(Sports Network) - Daunte Culpepper has announced his retirement from the NFL, bringing an end to a nine-year career for the quarterback that started with promise and finished with injury-filled disappointment.

The former Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins and Oakland Raiders quarterback made the announcement via e-mail to multiple media outlets on Thursday.

Culpepper, just 31 years old, played in seven games last season -- six starts -- for Oakland, completing 108-of-186 passes for 1,331 yards with five touchdowns and five interceptions. He was placed on injured reserve by the club with a strained quadriceps, clearing the way for No. 1 overall draft pick JaMarcus Russell to play late in the season.

The Raiders did not re-sign Culpepper, who played last season on a one-year contract, and he did not catch on with another team this summer.

"Since the beginning of training camp I was told that my opportunity would come when a quarterback gets hurt," Culpepper said in the e-mail. "I cannot remember the last time so many QB's have been injured during the preseason.

"I have been strongly encouraged from family, friends and league personnel to continue to be patient and wait for an inevitable injury to one of the starting quarterbacks in the league. I would rather shut the door to such 'opportunity' than continue to wait for one of my fellow quarterbacks to suffer a serious injury. Since I was not given a fair chance to come in and compete for a job, I would rather move on and win in other arenas of life."

Selected with the 11th overall pick out of Central Florida in 1999, Culpepper was part of that year's much-heralded draft class of quarterbacks that included Tim Couch, Donovan McNabb and Akili Smith -- taken Nos. 1, 2, and 3 by the Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles, and Cincinnati Bengals, respectively -- as well as Cade McNown, selected 12th by the Chicago Bears.

Culpepper and McNabb appeared to be the only two quarterbacks worthy of the hype early in their careers, but Culpepper never really recovered after he tore three ligaments in his right knee in 2005. After a career year in 2004 -- completing 69.2 percent of his passes for 4,717 yards with 39 touchdowns and 11 interceptions -- Culpepper's 2005 was disappointing even before he hurt his knee, as he had thrown 12 interceptions to only six touchdowns in seven games.

New Vikings coach Brad Childress and Culpepper clashed in the offseason, and Culpepper demanded a trade prior to the 2006 season. The Vikings dealt him to the Miami Dolphins, where his struggles continued. Culpepper lasted only four games with the Dolphins in 2006 before he was benched, mostly because of mobility problems with the knee, and eventually placed on injured reserve. The Raiders signed him prior to the 2007 season.

Culpepper is the all-time Vikings leader in completion percentage -- connecting on 64.4 percent of his passes -- and he also rushed for a franchise record 2,476 career yards by a quarterback. He finished his NFL career with 22,422 passing yards and a 63.8 career completion percentage, with 142 touchdowns and 94 interceptions.