Mike Glennon to get first NFL Start

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Mike Glennon

ESPN.com’s Adam Shefter is reporting this morning that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have plans to bench starting QB Josh Freeman, effective immediately.

Of course, this means that Mike Glennon will be getting the starting job…and perhaps a bit sooner than some of us thought he might.  Nonetheless, Glennon will now be making his first career NFL start this Sunday at home vs. the Arizona Cardinals.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have decided to bench quarterback Josh Freeman for rookie Mike Glennon, according to league sources.

The Bucs are making the change now because they feel it is beneficial for Glennon with the bye week coming after Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals, team sources told ESPN. He can start this week, then have two weeks for the coaches to review his performance and make corrections before the Bucs play the Philadelphia Eagles on Oct. 13.

Coach Greg Schiano, according to the sources, felt this was a more favorable scenario than having Glennon anticipating his first NFL start for two weeks.

“This league is about finding a franchise quarterback, and with Josh’s roller-coaster career, we don’t feel he’s that guy,” a team source said.

There are five weeks before the trade deadline, and if a team loses a starting quarterback and has interest in Freeman, the Bucs are willing to trade him. For now, he’s their backup quarterback.

[snip]

Tampa Bay selected the 6-foot-6, 225-pound Glennon in the third round (73rd overall) of the 2013 draft. He was the third quarterback taken in the draft and will become the third rookie to start a game at the position this season, joining the Buffalo Bills’ EJ Manuel and the New York Jets’ Geno Smith, the two quarterbacks picked before him. Manuel and Smith have started since Week 1.

This is also now being reported by CBSSports.com, and is currently the front page top story on their NFL page.  And if you follow that link quickly, you can get a gander at the back of Mr. Glennon’s head.

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No offense to Arizona, but not a bad team against which to get one’s first career start, as they are currently ranked 26th in the league in pass defense.

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Of course this also means that, barring mid-week practice injuries to anyone, Glennon will now join Philip Rivers and Russell Wilson as former Wolfpack quarterbacks who are currently (and CONcurrently) NFL starting quarterbacks on Sunday.

We’ve been having some discussions about previous times when this might have happened for former QBs from other schools, but I’ll leave that to the comments for discussion.

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Tip of the hat to my colleague BJD95 for the heads up and the link on this one, btw.

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About Wufpacker

A 2nd generation alumnus and raised since birth to be irrationally dedicated to all things NC State. Class of '88 and '92.

Alums NCS Football NCSU Sports History

41 Responses to Mike Glennon to get first NFL Start

  1. packpowerfan 09/25/2013 at 11:41 AM #

    Three times more at once than UNC has had total in the history of ever. Suck it Holes.

  2. YogiNC 09/25/2013 at 11:43 AM #

    So as of this sunday the Pack will have 10% (9.3% actually) of the starting QBs in the NFL and the ACC will have 20%, but the ACC isn’t that good of a conference. Interesting statistic isn’t it?

  3. BJD95 09/25/2013 at 11:48 AM #

    And we never were that good with any of these deserving NFL starters. Even though football is very much a QB-driven sport. Tis a mystery wrapped in an enigma.

    Watch out, NFL. Here comes the dreaded giraffe sprint. You been warned.

  4. gumby 09/25/2013 at 11:53 AM #

    “giraffe sprint” !!
    I just snotted myself laughing

    BTW are the forums dead? I get broken link trying to get there…

  5. BJD95 09/25/2013 at 11:55 AM #

    Per our crack SFN crew (via e-mail):

    Week 9: Tampa Bay at Seattle

    Southern Cal has started 3 QBs in the NFL once, and 4 another (all in 2010-11)

  6. Old MacDonald 09/25/2013 at 12:04 PM #

    Did Maryland do it in the 90s with Esiason, Reich, O’Donnell?

    Alabama in the 60’s (NFL/AFL obviously) with Stabler, Namath, Starr?

  7. Old MacDonald 09/25/2013 at 12:08 PM #

    Seems like Miami could have done it several times with different combinations (Kelly, Testaverde, Kosar, Walsh, others?)

  8. wolfpackdawg 09/25/2013 at 12:10 PM #

    I hope I’m wrong but I don’t think Glennon is a franchise QB…but at least he’s getting a chance.

