Todd Collins
Encyclopedia
Todd Steven Collins is a retired American football
quarterback
. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills
in the second round of the 1995 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Michigan
.
Collins played for the Kansas City Chiefs
and Washington Redskins
. He has spent the majority of his NFL career as a backup quarterback, spending several years serving behind Elvis Grbac
and Trent Green
of the Chiefs. He holds the NFL record for longest gap between starts in post-merger history, ten years and two days. On October 3, 2009, Collins said he would retire after the 2009 NFL season
, but in August 2010 he was signed by the Chicago Bears and started their fourth preseason game.
, Massachusetts
. Collins attended Walpole High School, located just a few miles from Foxboro, Massachusetts, the home of the New England Patriots
. As a senior, he led his football
team to a state championship, a feat that helped earn him SuperPrep All-America honors. He was named New England
Player of the Year by the Boston Globe.
As a junior, he held a 10-0 record for the baseball
team as a right-handed pitcher
. Also that year, he guided his basketball
squad to the state semifinals, garnering 18 points and 10 rebounds
a game along the way.
for the University of Michigan
from 1990–1994, though he was redshirted
as a freshman in 1990. He completed one of two passes in the Rose Bowl
as a redshirt freshman on January 1, 1992, after netting 15 completions on 24 attempts for 135 yards during the regular season. Collins started
two games as a sophomore in 1992 when he completed 66 of 101 passes for 693 yards with seven touchdown
s and three interceptions
. As an All-Big Ten
Honorable Mention and Academic All-Big 10 as a junior in 1993, he led the squad to a 42–7 Hall of Fame Bowl victory over North Carolina State University
. His best collegiate season came that junior year when he hit on 189 of 296 attempts for 2,509 yards with 17 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. In his senior season (1994), he connected on 186 of 288 attempts for 2,518 yards with 13 touchdowns and ten interceptions en route to a 24–14 Holiday Bowl
win over Colorado State University
. Collins' collegiate passing totals read 457 completions on 711 attempts for 5,858 yards with 37 touchdowns and 20 interceptions, which comes out to a 145.0 career QB efficiency rating. Collins and Michigan's 1994 squad are most remembered for beating Notre Dame
on a last second field goal by Remy Hamilton
and for losing to Colorado
on Kordell Stewart
's Hail Mary pass
known as Rocket Left
.
by the Buffalo Bills
. In 1995, he earned the Bills backup job, playing in seven games with one start. That season, he hit on 14 of 29 attempts for 112 yards with one interception. In 1996, Collins was the number two Bills quarterback behind Jim Kelly
, and saw action in seven games (three starts), completing 55 of 99 attempts (55.6%) with four touchdowns and five interceptions. In 1997, he won the Bills starting job at quarterback after beating out Alex Van Pelt
and Billy Joe Hobert
in training camp and saw duty in 14 games (13 starts) where he completed 215 of 391 passes (55.0%), good for 2,367 yards with 12 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions.
in 1998, where he did not see any regular season game action the first three seasons. For his first three seasons, Collins was the third string quarterback behind second stringers Rich Gannon
and then Warren Moon
. Between 2001 and 2005, he was listed as the Chiefs’ backup quarterback in all the games, seeing action in 12 games.
Al Saunders
having knowledge of Collins and knowing Collins could assist as a signal caller and backup.
On December 6, 2007, Collins replaced Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell
, who was injured. Taking charge of a team depleted by injuries and drained by the shooting death of safety Sean Taylor
nine days earlier, Collins completed 15 of 20 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns, leading the Redskins to a 24–16 victory. Collins won NFC
Offensive Player of the Week honors for his performance against the Chicago Bears
. Coach Joe Gibbs
was particularly pleased with the performance, saying "I don't know that I've ever had a better performance coming off the bench. Ever."
