-0, cued by four first-half Rams turnovers).
The Rams released Green on February 25, 2009. Green officially announced his retirement on June 12, 2009, citing a desire to pursue a career in broadcasting. Green's agent
, Jim Steiner, said "He had a long, prosperous, very successful career. He believes he can still play, but the demand isn't real high out there right now and he's not the type of guy who is going to sit around for four or five months waiting for the phone to ring."
, Green will serve as a color analyst on regional NFL games for the Fox
network, as well as a studio analyst for the NFL Total Access
show on the NFL Network
.
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the eighth round of the 1993 NFL Draft
1993 NFL Draft
The 1993 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 25-26, 1993...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Indiana University
Indiana Hoosiers football
The Indiana Hoosiers football program represents Indiana University Bloomington in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and in the Big Ten Conference.-Bowl games:...
.
Green played for the BC Lions
BC Lions
The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
, Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
, Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
and Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He earned a Super Bowl ring
Super Bowl ring
The Super Bowl ring is an award in the National Football League given to the winners of the league's annual championship game, the Super Bowl...
with the Rams and was selected to two Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
s with the Chiefs.
He is currently a color commentator
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
for NFL on Fox
NFL on FOX
NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
, as well as an analyst on NFL Network
NFL Network
NFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
's signature show, NFL Total Access
NFL Total Access
NFL Total Access is a television news program on the NFL Network.The network treats it as the league's "show of record" and bills it as the only year-round show dedicated to the National Football League, despite the ESPN show NFL Live running year round as well.NFL Total Access is primarily hosted...
.
Early years
Green grew up in St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, and attended St. John Vianney High School
St. John Vianney High School (Kirkwood, Missouri)
St. John Vianney High School is a private, all male, Catholic college preparatory high school located in Kirkwood, Missouri. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Louis. The school was founded by the Society of Mary , a religious order of priests and brothers who continue to...
in Kirkwood, Missouri
Kirkwood, Missouri
Kirkwood is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in St. Louis County, Missouri. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,540. Founded in 1853, the city is named for James Pugh Kirkwood, builder of the Pacific Railroad through that town. It was the first planned suburb located west...
, a suburb of St. Louis.
College career
Green played college football at Indiana where during his four year career, threw for 5,400 yards with 23 touchdowns and 32 interceptions. He graduated with a degree in business.Early career
In 1993, Green was drafted as the twenty-sixth pick in the eighth round and 222nd overall by the San Diego Chargers. He spent a year as a backup and saw no playing time. After being cut in 1994 by the BC Lions of the Canadian Football LeagueCanadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
, he finally became a NFL starter in 1998 with the Washington Redskins. That year, Trent threw for 3,441 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Soon after Green rejected a 4-year $12 million offer from the Redskins and on February 15, 1999, Green signed a 4-year $17.5 million contract with the St. Louis Rams which included a $4.5 million signing bonus.
First stint with Rams
In 1999 Green was slated to be the starter for the Rams, but suffered a season-ending injury in a preseason game on a hit to the knee by Rodney HarrisonRodney Harrison
Rodney Scott Harrison is a retired professional football player of the National Football League. Harrison played safety for the San Diego Chargers and New England Patriots...
, a player for Green's former team, the Chargers. Kurt Warner
Kurt Warner
Kurtis Eugene "Kurt" Warner is a retired American football player. He played quarterback for three National Football League teams: the St. Louis Rams, the New York Giants, and the Arizona Cardinals. He was originally signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 1994 after playing...
took over and led the Rams to the Super Bowl XXXIV
Super Bowl XXXIV
Super Bowl XXXIV featured the National Football Conference champion St. Louis Rams and the American Football Conference champion Tennessee Titans in an American football game to decide the National Football League champion for the 1999 regular season...
championship against the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
. The next year, Green started the season as a backup again. He started most of the middle of the season while Warner was out with a broken hand. The Warner/Green duo led the Rams to the highest team passing yard total in NFL history, with 5,232 net yards. Due to a poor defensive unit, the Rams were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round by the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
. Nine of the eleven defensive starters would be cut during the offseason. Green was traded during the offseason to the Kansas City Chiefs, who had just lost Elvis Grbac
Elvis Grbac
Elvis M. Grbac is a retired American football quarterback who played in the NFL. During his career he was a starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, the Kansas City Chiefs, and Baltimore Ravens...
to the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
.
