# Dallas asks retired quarterback to fill in Sunday. **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 26, 2013, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dallas-asks-retired-quarterback-to-fill-in-sunday/677232 "2013-12-26T21:25:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dallas-asks-retired-quarterback-to-fill-in-sunday/677232/1 "2013-12-26T21:25:04Z")
I love this story. He’s coming back for one game and giving the paycheck to the high school he coaches at. I hope for his sake he stays on the bench as a back up. Taking NFL hits after being out two seasons will hurt. He’ll be pretty sore just from a couple days practice. > **[Dallas Cowboys asks a retired quarterback to fill in for injured star](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2529572/Dallas-Cowboys-asks-retired-quarterback-injured-star-decides-donate-gameday-53-000-paycheck-school-teaching-math.html)** > > Jon Kitna played for the Texan team for two years starting in 2009 but retired in January of 2012 and began teaching high school math in Tacoma, Washington. > [@](#): > > The Dallas Cowboys have called one of their former players back out of retirement and in return he is giving away his gameday paycheck. > > Jon Kitna played for the Texan team for two years starting in 2009 but retired in January of 2012. > > From there he returned to his hometown of Tacoma, Washington and became a high school math teacher and the coach of the football team. > > When his former teammate, quarterback Tony Romo suffered from a back injury that will leave him out of the much anticipated game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Kitna texted his old coach and said that he would be happy to help. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dallas-asks-retired-quarterback-to-fill-in-sunday/677232/2 "2013-12-26T21:42:47Z")
He can’t do any worse than Romo. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dallas-asks-retired-quarterback-to-fill-in-sunday/677232/3 "2013-12-26T21:44:07Z")
I guess we should be thankful its not Stauback, White, or Aikman. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dallas-asks-retired-quarterback-to-fill-in-sunday/677232/4 "2013-12-26T21:51:41Z")
If he does an awesome job, I can see this being made into a movie. Or, it could be the inspiration for a TV series. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dallas-asks-retired-quarterback-to-fill-in-sunday/677232/5 "2013-12-26T22:21:13Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I hope for his sake he stays on the bench as a back up. Taking NFL hits after being out two seasons will hurt. He’ll be pretty sore just from a couple days practice. I assume he’ll be the #3 QB, just in case Orton gets hurt and Romo turns out to be, or becomes, in no condition to play. (I’m also a little surprised Dallas didn’t already have a QB-3 on its roster; even the 49ers, in the days of Montana and Young, had John Paye or Elvis Grbac ready “just in case” - usually, “just in case it’s a blowout and we don’t either of our top QBs hurt”.) There used to be a rule that said if QB3 went into the game before the fourth quarter, then QB1 and QB2 were benched for the rest of the game, but the NFL got rid of that rule in 2011 when it replaced the “emergency QB” with a “normal” 46th man on the roster. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dallas-asks-retired-quarterback-to-fill-in-sunday/677232/6 "2013-12-26T23:14:49Z")
In the preview I saw the 1st sentence and wondered if it was Favre (who was offensive coordinator at a high school) Brian ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Quatro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bc8723/32.png) [@Mr\_Quatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Quatro)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dallas-asks-retired-quarterback-to-fill-in-sunday/677232/7 "2013-12-27T00:22:51Z")
The camera will be on him during the game for sure wondering if he will play … sounds like a Hollywood ending to me. Remember he gets paid even if he doesn’t play and if the Cowboys win they go on to the playoffs and if they win a playoff game he could be there for a lot longer. Sorry Romo got hurt … glad they decided no to play him though or it could get messy. Philadelphia Eagle’s at Dallas Cowboys 12-29 Sunday night 5:20 pm pst NBC ---
**Author:** ![seal\_cleaner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@seal\_cleaner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seal_cleaner)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dallas-asks-retired-quarterback-to-fill-in-sunday/677232/8 "2013-12-27T01:58:44Z")
Actually, it was Kitna’s idea. [http://www.chatsports.com/dallas-cowboys/a/Kitna-called-Cowboys-to-offer-his-assistance-0-9042110](http://www.chatsports.com/dallas-cowboys/a/Kitna-called-Cowboys-to-offer-his-assistance-0-9042110) ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dallas-asks-retired-quarterback-to-fill-in-sunday/677232/9 "2013-12-27T17:10:00Z")
What the hell? Doesn’t Dallas have a regular backup QB? Also, what happens if a team runs out of QBs? Has that ever happened? Can’t they just toss a guy in there that knows the plays and just have him toss the ball short distances or just run the ball? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dallas-asks-retired-quarterback-to-fill-in-sunday/677232/10 "2013-12-27T17:12:46Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > What the hell? Doesn’t Dallas have a regular backup QB? The regular backup is Kyle Orton, and he’s going to start on Sunday. They didn’t have an emergency third quarterback. They had one until recently, but he was on their practice squad and another team picked him up. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dallas-asks-retired-quarterback-to-fill-in-sunday/677232/11 "2013-12-27T18:51:41Z")