Following the victory over the Chicago Bears (which improved the Redskins to 6-7), Collins led the Redskins to three more consecutive victories to close out the regular season. Those victories were over the New York Giants
, the Minnesota Vikings
, and a 27–6 win over the Dallas Cowboys
in the season finale. The Redskins' four straight victories at the end of the season left them with a 9-7 record, securing the Redskins' bid for a wild card
playoff
berth against the Seattle Seahawks
. Collins finished the season with a quarterback rating of 106.4. Following completion of the regular season, he was voted NFC Offensive Player of the Month for December.
In the wild card playoff game against the Seahawks, Collins completed 29 of 50 passes for 266 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw two interceptions in the fourth quarter, both of which were returned for touchdowns by the Seahawks defense. These were Collins' first interceptions since the 1997 season. The Redskins lost the game by a score of 35–14, eliminating them from further postseason competition.
In 2008 and 2009, Collins again backed up Jason Campbell. On February 29, 2008, despite interest from the Jacksonville Jaguars
, Collins was re-signed by the Redskins. His three-year contract was worth an estimated $9 million. Collins took no snaps in the 2008 season. In the 2009 season he saw action in three games as a backup, throwing 12 for 23 for 144 yards. On March 4, 2010, Collins was released by the Redskins.
and ahead of Caleb Hanie
. Collins played for the Bears in the fourth game of the season, beginning the second half of the Week 4 matchup against the New York Giants
when starter Jay Cutler
suffered a concussion after getting powerbombed for the ninth time in the first half. Collins finished that game 4 for 11 for 36 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. The Bears lost 17–3, their first loss of the season, falling to 3-1. He would fill in for Cutler in Week 5 against the Carolina Panthers
. In that start, Collins completed six of 16 passes for 32 yards, threw four interceptions and had a quarterback rating of 6.2. He was relieved at the end of the third quarter by Caleb Hanie
. The Bears won 23–6. Collins also saw limited action in the Bears' 21-14 NFC Championship game loss to the Packers, relieving for the injured Jay Cutler in the third quarter before being replaced again by Hanie after suffering a shoulder injury. This turned out to be the final game of his career.
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...
. He was drafted by 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...
in the second round of the 1995 NFL Draft
1995 NFL Draft
The 1995 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 22–23, 1995 at the Paramount Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City...
. 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 Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
.
Collins played for the 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 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,...
. He has spent the majority of his NFL career as a backup quarterback, spending several years serving behind 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...
and 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....
of the Chiefs. He holds the NFL record for longest gap between starts in post-merger history, ten years and two days. On October 3, 2009, Collins said he would retire after the 2009 NFL season
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...
, but in August 2010 he was signed by the Chicago Bears and started their fourth preseason game.
Early years
Collins was born in WalpoleWalpole, Massachusetts
Walpole is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located about south of Boston and north of Providence, Rhode Island. The population was 24,070 at the 2010 census. Walpole was first settled in 1659 and was considered a part of Dedham until officially incorporated in 1724...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. Collins attended Walpole High School, located just a few miles from Foxboro, Massachusetts, the home of 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...
. As a senior, he led his football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
team to a state championship, a feat that helped earn him SuperPrep All-America honors. He was named New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
Player of the Year by the Boston Globe.
As a junior, he held a 10-0 record for the baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team as a right-handed pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
. Also that year, he guided his basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
squad to the state semifinals, garnering 18 points and 10 rebounds
Rebound (basketball)
A rebound in basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw. Rebounds in basketball are a routine part in the game, as all possessions change after a shot is successfully made...
a game along the way.
College career
Collins attended and played footballCollege 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...
for the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
from 1990–1994, though he was redshirted
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
as a freshman in 1990. He completed one of two passes in the Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl Game
The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
as a redshirt freshman on January 1, 1992, after netting 15 completions on 24 attempts for 135 yards during the regular season. Collins started
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
two games as a sophomore in 1992 when he completed 66 of 101 passes for 693 yards with seven touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s and three interceptions
Interception (football)
An interception, intercept or pick is a move in many forms of football, including Canadian and American football, as well as rugby league, rugby union, Australian rules football and Gaelic football, which involves a pass, either by foot or hand, being caught by an opposition player, who usually...
