Mike Glennon has certainly had an interesting offseason so far. The quarterback entered 2013 as a backup. He was then promoted to starter where he finished the season showing potential to be a starter. He was preparing to enter 2014 as the starter until Lovie Smith took over, brought in Josh McCown and is now naming the veteran next season's starting quarterback. After surviving months of trade rumors, could Glennon still see starting time next year?
Smith was quick to note that McCown was the starting quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, now both Smith and McCown are endorsing the future of Glennon for this season and beyond.
"I made it clear right away that Josh McCown is our starter, which he is," Smith said via WDAE (620 AM). "And hopefully for quite a few years he will be. And I said I really like Mike Glennon. Mike's a young player coming up. In an ideal situation you don't want young players to have to come in and start right away, you want them to be around an established veteran."
Smith is clearly doing damage control after Glennon faced a whirlwind of trade rumors. The head coach was not exactly on board with the quarterback when he first arrived in Tampa Bay. After signing McCown, many believed Smith was targeting a quarterback in the first round of the NFL Draft in order to have "his guys" on the roster for the future. However, now everyone seems to love Glennon and the potential he has.
"I just like his skill set," McCown said, via ESPN.com. "He throws the ball well. His arm strength is obviously well above average. He can really spin it. He's a hard worker. He loves football and you have to have that at that position and he's intelligent. It's just a matter of time for him."
McCown will still be the starting quarterback for 2014, but it appears Smith and company have warmed up to the idea that Glennon will be around for the long-term. According to the Buccaneers, the team got six different calls on draft day regarding a trade for the backup quarterback and shot every one of them down. It is highly likely that the Houston Texans, Cleveland Browns and Minnesota Vikings all called about a potential deal given they all took quarterbacks early this year. Smith could have given up on Glennon at the snap of a finger, but likes what he sees which should give fans some confidence.
