Tyler Thigpen
Encyclopedia
Tyler "Dirty Pigpen" Thigpen (born April 14, 1984) is an American football
quarterback
for the Buffalo Bills
of the National Football League
(NFL). Thigpen was drafted out of Coastal Carolina University
in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft
(217th overall) by the Minnesota Vikings
.
Tyler Thigpen was the first quarterback to play for the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers football
team. He led the Chanticleers program to a 30-8 record as starting quarterback. Thigpen holds the single-season and career passing records in every major statistical category at Coastal Carolina.
After seeing little playing time in 2007, Thigpen entered the 2008 Kansas City Chiefs season
as the third-string quarterback, but emerged as the starting quarterback following season-ending injuries to Brodie Croyle
and Damon Huard
. The Chiefs subsequently altered their offensive gameplan to a spread offense to help Thigpen and the rest of the young Chiefs team to play to the best of their abilities. Thigpen recorded 22 touchdowns (18 passing, 3 rushing and 1 receiving) against 12 interceptions in 11 starts, though he led the Chiefs to a 1-10 record. During the 2009 season, the Chiefs acquired quarterback Matt Cassel
and Thigpen was later traded to the Miami Dolphins
.
, and he attended Fairfield Central High School in Winnsboro. He became an All-South Carolina selection as a senior running back
. Thigpen also played wide receiver
and punter in high school while earning the nickname "Dirty Pigpen".
in Conway, South Carolina
, and majored in sports management.
Thigpen was the first quarterback in Coastal Carolina history, and wore the jersey number 16. The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers football program began in 2003. The team competes in the Big South Conference
of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision.
Thigpen and the rest of the Chanticleers' first recruiting class redshirted their freshman year (2002). In 2003 he started nine of ten games for the team and was third on the team's roster in rushing. After the Chanticleers' inaugural season in which the team finished with a 6-5 record, Thigpen led the team to a 10-1 record in 2004. In 2004, Thigpen started the opening 8 games before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury against Gardner-Webb
. In 2005, Thigpen started all 11 games for the Chanticleers and earned the Big South Conference Offensive Player of the Week Award after rushing for 111 yards and 3 touchdowns and throwing for 157 yards in a victory over the Virginia Military Institute
.
In 2006, Thigpen became the first Chanticleer to be chosen a consensus All-American. He registered a career-high 119 rushing yards at Gardner-Webb, including a 76-yard bootleg
. He was named Big South Conference
Player of the Year in 2006, when he completed 217-of-339 passes for 3,296 yards and 29 touchdowns, and carried 113 times for 656 yards and five touchdowns. Thigpen had a 30-8 record in four seasons (41 games and 39 starts). From 2003 to 2006, the Chanticleers had a 34-11 record in Thigpen's four seasons with the team, winning three Big South Conference championships.
He played alongside wide receiver Jerome Simpson
and running back Mike Tolbert
, both current NFL players, to help lead the young Chanticleers program to major victories against #1 James Madison
in 2005, and #3 Furman
in 2006. He led the Chanticleers to the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs and a Big South Conference championship. Thigpen holds the single-season and career passing records in every major statistical category at Coastal Carolina.
to help raise his draft stock.
by the Minnesota Vikings
, becoming the first player in Coastal Carolina and Big South Conference history to be drafted in the NFL.
In the 2007 preseason
, the Vikings hosted the St. Louis Rams
, losing the game by a score of 13–10. Kansas City Chiefs
scout and vice president of player personnel Bill Kuharich
attended the game at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
. Thigpen played in the fourth quarter and in two possessions with the Vikings offense and completed 3-of-6 passes for 29 yards and picked up 18 yards on two scrambles. Kuharich filed a scouting a report following the game and told the rest of the Chiefs personnel to keep an eye on Thigpen if he were to be released after the preseason.
On May 18, 2007, Thigpen became the first of eight Vikings drafted in 2007 to sign a contract, agreeing to a four-year deal. Thigpen then competed with Brooks Bollinger
, Tarvaris Jackson
, and Drew Henson
for a quarterback roster spot for the 2007 NFL season
. The Vikings released Thigpen on September 1, 2007 along with several other players. The Vikings planned on signing Thigpen to their practice squad after passing waivers.
and Jeff Terrell
. Concerning the roster move, Thigpen said, "I definitely felt this was coming...I wasn't surprised by it at all. It was still a great opportunity for me and the Vikings are still trying to keep me around." Thigpen was signed by the Chiefs the following day. Vikings head coach Brad Childress
was reportedly upset when the Chiefs claimed Thigpen on waivers.
Exposing Thigpen to waivers was a calculated risk by the Vikings and one that was considered to likely not turn in their favor. Thigpen was seen as showing a lot of potential following a strong preseason, whereas the Vikings were otherwise thin on talent at the quarterback position. Going into the 2007 NFL Draft, the Chiefs had Thigpen on their list of players that they had considering selecting in the later rounds, possibly with their seventh round selection (#231). As the draft played out, the Vikings chose Thigpen with the 217th choice. Chiefs head coach Herman Edwards
confirmed the team's interest in drafting Thigpen when they signed him after he cleared waivers.