. As an All-Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
Honorable Mention and Academic All-Big 10 as a junior in 1993, he led the squad to a 42–7 Hall of Fame Bowl victory over North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution...
. His best collegiate season came that junior year when he hit on 189 of 296 attempts for 2,509 yards with 17 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. In his senior season (1994), he connected on 186 of 288 attempts for 2,518 yards with 13 touchdowns and ten interceptions en route to a 24–14 Holiday Bowl
Holiday Bowl
The Holiday Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I-A college football bowl game that has been played annually at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California, since 1978. Beginning with the 2010 playing the bowl will officially be known as the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl after...
win over Colorado State University
Colorado State University
Colorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.The enrollment is approximately 29,932 students, including resident and...
. Collins' collegiate passing totals read 457 completions on 711 attempts for 5,858 yards with 37 touchdowns and 20 interceptions, which comes out to a 145.0 career QB efficiency rating. Collins and Michigan's 1994 squad are most remembered for beating Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
on a last second field goal by Remy Hamilton
Remy Hamilton
Remy Martin Hamilton is an American football kicker who played in the National Football League and Arena Football League . In college, he was an All-American for the Michigan Wolverines football team. As a professional, he played for the Detroit Lions of the NFL in addition to exhibition and...
and for losing to Colorado
Colorado Buffaloes football
The Colorado Buffaloes football program represents the University of Colorado at Boulder in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The team is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, having previously been a charter member of the Big 12 Conference. Before joining the Big 12,...
on Kordell Stewart
Kordell Stewart
Kordell Stewart, nicknamed "Slash" , is a former American NFL quarterback. Stewart attended the University of Colorado and was drafted 60th in the 1995 NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers...
's Hail Mary pass
Hail Mary pass
A Hail Mary pass or Hail Mary route in American football refers to any very long forward pass made in desperation with only a small chance of success, especially at or near the end of a half....
known as Rocket Left
Rocket Left
The Miracle at Michigan refers to the final play that occurred during the American football game played on September 24, 1994 between the Colorado Buffaloes and the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The game was decided on Colorado quarterback Kordell Stewart's 64-yard...
.
College records
- Holds the record for the best career completion percentage (64.28%) in Michigan history; this is also the second best mark in Big Ten ConferenceBig Ten ConferenceThe Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
history. - Ranks third in Michigan annals in passing efficiency (145.0) behind Elvis GrbacElvis GrbacElvis 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...
(148.1) and Jim HarbaughJim HarbaughJames Joseph "Jim" Harbaugh is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Harbaugh agreed to a five-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers on January 7, 2011. Previously, he was the head coach at...
(145.6). His mark is also fifth in conference history. - Finished his career at Michigan second only to Grbac in pass attempts, completions, and yards. He now ranks fourth in those three categories having since been passed by John NavarreJohn NavarreJohn Robert Navarre is a former American football quarterback who was a three-year starter for the Michigan Wolverines from 2001 to 2003, leading the Wolverines to the 2003 Big Ten Conference championship in his final year of eligibility...
and Chad HenneChad HenneChad 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...
. - Passed for at least 200 yards in 14 games, the most of any player in Wolverines history to that point. Collins now ranks fourth in games with 200+ passing yards behind Navarre (28), Henne (26), and Tom BradyTom BradyThomas 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,...
(15).
Buffalo Bills
Collins was selected in the 1995 NFL Draft1995 NFL Draft
The 1995 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 22–23, 1995 at the Paramount Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City...
by 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...
. In 1995, he earned the Bills backup job, playing in seven games with one start. That season, he hit on 14 of 29 attempts for 112 yards with one interception. In 1996, Collins was the number two Bills quarterback behind Jim Kelly
Jim Kelly
James Edward Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and the USFL's Houston Gamblers....
