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.
"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.
Schiano said Monday that Freeman was still his starter even though he completed fewer than 50 percent of his passes during the Bucs' 0-3 start.
[+] EnlargeGreg Schiano and Josh Freeman
AP Photo/Phelan M. EbenhackCoach Greg Schiano's patience with Josh Freeman wore thin after the QB completed less than 50 percent of his passes in the Bucs' 0-3 start.
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.
