Playing for his fifth NFL team in five years and having
previously transitioned from the Canadian Football League,
quarterback Jeff Garcia has gotten used to adjustment periods.
Playing for his fifth NFL team in five years and having previously transitioned from the Canadian Football League, quarterback Jeff Garcia has gotten used to adjustment periods.
So the Gilroy native is confident that his transition to his new role with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will go just fine.
“Things are good so far,” Garcia said in a phone interview. “Just being around Coach (Jon) Gruden, who is a very energetic, emotional and motivating type of coach, makes it interesting.”
Garcia resurrected his career with his performance down the stretch last season for Philadelphia when he filled in for the injured Donovan McNabb. He won five of six regular season starts and beat the New York Giants in the playoffs before falling to the New Orleans Saints. But when the Eagles chose to not bring him back, he went looking for the right situation.
After meeting with the Oakland Raiders and fielding interest from several other teams, he determined that Tampa Bay was the best fit.
With the Bucs, Garcia knows he’ll be putting his work in, competing with Chris Simms for the starting job. And while he’s working in another new system, he’s enjoying the challenge.
“It’s a different approach to the to the quarterback position as compared to what I have had to do in the past,” Garcia said. “It keeps me on my toes and every single day is a work in progress.”
Training camp doesn’t begin until early July but the team has already begun its OTAs (offseason training activities). Those go on for six weeks and are followed by a short break before training camp begins.
“I feel like I have so much to learn and grow into,” Garcia said. “I think for the days I’ve been there, it’s been some really good work.”
While he went into this situation knowing there were no guarantees of a starting job, Garcia is confident that he can impress the coaching staff enough to earn that role.
“I think I’m showing them that I’m very capable of running the offense and being the starter and a leader on this team,” he said.
If Tampa Bay gets the kind of performance out of Garcia that he showed last season in Philadelphia, the reported two-year, $7 million deal could be a steal for the former Gilroy High and Gavilan star.