With the Chiefs, Thigpen made his regular season debut replacing an injured Damon Huard
versus the San Diego Chargers
on December 12, 2007 in the game's final minutes. The Chiefs lost the game by a score of 24–10. Thigpen finished the game 2-of-6 for 41 yards and an interception. Later in the week at practice, he tore his medial collateral ligament
(MCL) and was placed on injured reserve
, ending his season.
.
Thigpen was listed as the third-string quarterback on the Chiefs' depth chart
at the beginning of the 2008 NFL season
and made his season debut on September 14 against the Oakland Raiders
, when Damon Huard
left with "mild head trauma." Thigpen connected on 14-of-33 passes for 151 yards. Thigpen made his first NFL start on September 21, 2008 against the Atlanta Falcons
. Thigpen struggled in the game, finishing 14-of-36 and passing for 128 yards with 3 interceptions in the 14–38 loss. The Chiefs trailed the Falcons 24–0 until Thigpen threw a touchdown pass to Dwayne Bowe
just before halftime. Thigpen's third interception was returned for a touchdown with just over a minute remaining the in the game. In the week prior to the game, Chiefs coach Herman Edwards
insisted he would substitute Damon Huard
into the game if Thigpen struggled. Edwards contemplated it during the game, but decided against it reasoning that Thigpen "put some points on the board." Following the game, asked if Thigpen would keep the starting job, Edwards said, "We'll see."
The following week, Huard was retained as the Chiefs' starting quarterback. However, Thigpen was again awarded the starting position after Croyle and Huard were placed on injured reserve, ending both of their seasons.
With the absence of running back Larry Johnson, the central part of the Chiefs' offense in years past, offensive coordinator Chan Gailey
adjusted the offense to mimic the spread formation run by Thigpen at Coastal Carolina. Herman Edwards and Chan Gailey chose to implement the spread offense in order to prepare Thigpen for his second career start. By changing the gameplan, the Chiefs' offense began to find an identity after swapping their power running game for spread-type formations that best suited Thigpen.
Head coach Herman Edwards
, who has long had a reputation for favoring more conservative, run-oriented offenses, began seeing his team gain confidence with every game it played in that wide-open system. By implementing the spread offense, the Chiefs made a huge gamble, as most in the NFL believe that a spread offense cannot work in professional football. Upon Larry Johnson's return, Chan Gailey
and Edwards implemented the pistol offense
to keep Thigpen in the spread while allowing Johnson to run downhill. However efficient the Chiefs became in running the spread offense, it became limited in the red zone, and the Chiefs struggled to finish out winning games.
In Thigpen's second career start, he passed for 280 yards with a 69.4% completion rate, with two touchdowns and no interceptions against the New York Jets
, nearly leading the Chiefs to win over the heavily-favored Jets. With the newly installed spread offense, the Chiefs had four or five pass plays and two or three runs.
Thigpen scored his first receiving touchdown the following week versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
. The 37-yard pass was from wide receiver Mark Bradley
in a Wildcat formation
. Thigpen also passed for 164 yards, a touchdown, no interceptions, and a 56.0% completion rate in the 30–27 loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
. Thigpen became only the fifth player in Chiefs' history (and the first quarterback) to throw a touchdown pass and also score touchdowns by running and receiving. In the game, the Chiefs led 24–3 with a little more than two minutes remaining in the second quarter and seemed headed for just their second victory of the season. The Buccaneers rallied back and won the game in overtime with 24 unanswered points.
Thigpen continued his impressive play the following week in the Chiefs' 20–19 loss to the San Diego Chargers
, completing 27-of-41 passes for 266 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. That gave him six touchdown passes and no turnovers in his previous three games.
After throwing three interceptions against the Falcons and appearing lucky to avoid throwing twice that many, Thigpen competed 124 straight passes without an interception through Week 10. Thigpen's no-interception streak ended at 161 in the closing seconds of a 30–20 loss to the New Orleans Saints
, but Thigpen still managed to complete 19-of-38 passes for 235 yards and two touchdowns to Dwayne Bowe
. Thigpen became the first Chiefs quarterback to throw a touchdown pass in four consecutive games since Trent Green
in 2005.
Prior to the Chiefs implementing the spread offense, Thigpen had been playing erratically with the Chiefs, and he suddenly became poised and effective running the new offense. His passer rating has climbed from 44.3 to 76.9 in the five games following his initial start at Atlanta. The Chiefs scored more than 10 points just twice in their first six games, but scored more offensive points than that in every game after, and twice had topped 25.
Thigpen had his first bad game in five outings against the Buffalo Bills
on November 23 in the Chiefs' 54–31 loss. Thigpen's three turnovers (two interceptions and one lost fumble) led to 20 points by the Bills. Despite the turnovers, Thigpen also threw for 240 yards and three touchdowns.
Thigpen won his first game as the Chiefs' starter on November 30 against the Oakland Raiders, leading Kansas City to a 20–13 victory. Thigpen finished 15-of-22 for 162 yards and ran for 48 more. The victory ended a 7-game losing streak for the Chiefs. The following week, Thigpen kept the Chiefs competitive against the Denver Broncos
, holding onto a 17–17 tie into the fourth quarter. After the Chiefs lost the lead to Denver, Thigpen drove the Chiefs all the way to the Broncos' 5-yard line, where his draw on fourth-and-goal was snuffed out by Broncos cornerback Dré Bly
at the 1-yard line. The Broncos held their 24–17 lead and sent the Chiefs to a 2-11 record on the season.
