The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are heading for disaster in 2013 and after benching quarterback Josh Freeman in favor of rookie Mike Glennon and while many though that Freeman would relegated to the backup spot, there's a chance he might end up third strong or inactive for the game.
According to ESPN.com, no official word has come down yet, but SI.com reports that the move could stem from the fact that Freeman mentioned in an interview that a trade likely would be the best way for both sides to move on, but that interview was "not authorized by the Bucs" according to Bucs insider Jenna Laine.
All this just adds up to more bad headlines for the Buccaneers, but either way it appears that Freeman's careers in Tampa Bay is over. Freeman was having a terrible season through three games, completing less than 50 percent of his passes and with his contract being up after this season, chances are he will be in a new uniform next year.
The Buccaneers made the decision to start Glennon after Freeman's latest performance and it likely is the last chance for Greg Schiano to try and turn things around before their bye the week after the game against the Arizona Cardinals. According to ESPN.com, Schiano has not yet said whether Freeman will be the second or third strong quarterback on Sunday and that has only fueled speculation that he will be inactive for the game.
Dan Orlovsky has been the third stringer this season and he could be elevated to the backup if Freeman is demoted again or listed as inactive. Freeman has passed for just 571 yards this season in three games and he has not completed more than 48 percent of his passes during that span. Last week against the Patriots in a 23-3 loss he went just 19 for 41 and finished with one interception and 236 yards passing.
The Tampa Bay Times first reported the news about Freeman possibly being inactive and this comes after a terrible performance against the Saints that saw him complete just nine of 22 passes for 125 yards and one touchdown. This season he has just two TDs and three picks and obviously the Buccaneers have lost all their games this season.
Freeman is clearly fed up with the situation, which is likely why he did the sit down interview with ESPN. Some reports have said that the team will try to trade him and one option has been reported by CBS that says the Vikings could be interested, as they are also 0-3 and Christian Ponder has been struggling this season.
The tough thing for Freeman and the team is the fact that the quarterback is set to make $8.43 million and will be a free agent next year, giving him not too much leverage in the situation. It also means that a team likely won't want to give up much considering that they could sign him in the offseason since his contract is up and clearly he is not coming back this season.
The move by Schiano was part desperation and part frustration, as reports came out even last year that Schiano was not happy with the way Freeman was playing. Schiano has no ties to Freeman, as he did not draft him, which is why it probably was easier to bench him than let's say Rex Ryan and Mark Sanchez (for comparison's sake, Freeman and Sanchez were in the same draft.)
