30 NFL quarterbacks who got better after leaving their first team

23. Kerry Collins

Based off his career at Penn State in which he appeared to get better with experience, the expectations surrounding Kerry Collins in the NFL were pretty high. The expansion-era Carolina Panthers decided to use the fifth overall pick on him back in 1995.

Like most rookie quarterback playing in their first season, Collins saw his fair share of struggles at time for the Panthers. While he showed improvement as a sophomore the following year by winning nine of 12 games, this would be his only winning season in Carolina.

Unfortunately, some issues off the field resulted in Collins going on to be waived by the Panthers during the 1998 season before eventually joining the New Orleans Saints.

Even though the Saints were willing to give Collins another chance to finish out the year, it wasn’t until he joined the New York Giants where things started to turn around.

After filling in during the 1999 season, Collins would become the official full-time starter the following year. He helped the Giants earn a trip to the Super Bowl before coming up short against the Baltimore Ravens.

That game alone was the perfect example of how Collins was known as a turnover machine. He allowed the Ravens to record four interceptions and a forced fumble on the Giants quarterback in the title bout. At least his overall time in New York was better than previous quarterbacks.