Both of them got screwed at first. Denzel just stuck around long enough that he could finally blossom into the Warden of the North that he is.
I think Bake will be all one of the big all-time what ifs. If he had been on a functional team and had proper development as an NFL quarterback, he could be in a very different place now. It's also possible that he can still be a late bloomer, he still has flashes of brilliance.
I really feel sad for guys like him who just have their careers wasted. There are a lot of them in the league. Who knows how many of us could have been flowers with enough water and care?