Thirty-four months after helping the Ravens win the Super Bowl, Trent Dilfer finally will be welcomed back to Baltimore.
Sunday's game between the Ravens and the Seattle Seahawks marks the sentimental return of Dilfer to M&T Bank Stadium, where the sellout crowd is expected to shower the Seahawks backup quarterback with cheers and debate what might have been.
After winning the franchise's first championship, the Ravens made history again by choosing to sign Elvis Grbac over Dilfer. The decision made Dilfer the first quarterback to win the Super Bowl and lose his job before the next season.
Despite his quick roller-coaster stint with the Ravens, Dilfer will come back with a smile.
"I have nothing but wonderful memories of my time there," Dilfer said to The News Tribune in Tacoma, Wash. "I deeply, deeply respect 90 percent of that organization, and I don't want to cheapen that aspect of it for the 10 percent that I think is ridiculous."
Dilfer, who has thrown three passes for the Seahawks this season, declined to speak to Baltimore reporters this week.
He did, however, tell those in Seattle that the reunion will be less emotional since only 13 players remain from the Super Bowl team.
"We're a couple years removed," said Dilfer, who won his last 11 starts for the Ravens, "which makes it maybe more tolerable for me."
The Ravens' front office has never second-guessed its decision.
Although they fell short of repeating, the Ravens are the last Super Bowl champion to reach the playoffs the next year. Compared to Dilfer's 2000 season, Grbac averaged more yards per game but had a lower completion percentage and a higher interception rate.
While the Ravens went with the Pro Bowl quarterback, Dilfer settled for a backup role with Seattle for the 2001 season after no team offered him a starting job.
"The biggest issues of the 2001 season was [running back] Jamal Lewis and [offensive tackle] Leon Searcy getting hurt," general manager Ozzie Newsome said.
Coach Brian Billick said a year ago that the Ravens wouldn't have made the playoffs with Dilfer that season.
When asked about Dilfer's homecoming, Billick said, "It's great to have Trent back. I'm sure our fans will be appreciative, much like Shannon [Sharpe] coming back. It will be good to see Trent but not unlike other players who have come back."
