Assuming you are a competitor, you would always want to start and not sit on the bench. At some point the reality hits you that you will never be a full time starter again and at that point, especially in the NFL you start thinking about life after football and collecting as much money as you can.
Eight years into his career Tarvaris Jackson has come to that realization.
“I found out the hard way, it’s a business,” he said. “It had always been football first for me, but now it’s kind of shown me the business part of the NFL. That’s what I signed up for, so I can’t really complain. I just have to do my job, collect my check and keep this going the best I can.”
The fact he has lasted eight years should be considered a success, most players don’t. If he wins the back up job (he is competing against Brady Quinn), he will probably have a few more years to keep collecting that check.