The following week against the Chargers, Thigpen was 19-of-38 for 171 yards with two touchdowns. Thigpen's first touchdown in the game (to Dwayne Bowe) gave the Chiefs a 14–0 lead over the Chargers, and his second touchdown (rushed in from 3 yards out) gave Kansas City a 21–3 lead in the third quarter. The Chiefs had a 21–10 lead with 1:19 remaining the game, but allowed two touchdowns and lost the Chargers 22–21.
Kansas City hosted the Miami Dolphins
in the second-coldest game ever held at Arrowhead Stadium
on December 21 with the game-time temperature at 10°F
. Thigpen threw a career best 320 yards with two touchdowns, but also threw three interceptions. Despite trailing 10–0 early in the game, Thigpen led the Chiefs to a 28–24 lead by halftime. The Chiefs failed to score a touchdown in the second half of the game and lost 38–31.
In the Chiefs' final game of the 2008 season, the Chiefs lost to the Cincinnati Bengals
16–6. The Chiefs' offense managed to get only two first downs in the first half of the game. Thigpen finished the game 19-of-26 for 191 yards and one touchdown.
Thigpen's final statistics for the 2008 season included 21 total touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and 2,994 all-purpose yards. He lost 10 of the 11 games he started at quarterback, six of which were lost by margins of seven points or less.
. Despite impressing coaches in Brodie Croyle and Damon Huard's absence, Thigpen was not a lock for the starting job. Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez voiced his support for Thigpen to retain the position for the 2009 season. "It would be a disgrace if they don't (keep Thigpen as the starting quarterback)", Gonzalez told ESPN
. "We've been playing well since he came in...I could see this being a playoff team next year. I could see us turning it around." Gonzalez was later traded to the Atlanta Falcons
.
The Kansas City Star reported that Herman Edwards' coaching staff would meet after the 2008 season to debate Thigpen's prospects and whether to keep the spread offense the team adjusted to in a seemingly temporary move earlier this season. Edwards was fired as head coach but Chan Gailey, who implemented the spread offense, was retained as offensive coordinator under new head coach Todd Haley
.
The Chiefs acquired quarterback Matt Cassel
from the New England Patriots
on February 28 for a second-round draft selection.
Head coach Todd Haley initially said that Thigpen would compete against Cassel for the starting quarterback position, but the first depth chart in training camp listed Thigpen as the third quarterback behind Brodie Croyle. Thigpen competed with Croyle for the backup quarterback position, and the Chiefs listened to trade offers in exchange for Thigpen throughout the offseason. The Jacksonville Jaguars
offering a fifth-round draft pick but Kansas City ultimately declined.
Thigpen played in Week 1 against the Baltimore Ravens
, having one rushing attempt for two yards. He was listed as inactive for weeks two and three.
for an undisclosed draft pick on September 29, 2009. The move came just two days after Dolphins starting quarterback
Chad Pennington
suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. After spending the first 15 games with the Dolphins as the inactive 3rd QB, Thigpen made his first appearance for the Dolphins in week 17 against the Steelers after both Chad Henne
and Pat White left the game with injuries. He scored a touchdown, but later ended up throwing an interception in the end zone during a pivotal point in the game. Thigpen was given another chance to drive the Dolphins down the field with only 40 seconds on the clock, but he overthrew the receiver which resulted in his second interception of the game.
In the Dolphins initial off-season depth chart, Thigpen was listed as the number 2 quarterback, behind Chad Henne. He was listed ahead of former starter Chad Pennington
and Pat White. After Chad Henne threw three interceptions in the Dolphins game against New England on October 4, 2010, Thigpen came in and completed 2 of 6 passes for 15 yards and an interception. He also scrambled once for 12 yards.
In week 9, Thigpen was passed over when Chad Pennington was named starter for the rest of the season. However, after both Pennington and Henne went down with injuries in a home game against the Tennessee Titans, Thigpen entered the game and threw for a touchdown pass in a Dolphins win against the Tennessee Titans
. Thigpen started next game against the Chicago Bears
, but was replaced by Henne the following week.
on a three-year contract.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL). Thigpen was drafted out of Coastal Carolina University
Coastal Carolina University
Coastal Carolina University is an independent, state-supported, liberal arts university in Conway, South Carolina, USA, located eight miles west of Myrtle Beach. Founded in 1954, Coastal became an independent university in 1993. The University enrolls approximately 8,300 students on its campus...
in the seventh round of 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...
(217th overall) by the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
.
Tyler Thigpen was the first quarterback to play for the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers football
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers football
Coastal Carolina University announced in the late '90's that they would be fielding a football squad in the coming years. The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers football program played its inaugural season in 2003 on campus at Brooks Stadium. The team is coached by David Bennett, who has held the...
team. He led the Chanticleers program to a 30-8 record as starting quarterback. Thigpen holds the single-season and career passing records in every major statistical category at Coastal Carolina.