  9. tractor57 09/25/2013 at 12:17 PM #

    Although I’m not a fan of the Bucs I do wish a stellar performance from Glennon.

  10. Deacon Blues 09/25/2013 at 12:19 PM #

    Too bad week 9 is not Monday night. Would love to hear Gruden on these too.

    Good luck MG!

  11. TheCOWDOG 09/25/2013 at 12:24 PM #

    State will join the ranks of:

    Notre Dame, BYU, Miami and USC.

  12. TeufelWolf 09/25/2013 at 12:33 PM #

    Awesome. It was only a matter of time!
    Go Pack!

  13. MP 09/25/2013 at 12:46 PM #

    I’m assuming a lot of people on here spend time at Backing The Pack as well… But I had to repost the introduction paragraph from their write-up:

    “Tampa Bay’s Josh Freeman ranks dead last in the NFL in passer rating, has twice failed to complete 50% of his passes in games this season, has a 45.7% overall completion percentage, has thrown just two touchdowns compared to three picks, slept through the team photo, and now he will find himself on the bench in favor of rookie Mike Glennon.”

  14. BJD95 09/25/2013 at 12:52 PM #

    Josh Freeman does indeed blow donkey balls.

  15. TheCOWDOG 09/25/2013 at 1:04 PM #

    Dern it, Ol Mac. I forgot about Maryland.

    Alabama did not have concurrent or same day starters in trips. Stabler started 1 game while Starr started 3 in ’71.

    In fact, USC only put 3 starters on the field once, on game day.

    Beej, who was the 4th USC qb?

  16. Wulfpack 09/25/2013 at 1:21 PM #

    Amazing we haven’t been a better program with that talent. Here’s to hoping that changes soon.

    Congrats to Mike. His team stinks but hopefully he can show his talents. I wouldn’t be surprised if there is a coaching change in Tampa this year.

  17. vapackfan 09/25/2013 at 1:26 PM #

    This looks to me like a good recruiting tool. Not just for QB’s, but anybody who wants to get to the next level. NCSU is as capable of that as any other school. Add to that wins on the filed. Just read on scout.com some comments by DD. I really like the tone of his comments. He seems to be “all in” with
    NC STATE. Definitely heading in the right direction. Anyone disagree?

  18. BJD95 09/25/2013 at 1:34 PM #

    The great and mighty Matt Cassel.

    I take anything a coach says at face value. 1/20th of a cent, like printed at the bottom of coupons.

  19. Texpack 09/25/2013 at 1:43 PM #

    I can throw in Schaub and Manuel, but I can’t get to 20%. Was Matt Ryan pre-ACC? I know Michael Vick was.

  20. wilmwolf80 09/25/2013 at 1:50 PM #

    Mike always represented NC State with class and dignity. He took a lot of undeserved grief from our fans that I never understood. I wish him all the best of luck in the NFL.

  21. FergusWolf 09/25/2013 at 2:00 PM #

    Rivers, Wilson, Glennon, Manuel, Schuab, Ryan, Ponder were all with team when they were in the ACC.

    Vick was pre-acc VT

    That’s 7/32 (21.8%) or 8/32 (25%) depending on how you count Vick. Of course, the ACC is counting him.

  22. PackerInRussia 09/25/2013 at 2:07 PM #

    I saw him in a preseason game against the Redskins. He started the game. He didn’t look good in the beginning, but the guys calling the game (Bucs guys) were saying that that was not how he had been playing. Later in the game, he started doing better and looked pretty good (for a preseason game against 2nd and 3rd stringers). So, he showed some promise in the preseason if that means anything. Thank you, Josh Freeman, for giving him the chance.

  23. Prowling Woofie 09/25/2013 at 2:13 PM #

    I like the timing – let him start, then have two weeks to ‘coach him up’ before the next outing.

    Go Mike !!!!

  24. MrPlywood 09/25/2013 at 3:12 PM #

    I heard this morning, very cool. The bye week set up tells me that the staff are being realistic in their expectations. Good luck to MG!

  25. FunPack 09/25/2013 at 4:45 PM #

    Give ’em hell, Mike.

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