, and saw action in seven games (three starts), completing 55 of 99 attempts (55.6%) with four touchdowns and five interceptions. In 1997, he won the Bills starting job at quarterback after beating out Alex Van Pelt
Alex Van Pelt
Alexander "Alex" Van Pelt is an American football coach and former quarterback. He is currently the quarterbacks coach for the Tampa Bay Buccanneers of the National Football League.-College:...
and Billy Joe Hobert
Billy Joe Hobert
Billy Joe Hobert is a former professional American football quarterback. While at the University of Washington, he led the Huskies to a national championship in 1991, during his redshirt sophomore season...
in training camp and saw duty in 14 games (13 starts) where he completed 215 of 391 passes (55.0%), good for 2,367 yards with 12 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions.
Kansas City Chiefs
Collins then moved to the Kansas City ChiefsKansas 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...
in 1998, where he did not see any regular season game action the first three seasons. For his first three seasons, Collins was the third string quarterback behind second stringers Rich Gannon
Rich Gannon
Richard Joseph Gannon is a former football quarterback, who achieved most of his success late in his career with the Oakland Raiders in the National Football League...
and then 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...
. Between 2001 and 2005, he was listed as the Chiefs’ backup quarterback in all the games, seeing action in 12 games.
Washington Redskins
On March 14, 2006, Collins was signed by the Washington Redskins to a two-year, $2.5 million contract. Collins was brought in because of offensive coordinatorOffensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
Al Saunders
Al Saunders
Al Saunders is the current offensive coordinator for the Oakland Raiders.-Early life and playing career:Born in London, England, he became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1960, and is one of four foreign-born coaches in the NFL...
having knowledge of Collins and knowing Collins could assist as a signal caller and backup.
On December 6, 2007, Collins replaced Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell
Jason Campbell
Jason Campbell is an American football quarterback for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
, who was injured. Taking charge of a team depleted by injuries and drained by the shooting death of safety Sean Taylor
Sean Taylor
Sean Michael Maurice Taylor was an American football free safety who played for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. Taylor was drafted in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft by the Redskins...
nine days earlier, Collins completed 15 of 20 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns, leading the Redskins to a 24–16 victory. Collins won NFC
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
Offensive Player of the Week honors for his performance 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...
. Coach Joe Gibbs
Joe Gibbs
Joe Jackson Gibbs is a former American football coach, NASCAR Championship team owner, and two time NHRA Pro Stock team owner. He was the 20th and 26th head coach in the history of the Washington Redskins...
was particularly pleased with the performance, saying "I don't know that I've ever had a better performance coming off the bench. Ever."
Following the victory over the Chicago Bears (which improved the Redskins to 6-7), Collins led the Redskins to three more consecutive victories to close out the regular season. Those victories were over the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, 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...
, and a 27–6 win over the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
in the season finale. The Redskins' four straight victories at the end of the season left them with a 9-7 record, securing the Redskins' bid for a wild card
Wild card (sports)
The term wild card refers broadly to a tournament or playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal play.-International sports:...
playoff
Playoff
The playoffs, postseason, or finals of a sports league are a game or series of games played after the regular season by the top competitors, usually but not always with a single-elimination system, to determine the league champion or a similar accolade.In the U.S...
berth against the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
. Collins finished the season with a quarterback rating of 106.4. Following completion of the regular season, he was voted NFC Offensive Player of the Month for December.
In the wild card playoff game against the Seahawks, Collins completed 29 of 50 passes for 266 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw two interceptions in the fourth quarter, both of which were returned for touchdowns by the Seahawks defense. These were Collins' first interceptions since the 1997 season. The Redskins lost the game by a score of 35–14, eliminating them from further postseason competition.
In 2008 and 2009, Collins again backed up Jason Campbell. On February 29, 2008, despite interest from 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...