Romo is out for the season. I imagine that if they Cowboys do get into the playoffs they’ll sign another quarterback for the playoffs to back up Orton. I assume the Cowboys know that if Orton gets serious injured and is out for a substantial portion of the game, no backup that they could sign during a Christmas week would be able to help them win. If Orton just gets banged up, Kitna can come in for a couple of downs and do no harm. If they would have signed another QB, who is looking for an NFL job next year, that other QB may have tried to be a hero and potentially tossed an interception or take a sack for a large loss of yardage. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dallas-asks-retired-quarterback-to-fill-in-sunday/677232/12 "2013-12-27T20:29:21Z")
Question: Is it really that much easier to sign a quarterback outside of your team and try to teach him your plays as opposed to simply taking someone from the team who’s not a quarterback and teaching him to throw or run? All these guys are football players, I’m sure they all grew up throwing a football even if they primarily catch them these days. Why can’t they take a receiver and tell him he has to throw for a couple of downs? ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dallas-asks-retired-quarterback-to-fill-in-sunday/677232/13 "2013-12-27T20:36:58Z")
If a current non-QB NFL player was a QB in college, maybe even HS, they could possibly do that. (Has been done before, can’t recall who lately, tho) NFL football has become more and more specialized over the years. Lacking a certain skill set could make a huge difference in actual games. Look at Tebow. Also, I seem to remember there being some specific roster rules (similar to what’s posted above) about these types of situations. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dallas-asks-retired-quarterback-to-fill-in-sunday/677232/14 "2013-12-27T20:44:40Z")
Rudy rudy rudy rudy ---
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dallas-asks-retired-quarterback-to-fill-in-sunday/677232/15 "2013-12-27T20:48:44Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > If a current non-QB NFL player was a QB in college, maybe even HS, they could possibly do that. (Has been done before, can’t recall who lately, tho) NFL football has become more and more specialized over the years. Lacking a certain skill set could make a huge difference in actual games. Look at Tebow. > > Also, I seem to remember there being some specific roster rules (similar to what’s posted above) about these types of situations. Isn’t this what happened with Joe Webb? Minn Vikes? ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dallas-asks-retired-quarterback-to-fill-in-sunday/677232/16 "2013-12-27T20:51:45Z")
> [@Cubsfan](#): > > Isn’t this what happened with Joe Webb? Minn Vikes? Looks like. I haven’t followed too much NFC North this year. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dallas-asks-retired-quarterback-to-fill-in-sunday/677232/17 "2013-12-27T20:58:48Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > Question: Is it really that much easier to sign a quarterback outside of your team and try to teach him your plays as opposed to simply taking someone from the team who’s not a quarterback and teaching him to throw or run? All these guys are football players, I’m sure they all grew up throwing a football even if they primarily catch them these days. Why can’t they take a receiver and tell him he has to throw for a couple of downs? Kitna should be familiar with the team’s plays because he was on the team for three seasons. And yes, it would be hard to tell a guy to go out there and just throw because NFL offenses are pretty complicated and they’re not used to reading defenses and deciding who to pass to. You wouldn’t see very much throwing if a team had to use a non-QB at the position. ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dallas-asks-retired-quarterback-to-fill-in-sunday/677232/18 "2013-12-27T21:08:44Z")
Kitna also has a lot more in game experience than many backup quarterbacks. He was never thought of as great but he had 5+ years as a starter. He could put up big yardage but threw to many interceptions. He came out of a really small school (Central Wash.) and fought his way to become a multiyear starter in the NFL. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dallas-asks-retired-quarterback-to-fill-in-sunday/677232/19 "2013-12-27T21:52:02Z")
Plus, his name is easy to sew on a blank jersey. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dallas-asks-retired-quarterback-to-fill-in-sunday/677232/20 "2013-12-27T22:11:56Z")
Kitna has been keeping his arm in shape since retiring. He should do ok if needed for a few plays. He’s doing pretty good as a coach too. > **[Jon Kitna: From High School Math Teacher to Dallas Cowboys Quarterback](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1901693-jon-kitnas-salary-decision-proves-his-return-is-noble)** > > Jon Kitna is putting down his chalk and picking up a clipboard this week. The 41-year-old has been retired from the NFL for two years, spending his days teaching math and coaching high school football... > [@](#): > > According to a Dallas Morning News report, Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said Kitna has stayed in shape throwing against his high school team’s defense. > > ``` > He said he would run scout team for the high school team and give them a really good look like he gave us great looks when he was here. So he’s a very active guy. He’s a mentally tough guy. … And he’s certainly very young at heart. So it was good to have him back, good to have him back in the meetings, and [I’m] excited to see him practice today. > > ``` > [@](#): > > Lincoln High, , is where Kitna went to high school. He guided his team “to an 8-2 record this season, but the Abes lost to eventual state runner-up Eastside Catholic in the district playoffs. Kitna is 13-7 in two seasons as head coach.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dallas-asks-retired-quarterback-to-fill-in-sunday/677232.md?page=2)