After seeing little playing time in 2007, Thigpen entered the 2008 Kansas City Chiefs season
2008 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 2008 Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise's 49th season, and third with head coach Herman Edwards at the helm. The Chiefs failed to improve on their 4-12 record from 2007 with the youngest team in the NFL as part of their "youth movement." The season turned out to be the worst in the...
as the third-string quarterback, but emerged as the starting quarterback following season-ending injuries to Brodie Croyle
Brodie Croyle
John Brodie Croyle is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football for the University of Alabama from 2002 to 2005...
and 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....
. The Chiefs subsequently altered their offensive gameplan to a spread offense to help Thigpen and the rest of the young Chiefs team to play to the best of their abilities. Thigpen recorded 22 touchdowns (18 passing, 3 rushing and 1 receiving) against 12 interceptions in 11 starts, though he led the Chiefs to a 1-10 record. During the 2009 season, the Chiefs acquired quarterback Matt Cassel
Matt Cassel
Matthew Brennan "Matt" Cassel is a quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
and Thigpen was later traded to the 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...
.
Early years
Thigpen was born in Winnsboro, South CarolinaWinnsboro, South Carolina
Winnsboro is a town in Fairfield County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 3,599 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Fairfield County. Winnsboro is part of the Columbia, South Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, and he attended Fairfield Central High School in Winnsboro. He became an All-South Carolina selection as a senior running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
. Thigpen also played wide 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...
and punter in high school while earning the nickname "Dirty Pigpen".
College career
In February 2002, he elected to go to Coastal Carolina UniversityCoastal Carolina University
Coastal Carolina University is an independent, state-supported, liberal arts university in Conway, South Carolina, USA, located eight miles west of Myrtle Beach. Founded in 1954, Coastal became an independent university in 1993. The University enrolls approximately 8,300 students on its campus...
in Conway, South Carolina
Conway, South Carolina
Conway is a city in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 16,317 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Horry County and is part of the Myrtle Beach metropolitan area. It is the home of Coastal Carolina University....
, and majored in sports management.
Thigpen was the first quarterback in Coastal Carolina history, and wore the jersey number 16. The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers football program began in 2003. The team competes in the Big South Conference
Big South Conference
The Big South Conference is a college athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I. The conference's football teams are part of the Football Championship Subdivision...
of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision.
Thigpen and the rest of the Chanticleers' first recruiting class redshirted their freshman year (2002). In 2003 he started nine of ten games for the team and was third on the team's roster in rushing. After the Chanticleers' inaugural season in which the team finished with a 6-5 record, Thigpen led the team to a 10-1 record in 2004. In 2004, Thigpen started the opening 8 games before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury against Gardner-Webb
Gardner-Webb University
Gardner–Webb University is a private university located west of Charlotte in Boiling Springs, North Carolina, USA. The school has a total of 14 academic departments offering 45 major fields of study. Among the most popular of the school's 39 undergraduate majors are those in business , education ,...
. In 2005, Thigpen started all 11 games for the Chanticleers and earned the Big South Conference Offensive Player of the Week Award after rushing for 111 yards and 3 touchdowns and throwing for 157 yards in a victory over the Virginia Military Institute
Virginia Military Institute
The Virginia Military Institute , located in Lexington, Virginia, is the oldest state-supported military college and one of six senior military colleges in the United States. Unlike any other military college in the United States—and in keeping with its founding principles—all VMI students are...
.
In 2006, Thigpen became the first Chanticleer to be chosen a consensus All-American. He registered a career-high 119 rushing yards at Gardner-Webb, including a 76-yard bootleg
Bootleg play
In American football, a bootleg play is a play in which the quarterback runs with the ball in the direction of either sideline behind the line of scrimmage...
. He was named Big South Conference
Big South Conference
The Big South Conference is a college athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I. The conference's football teams are part of the Football Championship Subdivision...
Player of the Year in 2006, when he completed 217-of-339 passes for 3,296 yards and 29 touchdowns, and carried 113 times for 656 yards and five touchdowns. Thigpen had a 30-8 record in four seasons (41 games and 39 starts). From 2003 to 2006, the Chanticleers had a 34-11 record in Thigpen's four seasons with the team, winning three Big South Conference championships.
He played alongside wide receiver Jerome Simpson
Jerome Simpson
Jerome Louis Simpson is an American football wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bengals in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
and running back Mike Tolbert
Mike Tolbert
Mike Tolbert is an American football Running Back for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was signed by the Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
, both current NFL players, to help lead the young Chanticleers program to major victories against #1 James Madison
James Madison University
James Madison University is a public coeducational research university located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, U.S. Founded in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg, the university has undergone four name changes before settling with James Madison University...
in 2005, and #3 Furman
Furman University
Furman University is a selective, private, coeducational, liberal arts college in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. Furman is one of the oldest, and more selective private institutions in South Carolina...
in 2006. He led the Chanticleers to the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs and a Big South Conference championship. Thigpen holds the single-season and career passing records in every major statistical category at Coastal Carolina.
