Jeff Garcia made Chucky mad and is sitting on the bench as the third-string QB. I guess that is what happened in the off-season when Garcia went to the radiowaves with his displeasure over missing out on a million bucks or so when he was held out at the end of the year as the Bucs waited for the playoffs to begin after Garcia directed the team to a divisional title with 3 weeks left in the regular season.
Garcia continued to stay active in the off-season conditioning program, putting team ahead of personal issues, but when training camp came, Garcia was at his father's junior college alumni event. His two day absence from camp was excused we thought, but then came a calf injury that kept Jeff out for the majority of summer camp. He played poorly in one preseason appearance, hurt his pinky at some point between the pre and regular season and then hurt his ankle in the season opening loss at New Orleans. He didn't play great, but his performance would not have lost his job in 31 other NFL cities I guarantee you.
The Bucs found money for Ernest Graham their starting running back, Greg White their leading defensive lineman, but not for the guy they screwed out of money even after leading them back to a division title and saved Gruden's and Bruce Allen's (General Manager) jobs.
Chucky says Garcia doesn't have the swagger or zip on his passes that he used to and won't get his job back until he sees a change in both. Gruden gave Brian Griese (traded from Chicago in off-season, but had 5-1 starting record for Bucs in 2005 before knee injury) the starting job over Luke McCown who has been here the last few years and won a critical game at New Orleans last year. He went out and beat the Atlanta Falcons on the strength of the Bucs defense, which is how most Bucs games are won, but gave up a sack-fumble in the red zone as well.
The rumors have Jeff Garcia on the trading block. Gruden says no to the rumors, but he has a history of playing dumb. Free agents beware!! Don't make Chucky mad or you too could be out after a one game opportunity, even if you went to the Pro Bowl the year before!
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