Kansas City Chiefs
During his first season in Kansas City, Green struggled despite the presence of tight end Tony Gonzalez and running back Priest Holmes. He threw for 3,783 yards and 17 touchdowns, but also threw 24 interceptions, inspiring KC Chiefsplanet Hall of Famer Phobia to dub him "Trint", the letters "INT" being the common abbreviation for interception. Green showed marked improvement in 2002, throwing 26 touchdowns to only 13 interceptions as the Chiefs went 8-8. Also notable, Green tied the record for longest career pass play (99 Yards) on December 22nd, 2002 on a pass to Marc Boerigter in a game against the San Diego Chargers. In 2003, Green had his breakout year, throwing for 4,039 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He led the Chiefs to a 13-3 record and a first-round bye in the playoffs. However, in the divisional playoff game, they lost a 38-31 shootout to Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. The game was notable for there being no punts by either team, a first in NFL playoff history. Green was elected to his first Pro Bowl that year. The next season, the Chiefs went 7-9 as Priest Holmes suffered a knee injury in their eighth game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Tampa, Florida and missed the rest of the regular season. At the time, he was leading the league in both rushing and scoring. However, Green still had a stellar year, passing for 4,591 yards, 27 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions. His passing total for 2004 was second only to Minnesota's Daunte CulpepperIn 2005, the Chiefs, with an improved defense, improved their record to 10-6, but failed to make the playoffs. Green had another strong season in 2005, throwing for 4,010 yards (second only to New England's
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
), and only throwing just 10 interceptions, his lowest season total ever. Green was elected to his second Pro Bowl following the season. With a third consecutive 4,000 yard season, Green joins Drew Bledsoe
Drew Bledsoe
Drew McQueen Bledsoe is a former football quarterback in the National Football League, best known as the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots from 1993-2001. During the 1990s, he was considered the face of the Patriots franchise...
, Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
, Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
, Dan Marino
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
, Dan Fouts
Dan Fouts
Daniel Francis Fouts is a retired Hall of Fame American football quarterback in the National Football League. Fouts played his entire professional career with the San Diego Chargers from 1973 through 1987...
, Drew Brees
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....
, Kurt Warner
Kurt Warner
Kurtis Eugene "Kurt" Warner is a retired American football player. He played quarterback for three National Football League teams: the St. Louis Rams, the New York Giants, and the Arizona Cardinals. He was originally signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 1994 after playing...
, Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
, Philip Rivers
Philip Rivers
Philip Rivers is an American football quarterback for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League . He was one half of the Manning-Rivers draft trade which sent him to San Diego and the 1st overall pick, Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning, to the New York Giants. Rivers played college...
and Warren Moon
Warren Moon
Harold Warren Moon is a former American professional gridiron football quarterback who played for the Canadian Football League's Edmonton Eskimos and the National Football League's Houston Oilers, Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs...
as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to pass for more than 4,000 yards in three or more seasons during their careers. Green has the distinction of having three consecutive seasons with a QB rating of 90.0 or better. Green has started 80 consecutive games during his first five years with the Chiefs, a team record.
Green's 2006 season was put in jeopardy by a severe concussion he suffered during the first game of the season on September 10, 2006, against the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
in Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
.
In a bizarre confluence of events, a scrambling Green attempted to slide during a third quarter play, but was hit hard by Cincinnati defensive end Robert Geathers
Robert Geathers
Robert Geathers is an American football player who currently plays defensive end and linebacker for the Cincinnati Bengals. Geathers played at Choppee High School and later at Carvers Bay High School. As a senior, he recorded 100 tackles and nine sacks on defense and played quarterback on offense...