Statistics
Statistics as of the end of Thigpen's collegiate career (2006).| Year | | Passing | | Rushing | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comp | Att | Yards | TDs | Int | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | ||
| 2003 | 58 | 136 | 705 | 5 | 4 | 81 | 282 | 3.5 | 3 | |
| 2004 | 78 | 158 | 1008 | 8 | 4 | 55 | 251 | 4.6 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 133 | 246 | 1589 | 11 | 6 | 97 | 437 | 4.5 | 4 | |
| 2006 | 217 | 339 | 3296 | 29 | 11 | 113 | 656 | 5.8 | 4 | |
| Totals | 486 | 879 | 6,598 | 53 | 25 | 346 | 1626 | 4.7 | 13 | |
Pre-draft
Thigpen was not invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, but impressed NFL scouts at his pro day (held on March 8, 2007 on the campus of Coastal Carolina) and attended a workout at Clemson UniversityClemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
to help raise his draft stock.
| Pre-draft measureables | |||||||||||||||||||
| Height | Weight | 40-yard dash 40 yard dash The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time in the 40 can have a heavy impact on his prospects in college or professional football... |
10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20 ss 20 yard shuttle The 20-yard shuttle, also simply called the short shuttle, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the quickness and change-of-direction ability of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting... |
3-cone 3 cone drill The 3 cone drill, or three cone drill, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the agility, quickness and fluidity of movement of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting... |
Vert Vertical jump A vertical jump or vertical leap is the act of raising one's center of gravity higher in the vertical plane solely with the use of one's own muscles; it is a measure of how high an individual or athlete can elevate off the ground from a standstill.-Types of vertical jump:The vertical jump is... |
Broad | BP Bench press The bench press is an exercise of the upper body. For bodybuilding purposes, it is used to stimulate the pectorals, deltoids, and triceps. While on his or her back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight... |
Wonderlic | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6-1⅞ ** | 223 ** | 4.78 ** | 1.65 ** | 2.78 ** | 4.40** | 7.11** | 39" ** | 8'09" ** | X | 21 ** | |||||||||
| **Coastal Carolina Pro Day, March 8, 2007—"X" Denotes "No Data" or "Did Not Participate" | |||||||||||||||||||
Minnesota Vikings
Thigpen was selected 217th overall in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft2007 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...
by the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
, becoming the first player in Coastal Carolina and Big South Conference history to be drafted in the NFL.
In the 2007 preseason
National Football League exhibition season
The National Football League preseason refers to the period each year during which NFL teams play several not-for-the-record exhibition games before the actual "championship" or "regular" season starts. Beginning with the featured Pro Football Hall of Fame game in early August, five weekends of...
, the Vikings hosted the 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,...
, losing the game by a score of 13–10. 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...
scout and vice president of player personnel Bill Kuharich
Bill Kuharich
Bill Kuharich is the former Vice President of Player Personnel for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. Kuharich is the son of the late Joe Kuharich, former college and NFL head coach...
attended the game at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University...
. Thigpen played in the fourth quarter and in two possessions with the Vikings offense and completed 3-of-6 passes for 29 yards and picked up 18 yards on two scrambles. Kuharich filed a scouting a report following the game and told the rest of the Chiefs personnel to keep an eye on Thigpen if he were to be released after the preseason.
On May 18, 2007, Thigpen became the first of eight Vikings drafted in 2007 to sign a contract, agreeing to a four-year deal. Thigpen then competed with Brooks Bollinger
Brooks Bollinger
Brooks Bollinger is a retired American football quarterback. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
, Tarvaris Jackson
Tarvaris Jackson
Tarvaris DeAndre Jackson is an American football quarterback who is currently a member of the Seattle Seahawks. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
, and Drew Henson
Drew Henson
Drew Daniel Henson is a retired Major League Baseball third baseman and National Football League quarterback. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan....
for a quarterback roster spot for the 2007 NFL season
2007 NFL season
The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30....
. The Vikings released Thigpen on September 1, 2007 along with several other players. The Vikings planned on signing Thigpen to their practice squad after passing waivers.
2007 season
Several NFL teams had just two quarterbacks on their active roster heading into the season, including the Kansas City Chiefs, who had just recently released quarterbacks Casey PrintersCasey Printers
Casey J. Printers was a professional American football and Canadian football player. He played college football at Texas Christian University from 1999 to 2001, leading his team to three straight bowl games, before transferring to Florida A&M for his senior year...
and Jeff Terrell
Jeff Terrell (American football)
Jeff Terrell is an American football quarterback of the NFL currently a free agent. He was waived by the Kansas City Chiefs in August 2007, former starting quarterback and captain for the Princeton University football team and 4th all-time leader in passing yards at Princeton. 2006 Asa S. Bushnell...
. Concerning the roster move, Thigpen said, "I definitely felt this was coming...I wasn't surprised by it at all. It was still a great opportunity for me and the Vikings are still trying to keep me around." Thigpen was signed by the Chiefs the following day. Vikings head coach Brad Childress
Brad Childress
Brad "Chilly" Childress is the former head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. He attended high school at the Marmion Academy in Aurora, Illinois...
was reportedly upset when the Chiefs claimed Thigpen on waivers.