, Collins was re-signed by the Redskins. His three-year contract was worth an estimated $9 million. Collins took no snaps in the 2008 season. In the 2009 season he saw action in three games as a backup, throwing 12 for 23 for 144 yards. On March 4, 2010, Collins was released by the Redskins.
Chicago Bears
Collins was signed by the Chicago Bears to a one year deal for the 2010 season. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Collins made the roster as the second-string quarterback after Jay CutlerJay Cutler (American football)
Jay Christopher Cutler is a quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He played football at Vanderbilt University. Cutler began his professional football career with the Denver Broncos, who selected him as the 11th overall pick of the 2006 NFL Draft...
and ahead of Caleb Hanie
Caleb Hanie
Caleb Jeffrey Hanie is an American football quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was signed by the Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played high school football for Forney High School in Forney, Texas and led his team to consecutive top 3 finishes in...
. Collins played for the Bears in the fourth game of the season, beginning the second half of the Week 4 matchup against the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
when starter Jay Cutler
Jay Cutler (American football)
Jay Christopher Cutler is a quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He played football at Vanderbilt University. Cutler began his professional football career with the Denver Broncos, who selected him as the 11th overall pick of the 2006 NFL Draft...
suffered a concussion after getting powerbombed for the ninth time in the first half. Collins finished that game 4 for 11 for 36 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. The Bears lost 17–3, their first loss of the season, falling to 3-1. He would fill in for Cutler in Week 5 against the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
. In that start, Collins completed six of 16 passes for 32 yards, threw four interceptions and had a quarterback rating of 6.2. He was relieved at the end of the third quarter by Caleb Hanie
Caleb Hanie
Caleb Jeffrey Hanie is an American football quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was signed by the Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played high school football for Forney High School in Forney, Texas and led his team to consecutive top 3 finishes in...
. The Bears won 23–6. Collins also saw limited action in the Bears' 21-14 NFC Championship game loss to the Packers, relieving for the injured Jay Cutler in the third quarter before being replaced again by Hanie after suffering a shoulder injury. This turned out to be the final game of his career.
| SEASON | TEAM | GAMES | CMP | ATT | CMP% | YDS | AVG | TD | INT | RAT | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | BUF | 7 | 14 | 29 | 48.3% | 112 | 3.9 | 0 | 1 | 44.0 | 18 |
| 1996 | BUF | 7 | 55 | 99 | 55.6% | 739 | 7.5 | 4 | 5 | 71.9 | 95 |
| 1997 | BUF | 14 | 215 | 391 | 55.0% | 2,367 | 6.1 | 12 | 13 | 69.5 | 77 |
| 1998 | KC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 1999 | KC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2000 | KC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2001 | KC | 1 | 3 | 4 | 75.0% | 40 | 10.0 | 0 | 0 | 106.3 | 26 |
| 2002 | KC | 3 | 5 | 6 | 83.3% | 73 | 12.2 | 1 | 0 | 156.9 | 29 |
| 2003 | KC | 5 | 9 | 12 | 75.0% | 74 | 6.2 | 0 | 0 | 90.3 | 20 |
| 2004 | KC | 2 | 1 | 5 | 20.0% | 42 | 8.4 | 0 | 0 | 62.1 | 42 |
| 2005 | KC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2006 | WAS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2007 | WAS | 4 | 67 | 105 | 63.8% | 888 | 8.5 | 5 | 0 | 106.4 | 54 |
| 2008 | WAS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2009 | WAS | 3 | 12 | 23 | 52.2% | 144 | 6.3 | 0 | 0 | 71.6 | 46 |
| 2010 | CHI | 2 | 10 | 27 | 37.0% | 68 | 2.5 | 0 | 5 | 5.9 | 19 |
| TOTALS | 49 | 391 | 701 | 55.8% | 4,547 | 6.5 | 22 | 24 | 71.8 | 95 |