Gilroy’s Jeff Garcia says he’s moving on from Tampa Bay, will
test free agent market
Being underappreciated is nothing new for Gilroy native and 38-year-old quarterback Jeff Garcia. In fact, it’s par for the course.
After two solid seasons, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have let it be known they don’t want to re-sign the signal-caller, according to a report by the St. Petersburg Times.
Garcia gave the team his all by taking an unhealthy amount of abuse, was underpaid by NFL standards, was disrespected by a coach who is no longer with the team (Read: fired Jon Gruden), and now the Bucs will cut him loose to begin the Luke McCown/Brian Griese Era.
Good luck with that, Tampa.
“My time in Tampa has come to an end,” Garcia told the Times.
“I’m not under contract and I’m about to hit free agency, and that means it’s time again for me to just move on. It is disappointing because I enjoyed the atmosphere and the team environment in that locker room.”
Garcia is taking the high road as usual, talking about the bonds he made with teammates rather than lashing out at an organization that treated him so poorly over the last year. The Brett Favre trade rumors fiasco, after a season in which he made the Pro Bowl, followed by being benched one game into this past season, tells you all you need to know about how the Bucs treat their players (Actually, it says a lot more about how Gruden treats his players).
But when one door closes, another one opens. No future negotiations with Tampa could actually be one of the best things that could have ever happened to Garcia, set to turn 39 just three days before the free agency period begins later this month.
The Bucs’ defense, as someone’s dad stated, is almost as old as that same someone who stated it. The offense no longer has Gruden calling the shots, which means training camp will be like starting from scratch. And Tampa’s new coach, 32-year-old Raheem Morris, seems to still be surprised he was picked to run the show. What are the chances his team this coming season looks closer to those of Lane Kiffin’s than Mike Tomlin’s? Pretty good considering what those two young coaches inherited, and what Morris will be working with.
I always believed the Bucs were overachievers these past two seasons – mainly because of Garcia’s intangibles – and now we’re going to see what they can do without the guy who would have played with his guts hanging out.
Teams such as Minnesota, Chicago and Kansas City all need a steady hand at quarterback, with the first two providing legitimate supporting casts to make the playoffs. Minnesota could even be Super Bowl-caliber.
Then there’s the possibility, which Garcia hasn’t ruled out, of taking up a clipboard and sitting behind a proven starter, filling in when needed, just like he did behind Donovan McNabb in Philadelphia.
“I do feel like I have football life in me,” Garcia said, according to the Times. “I feel I can still contribute. I’m not sure what my role will be with another team. I’m not looking at it like I need to start and be the man.”
Sounds like a potential New England Patriot talking if the Pats decide to trade recently franchised quarterback Matt Cassel. And then there’s one other, more obvious scenario, such as a return to the San Francisco 49ers.
You’re crazy if you don’t think the Niners would have been a better team last season with Garcia steering the ship rather than the combo of J.T. O’Sullivan and Shaun Hill. San Francisco missed the playoffs by one game. One more win and there is no Arizona Cardinals Cinderella story.
Garcia has at least one, maybe two more good seasons in him. The Bucs’ loss is likely to be another team’s very big gain.