Exposing Thigpen to waivers was a calculated risk by the Vikings and one that was considered to likely not turn in their favor. Thigpen was seen as showing a lot of potential following a strong preseason, whereas the Vikings were otherwise thin on talent at the quarterback position. Going into the 2007 NFL Draft, the Chiefs had Thigpen on their list of players that they had considering selecting in the later rounds, possibly with their seventh round selection (#231). As the draft played out, the Vikings chose Thigpen with the 217th choice. 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...
confirmed the team's interest in drafting Thigpen when they signed him after he cleared waivers.
With the Chiefs, Thigpen made his regular season debut replacing an injured 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....
versus the San Diego Chargers
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...
on December 12, 2007 in the game's final minutes. The Chiefs lost the game by a score of 24–10. Thigpen finished the game 2-of-6 for 41 yards and an interception. Later in the week at practice, he tore his medial collateral ligament
Medial collateral ligament
The medial collateral ligament of the knee is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It is on the medial side of the knee joint in humans and other primates. It is also known as the tibial collateral ligament, or abbreviated as the MCL.- Structure :It is a broad, flat, membranous band,...
(MCL) and was placed on injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
, ending his season.
2008 season
Prior to the 2008 season, Thigpen impressed Chiefs coaches enough to make the team think he could challenge for, and even win, the team's starting job against the incumbent Brodie CroyleBrodie Croyle
John Brodie Croyle is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football for the University of Alabama from 2002 to 2005...
.
Thigpen was listed as the third-string quarterback on the Chiefs' depth chart
Depth chart
In sports, a depth chart is used to show the placements of the starting players and the secondary players. Generally a starting player will be listed first or on top while a back-up will be listed below...
at the beginning of the 2008 NFL season
2008 NFL season
The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the...
and made his season debut on September 14 against the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, when 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....
left with "mild head trauma." Thigpen connected on 14-of-33 passes for 151 yards. Thigpen made his first NFL start on September 21, 2008 against the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Thigpen struggled in the game, finishing 14-of-36 and passing for 128 yards with 3 interceptions in the 14–38 loss. The Chiefs trailed the Falcons 24–0 until Thigpen threw a touchdown pass to Dwayne Bowe
Dwayne Bowe
-2007:On August 5, 2007, Bowe signed a five-year contract with the Chiefs, after holding out the first week of practice at training camp.Bowe scored his first NFL touchdown on a pass from Damon Huard in the first half of the Chiefs' game against the Chicago Bears on September 16, 2007.In his rookie...
just before halftime. Thigpen's third interception was returned for a touchdown with just over a minute remaining the in the game. In the week prior to the game, Chiefs 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...
insisted he would substitute 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....
into the game if Thigpen struggled. Edwards contemplated it during the game, but decided against it reasoning that Thigpen "put some points on the board." Following the game, asked if Thigpen would keep the starting job, Edwards said, "We'll see."
The following week, Huard was retained as the Chiefs' starting quarterback. However, Thigpen was again awarded the starting position after Croyle and Huard were placed on injured reserve, ending both of their seasons.
Chan Gailey
Thomas Chandler "Chan" Gailey, Jr. is an American professional and college football coach. Gailey is the current head coach of the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League ; he was formerly the head coach of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets college football...
adjusted the offense to mimic the spread formation run by Thigpen at Coastal Carolina. Herman Edwards and Chan Gailey chose to implement the spread offense in order to prepare Thigpen for his second career start. By changing the gameplan, the Chiefs' offense began to find an identity after swapping their power running game for spread-type formations that best suited Thigpen.
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...
, who has long had a reputation for favoring more conservative, run-oriented offenses, began seeing his team gain confidence with every game it played in that wide-open system. By implementing the spread offense, the Chiefs made a huge gamble, as most in the NFL believe that a spread offense cannot work in professional football. Upon Larry Johnson's return, Chan Gailey
Chan Gailey
Thomas Chandler "Chan" Gailey, Jr. is an American professional and college football coach. Gailey is the current head coach of the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League ; he was formerly the head coach of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets college football...
and Edwards implemented the pistol offense
Pistol Offense
The pistol offense is an American football formation and strategy developed in 2004 by Chris Ault, the University of Nevada head coach. It is a hybrid of the traditional shotgun and single back offenses. In the pistol offense, also commonly referred to as the "pistol formation", the quarterback...
to keep Thigpen in the spread while allowing Johnson to run downhill. However efficient the Chiefs became in running the spread offense, it became limited in the red zone, and the Chiefs struggled to finish out winning games.
In Thigpen's second career start, he passed for 280 yards with a 69.4% completion rate, with two touchdowns and no interceptions against the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, nearly leading the Chiefs to win over the heavily-favored Jets. With the newly installed spread offense, the Chiefs had four or five pass plays and two or three runs.
Thigpen scored his first receiving touchdown the following week versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
. The 37-yard pass was from wide receiver Mark Bradley
Mark Bradley
Mark Anthony Bradley is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
in a Wildcat formation
Wildcat offense
|- style="text-align:center;"| || |- style="text-align:center;"| Base Wildcat || Speed Sweep|- style="text-align:center;"| || |- style="text-align:center;"| QB Counter || Split Zone|- style="text-align:center;"...
