The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had a difficult time finding their quarterbacks. They have the worst quarterback history in the NFL.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Frustrating Quarterback History
The only three quarterbacks that have a winning record are Jeff Garcia (14-10), Shaun King (14-8) and Brian Griese (12-9).
Garcia, who was the last quarterback to play in a playoff game for the Buccaneers, has the highest quarterback rating at 92.2. Luke McCown has the second highest quarterback rating.
Trent Dilfer has the most quarterback wins with 38 and the most games played with a mere 79.
Yardage Leaders
Jameis Winston will be entering the third season of his career. He has two consecutive seasons of throwing for at least 4,000 passing yards. The only other quarterback to throw for at least 4,000 yards was Josh Freeman in 2012.
In fact, there have only been 14 seasons, out of 42, in which a Buccaneers quarterback has thrown for at least 3,000 yards. The most 3,000 yard seasons by a Buccaneers quarterback is held by both Freeman and, ironically, Brad Johnson.
Johnson wasn’t known for being a prolific passer, but he had three 3,000 yard seasons. This includes 2002, when the Buccaneers won their lone Super Bowl.
Doug Williams, who was ahead of his time in the late 1970s and the early 1980s, threw for 3,000 yards just two times and still remains the team’s most accomplished quarterback. According to Pro Football Reference, Williams has the highest approximate value of 49.
The Buccaneers had a young Vinny Testaverde in the early 1990s and he threw for over 3,000 yards just twice in five seasons. The Buccaneers didn’t have a winning record and Testaverde wasn’t the quality quarterback that he became with the New York Jets.
Quarterbacks Before Prime
Quarterbacks before their prime was a common theme for the Buccaneers.
They had Steve DeBerg for four seasons and Steve Young on the same team. Neither quarterback experienced a winning record with the Buccaneers, and DeBerg had the lone 3,000-yard season between the two. DeBerg went to the playoffs with the Seattle Seahawks, and Young became a Hall of Fame quarterback with the San Francisco 49ers.
The only other quarterback to throw for at least 3,000 yards was Craig Erickson, who threw for 3,054 passing yards in 1993, along with 18 touchdown passes and 21 interceptions. Erickson had a better season in 1994 when he passed for 2,919 yards, 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. That was his last season with the Buccaneers and he played just three more seasons in the NFL.
Only 16 quarterbacks have thrown for at least 2,000 passing yards in their career with the Buccaneers and only King, Mike Glennon, Griese, Garcia, Erickson, Winston, Johnson and Freeman threw more touchdowns than interceptions.
Winston is just 15-17, but he has the talent to change the fortunes for the Buccaneers.
The Buccaneers have a new receiving corps going into this season and Winston has the chance be in the top five of the most passing yards in team history. In just his third season, Winston could become the team’s all-time leader in touchdown passes.
Freeman has the most with 80 touchdowns and Winston has 50 touchdowns.
The achievement will be notable, but only because of the futility of the past quarterbacks in Tampa Bay.
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