, who had lowered his shoulders, but instead struck the quarterback in an unusual position. However, the official determined that no foul had been committed and Geathers insisted that he had tried to check up, but was pushed by Chiefs receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Eddie Kennison
Eddie Kennison
Edward Joseph "Eddie" Kennison, III is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams 18th overall in the 1996 NFL Draft...
.
CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
announcer Randy Cross
Randy Cross
Randall "Randy" Laureat Cross , is a football analyst and former NFL offensive lineman. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in July 2011.-High school years:...
, a former offensive lineman with the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
, believed the hit was unintentional and supported the officials' decision. National Football League officials took the same position and, on September 13, 2006, declined to fine Robert Geathers because he did not have complete control of his body.
Green was rendered unconscious and the game was delayed for over fifteen minutes while he received medical attention. He reportedly regained consciousness in the tunnel and could not recall the play. According to Chiefs general manager Carl Peterson
Carl Peterson
Carl D. Peterson grew up in Long Beach, California, and is an alumnus of UCLA. He is best known as the former president, general manager, and chief executive officer of the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League...
, preliminary X-ray
X-ray
X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...
s revealed a "very, very severe concussion" and stated that Green would be out indefinitely.
On Saturday, October 21, 2006, it was reported that Trent Green was cleared by doctors to return to practice. Chiefs president and general manager Carl Peterson said that this does not mean that he is cleared to play. Peterson confirmed that Green's return to practice would be in a controlled environment to see how far along he is in his recovery from a "very, very severe concussion."
On November 15, 2006, Kansas City Chiefs head coach, Herman Edwards
Herman Edwards
Herman "Herm" Edwards, Jr. is an American football analyst who most recently coached in the National Football League for the Kansas City Chiefs. He was fired from this position on January 23, 2009. Since then, he has been hired as a football analyst for ESPN...
announced that Trent Green would take back his starting quarterback job from Damon Huard
Damon Huard
Damon Paul Huard is a former American football quarterback. He was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 1996. He played college football at Washington....
who took over when Green suffered a concussion.
Miami Dolphins
On February 27, 2007, Damon Huard was re-signed by the Chiefs for $7.5 million over 3 years, causing a "quarterback controversy" in Kansas CityKansas City Chiefs quarterbacks
The National Football League's Kansas City Chiefs have had a total of 31 quarterbacks to start a game in their franchise's history. The team has also had numerous backup quarterbacks that have stolen the spotlight from the starters....
. Green initially was asked to take a pay cut in his 2007 salary, and had been granted permission to seek a trade to another team. Teams interested included the Miami Dolphins (who offered a seventh round draft pick to the Chiefs, but the Chiefs declined, instead seeking a fifth round pick), the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
, and Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
were also interested in Green prior to the 2007 NFL Draft
2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
. Green was not traded on draft weekend as previously expected. Trent Green said he would not return to Kansas City, therefore making his release possible. Green had told the Chiefs that Miami was his preference being that he previously worked under both head coach Cam Cameron
Cam Cameron
-External links:...
and quarterbacks coach Terry Shea
Terry Shea
Terry Shea is a former college and NFL football coach. Currently, Shea does quarterback consulting work for future NFL draft prospects. Most recently he worked with Sam Bradford , Matthew Stafford and Josh Freeman . From 1964 to 1967, he was one of the quarterbacks on the University of Oregon's...
.
On June 5, the Chiefs agreed to trade Green to the Miami Dolphins for a conditional fifth round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
, pending a physical from Green which was subsequently passed. Green was introduced at a news conference in Miami on June 6. The draft pick would have become a fourth-round pick if Green played more than 70 percent of Miami's offensive plays. On August 20 the Dolphins named Green the starter with Cleo Lemon
Cleo Lemon
Cleo "Cleonardo" Lemon, Jr. is a Canadian football quarterback in the Canadian Football League who is currently a free agent. He most recently played for the Toronto Argonauts. He was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2002...
named as his backup, despite the fact that neither of them had thrown a TD pass to that point in pre-season play. Second round pick John Beck was named third string.