. Thigpen also passed for 164 yards, a touchdown, no interceptions, and a 56.0% completion rate in the 30–27 loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
. Thigpen became only the fifth player in Chiefs' history (and the first quarterback) to throw a touchdown pass and also score touchdowns by running and receiving. In the game, the Chiefs led 24–3 with a little more than two minutes remaining in the second quarter and seemed headed for just their second victory of the season. The Buccaneers rallied back and won the game in overtime with 24 unanswered points.
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...
, completing 27-of-41 passes for 266 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. That gave him six touchdown passes and no turnovers in his previous three games.
After throwing three interceptions against the Falcons and appearing lucky to avoid throwing twice that many, Thigpen competed 124 straight passes without an interception through Week 10. Thigpen's no-interception streak ended at 161 in the closing seconds of a 30–20 loss to 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 ....
, but Thigpen still managed to complete 19-of-38 passes for 235 yards and two touchdowns to Dwayne Bowe
Dwayne Bowe
-2007:On August 5, 2007, Bowe signed a five-year contract with the Chiefs, after holding out the first week of practice at training camp.Bowe scored his first NFL touchdown on a pass from Damon Huard in the first half of the Chiefs' game against the Chicago Bears on September 16, 2007.In his rookie...
. Thigpen became the first Chiefs quarterback to throw a touchdown pass in four consecutive games since Trent Green
Trent Green
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....
in 2005.
Prior to the Chiefs implementing the spread offense, Thigpen had been playing erratically with the Chiefs, and he suddenly became poised and effective running the new offense. His passer rating has climbed from 44.3 to 76.9 in the five games following his initial start at Atlanta. The Chiefs scored more than 10 points just twice in their first six games, but scored more offensive points than that in every game after, and twice had topped 25.
Thigpen had his first bad game in five outings against the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on November 23 in the Chiefs' 54–31 loss. Thigpen's three turnovers (two interceptions and one lost fumble) led to 20 points by the Bills. Despite the turnovers, Thigpen also threw for 240 yards and three touchdowns.
Thigpen won his first game as the Chiefs' starter on November 30 against the Oakland Raiders, leading Kansas City to a 20–13 victory. Thigpen finished 15-of-22 for 162 yards and ran for 48 more. The victory ended a 7-game losing streak for the Chiefs. The following week, Thigpen kept the Chiefs competitive against the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, holding onto a 17–17 tie into the fourth quarter. After the Chiefs lost the lead to Denver, Thigpen drove the Chiefs all the way to the Broncos' 5-yard line, where his draw on fourth-and-goal was snuffed out by Broncos cornerback Dré Bly
Dré Bly
Donald André "Dré" Bly is a former American football cornerback who played for eleven seasons in the National Football League. After playing college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels, Bly was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the second round of the 1999 NFL Draft...
at the 1-yard line. The Broncos held their 24–17 lead and sent the Chiefs to a 2-11 record on the season.
Kansas City hosted the 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...
in the second-coldest game ever held at Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium is a stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri and home to the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs....
on December 21 with the game-time temperature at 10°F
Fahrenheit
Fahrenheit is the temperature scale proposed in 1724 by, and named after, the German physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit . Within this scale, the freezing of water into ice is defined at 32 degrees, while the boiling point of water is defined to be 212 degrees...
. Thigpen threw a career best 320 yards with two touchdowns, but also threw three interceptions. Despite trailing 10–0 early in the game, Thigpen led the Chiefs to a 28–24 lead by halftime. The Chiefs failed to score a touchdown in the second half of the game and lost 38–31.
In the Chiefs' final game of the 2008 season, the Chiefs lost to 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...
16–6. The Chiefs' offense managed to get only two first downs in the first half of the game. Thigpen finished the game 19-of-26 for 191 yards and one touchdown.
Thigpen's final statistics for the 2008 season included 21 total touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and 2,994 all-purpose yards. He lost 10 of the 11 games he started at quarterback, six of which were lost by margins of seven points or less.
2009 season
Following a 2-14 season, Thigpen appeared to be the Chiefs' lone quarterback who would remain in their plans for 2009, especially after Damon Huard was released. Though Thigpen had earned the right to compete for the starting job, the Chiefs were expected to add a high-end quarterback through free agency or the 2009 NFL Draft2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
. Despite impressing coaches in Brodie Croyle and Damon Huard's absence, Thigpen was not a lock for the starting job. Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez voiced his support for Thigpen to retain the position for the 2009 season. "It would be a disgrace if they don't (keep Thigpen as the starting quarterback)", Gonzalez told ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
. "We've been playing well since he came in...I could see this being a playoff team next year. I could see us turning it around." Gonzalez was later traded to the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
The Kansas City Star reported that Herman Edwards' coaching staff would meet after the 2008 season to debate Thigpen's prospects and whether to keep the spread offense the team adjusted to in a seemingly temporary move earlier this season. Edwards was fired as head coach but Chan Gailey, who implemented the spread offense, was retained as offensive coordinator under new head coach Todd Haley
Todd Haley
Todd Haley is the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League . Prior to joining the Chiefs, Haley served as the Arizona Cardinals' offensive coordinator from 2007 to 2008, and was the wide receivers coach for the New York Jets, Chicago Bears, and Dallas Cowboys.-Early...
.
The Chiefs acquired quarterback Matt Cassel
Matt Cassel
Matthew Brennan "Matt" Cassel is a quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
from the New England Patriots
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...
on February 28 for a second-round draft selection.
Head coach Todd Haley initially said that Thigpen would compete against Cassel for the starting quarterback position, but the first depth chart in training camp listed Thigpen as the third quarterback behind Brodie Croyle. Thigpen competed with Croyle for the backup quarterback position, and the Chiefs listened to trade offers in exchange for Thigpen throughout the offseason. The Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
offering a fifth-round draft pick but Kansas City ultimately declined.
Thigpen played in Week 1 against 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...
, having one rushing attempt for two yards. He was listed as inactive for weeks two and three.
Miami Dolphins
Thigpen was traded to the Miami DolphinsMiami 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...
for an undisclosed draft pick on September 29, 2009. The move came just two days after Dolphins starting quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Chad Pennington
Chad Pennington
James Chadwick "Chad" Pennington is an American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for ten years. He is currently a football analyst with FOX Sports though he plans to return to playing after recovering from an injury...
suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. After spending the first 15 games with the Dolphins as the inactive 3rd QB, Thigpen made his first appearance for the Dolphins in week 17 against the Steelers after both Chad Henne
Chad Henne
Chad Steven Henne is an American football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League.He graduated from Wilson Senior High School and attended the University of Michigan...
and Pat White left the game with injuries. He scored a touchdown, but later ended up throwing an interception in the end zone during a pivotal point in the game. Thigpen was given another chance to drive the Dolphins down the field with only 40 seconds on the clock, but he overthrew the receiver which resulted in his second interception of the game.
In the Dolphins initial off-season depth chart, Thigpen was listed as the number 2 quarterback, behind Chad Henne. He was listed ahead of former starter Chad Pennington
Chad Pennington
James Chadwick "Chad" Pennington is an American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for ten years. He is currently a football analyst with FOX Sports though he plans to return to playing after recovering from an injury...
and Pat White. After Chad Henne threw three interceptions in the Dolphins game against New England on October 4, 2010, Thigpen came in and completed 2 of 6 passes for 15 yards and an interception. He also scrambled once for 12 yards.
In week 9, Thigpen was passed over when Chad Pennington was named starter for the rest of the season. However, after both Pennington and Henne went down with injuries in a home game against the Tennessee Titans, Thigpen entered the game and threw for a touchdown pass in a Dolphins win 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...
. Thigpen started next game against the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, but was replaced by Henne the following week.
Buffalo Bills
On July 26, 2011, he agreed to terms with the Buffalo BillsBuffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on a three-year contract.
Career statistics
| Year | |G | |Passing | |Rushing | |Sacked | |Fumbles | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Att | Comp | Pct | Yds | Y/A | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Sack | YdsL | Fum | FumL | ||||
| 2007 2007 NFL season The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30.... | KC 2007 Kansas City Chiefs season The 2007 Kansas City Chiefs season began with the team looking to improve on their 9-7 record in 2006 and attempting to secure the franchise's first back-to-back playoff berth since 1995. The season ended with a nine game losing streak, the team's first since 1987 and a 4-12 record... |
1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 33.3 | 41 | 6.8 | 0 | 1 | 18.7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 2008 NFL season The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the... | KC 2008 Kansas City Chiefs season The 2008 Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise's 49th season, and third with head coach Herman Edwards at the helm. The Chiefs failed to improve on their 4-12 record from 2007 with the youngest team in the NFL as part of their "youth movement." The season turned out to be the worst in the... |
14 | 11 | 420 | 230 | 54.8 | 2608 | 6.2 | 18 | 12 | 76.0 | 62 | 386 | 6.2 | 3 | 26 | 162 | 6 | 2 |
| 2009 2009 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... | KC 2009 Kansas City Chiefs season The 2009 Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise's 50th season, and first with head coach Todd Haley at the helm. It was also the first season with Scott Pioli as the team's general manager. The Chiefs attempted to improve on their 2–14 record from 2008 with the third overall selection in the... |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| MIA 2009 Miami Dolphins season The 2009 Miami Dolphins season was the organization's 40th season in the National Football League and 44th overall. The Dolphins entered the 2009 season as the reigning AFC East champions after posting an 11–5 record in 2008... |
1 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 50.0 | 83 | 10.4 | 1 | 2 | 87.0 | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2010 2010 NFL season The 2010 NFL season was the 91st regular season of the National Football League.The regular season began with the NFL Kickoff game on NBC on Thursday, September 9, at the Louisiana Superdome as the New Orleans Saints, Super Bowl XLIV champions, defeated the Minnesota Vikings 14–9.Tom Brady,... | MIA 2010 Miami Dolphins season The 2010 Miami Dolphins season was the organization's 41st season in the National Football League and 45th overall. The Dolphins are entering the 2010 season coming off a third place finish in the AFC East 7–9-Staff Changes:... |
3 | 1 | 41 | 23 | 56.1 | 266 | 6.5 | 2 | 2 | 63.7 | 9 | 44 | 4.9 | 0 | 6 | 39 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 20 | 12 | 475 | 259 | 54.5 | 2998 | 6.3 | 21 | 17 | 72.9 | 73 | 433 | 5.9 | 3 | 33 | 210 | 7 | 2 | |