Green's position with his new team—as well as his career—was instantly put in jeopardy on October 7 as he suffered another severe concussion early in a game against the Texans at Houston. With just under 4 minutes to play in the first quarter, Green put his shoulder low to the knees of 315-pound Houston defensive tackle Travis Johnson
Travis Johnson
Travis Johnson is an American football defensive end who is currently a free agent in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
in a successful attempt to block him on a play that started with a fumbled handoff to Dolphins rookie WR Ted Ginn Jr. Ginn, who was running right-to-left across the backfield when the exchange was fumbled, recovered the ball near the sidelines and then reversed field. Johnson went down in a sprawling tumble on the block at the same time Green fell face-down to the turf, knocked out cold after striking Johnson's knee with his helmet. Johnson, upon getting up and seeing Ginn had been stopped and the play ended, immediately walked towards Green's body, jabbing his finger at the motionless quarterback. Johnson was flagged with a 15-yard penalty for taunting, and medical personnel quickly made their way to Green. After being examined on the field for nearly five minutes, Green was carted off on a stretcher as Cleo Lemon stepped in to take his place.
After the game an angry Travis Johnson had harsh words for Green, comparing him to "the scarecrow [who] wants to get courage" and calling the block "malicious." Texans head coach Gary Kubiak
Gary Kubiak
Gary Wayne Kubiak is the head coach for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. Kubiak has participated in six Super Bowls, losing three as a player with the Denver Broncos and winning three as an assistant coach with Denver and the San Francisco 49ers.-High school:Kubiak passed for a...
, while in some ways siding with Johnson in saying that NFL officials should review the rules on "chop" blocks, also called Johnson's reaction over a fallen player "inexcusable."
While many fans and sportswriters alike called for Green to retire, Green was back with the team in practice, albeit in street clothes, the Friday after the injury after returning from Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
where he was evaluated by the same medical team that made the diagnosis in 2006. Coach Cam Cameron had initially expressed his plans for Green to return to the game before the end of the 2007 season. However, on October 20, 2007, the Dolphins announced that Green would be placed on injured reserve, and made Cleo Lemon their starting quarterback. Following the season, Green became one of nine players released by the Dolphins on February 11, 2008.
Second stint with Rams
On March 10, 2008, Green agreed to a three-year deal worth about $9 million with the St. Louis Rams, rejoining the team he played for in 1999 and 2000. On Tuesday September 23, 2008, Trent was named the starter of the Rams for week 4 of the 2008 season versus the Bills. He completed 17 of 32 passes for 236 yards, one interception and a quarterback rating of 64.1.On November 9, 2008, against the Jets, Green took over for Marc Bulger
Marc Bulger
Marc Robert Bulger [] is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at West Virginia....
after Bulger was shut out by the Jets in the first half (after which the Jets led 40-0, cued by four first-half Rams turnovers).
The Rams released Green on February 25, 2009. Green officially announced his retirement on June 12, 2009, citing a desire to pursue a career in broadcasting. Green's agent
Sports agent
A sports agent procures and negotiates employment and endorsement contracts for an athlete.In return, the sports agent generally receives between 4 and 10% of the athlete's playing contract, and 10 to 20% of the athlete's endorsement contract, though these figures vary...
, Jim Steiner, said "He had a long, prosperous, very successful career. He believes he can still play, but the demand isn't real high out there right now and he's not the type of guy who is going to sit around for four or five months waiting for the phone to ring."
Broadcasting
Beginning in the 2009 NFL season2009 NFL season
The 2009 NFL season was the 90th regular season of the National Football League.The preseason started with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on August 9, 2009, and the regular season began September 10. The season ended with Super Bowl XLIV, the league's championship game, on February 7, 2010 at...
, Green will serve as a color analyst on regional NFL games for the Fox
NFL on FOX
NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
network, as well as a studio analyst for the NFL Total Access
NFL Total Access
NFL Total Access is a television news program on the NFL Network.The network treats it as the league's "show of record" and bills it as the only year-round show dedicated to the National Football League, despite the ESPN show NFL Live running year round as well.NFL Total Access is primarily hosted...
show on the NFL Network
NFL Network
NFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
.