Garcia: Have Howie give me a call
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Garcia: Have Howie give me a call
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
At 42 years old, Jeff Garcia isn't quite ready to call it a career.
And he wouldn't mind a third stint with Andy Reid and the Eagles.
Speaking to 94 WIP's Anthony Gargano and Glen Macnow, Garcia said he's in the best shape of his life and will be ready if a team calls.
"Philly's the team my wife will let me go back and play for," he said. "She's the only one that will approve the move, so to speak. Our experience there in Philadelphia in 2006 was just, for me as a player, one of the best experiences that I've had."
The Texans signed Garcia last December, but the last time he threw a pass in the NFL was in 2008 as the starter for the Bucs. The Eagles signed him during the 2009 season as a backup, but Garcia only appeared in one game.
"Could I step into a game? I don't know," Garcia said. "I mean, it's been a couple years, you know. But hey, Houston called me last year at the end of the season, brought me in because they wanted some help around their young guy. I can be that guy. I can be that person who can continue to motivate and inspire and help teach and educate, and if given the opportunity to step on the field, I'm gonna give everything I have to find success, no matter how it happens."
Back in 2006, Garcia led the Eagles on a six-game winning streak, including a playoff victory over the Giants, before the Birds fell to the Saints in the divisional round. He threw 12 touchdowns and two interceptions during that span. If Reid calls, Garcia said he'd definitely be interested in returning.
"Absolutely, man, I'm picking up the phone," Garcia said. "I'm gonna say, 'How much do you want me to pay you Andy so I can come in and get things fired up around there?' I'd pay to play. That's just me. I'm just that kind of guy. I love the game.
"If the writing's on the wall, the writing's on the wall. ...I'm 42 years old. I'm not expecting any calls, but if the call comes, I know I'm physically and mentally ready and capable."
While Garcia's playing days are probably over, as I've written before, the Eagles' backup quarterback situation is likely the biggest concern on the team. Mike Kafka has attempted 16 career passes, and Trent Edwards was out of the league last year. Rookie Nick Foles will be slated as the No. 3 guy.
By not signing anyone else, Reid is signaling that he believes Kafka can get the job done. And maybe he can. But the position is still a major question mark.
Going forward, the only way the Eagles would sign a quarterback is if they believe the new guy is absolutely a better option than Kafka. Michael Vick and Foles have the one and three spots locked down, so if the Eagles were to add another quarterback, they would almost certainly let Kafka go. That seems like an unlikely scenario at this point, although Garcia would be in favor of it.
"Just have Howie Roseman give me a call, and I'll be more than happy to answer that one," he said. "You have Michael Vick and you have the drafted kid out of Arizona, and then you have me. You don't need anybody else."
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I LOVED watching Garcia jumping around, smacking lineman more than twice his size across the helmet...come on back Jeff. He's worth a look, and if is brought in and has anything left to give, I'd feel much better about the back up situation.— JTR
Comment removed.- Garcia will be back....as a coaching intern someday. You can take that to the bank.— soulman386
- Even at 42 he'd prob be the best QB on the team.— Sidewinder7
- The three backups on this team are worthless.— SilliBilli
-JTR You are a true fan my man, I like your enthusiasm. I don't honestly think there's any chance they would sign it but I'd much rather see him play than anyone else on the roster should Vick go down. Let's face it, if he goes down more than three games our season is probably finished. I truly think Garcia gives us a better shot than Edwards, Kafka or the rookie this season.- If he did come back momma McNabb can just be bitter this time around— MDbirdsfan89
- Garcia was an embodiment of what Eagles fans love. Intensity, excitement, and pure love of the game. Not to mention he won, which we Philly fans always love.
I personally would feel comfortable with him being the number 2 guy behind Vick. That, and I'd love to have him around to groom Foles and show him how a quarterback is supposed to act. BTW, that isn't a hit on Vick, I just mean someone who has the time to show Foles the ropes. And he already knows the system and has been successful in it. Bring him back Howie, it's not like Edwards or Kafka is that good anyway. Get a draft pick for Kafka.— Joe Redden - Comment removed.
- @Judge - if we had a backup capable of managing the game, which would allow the birds to tread water the season wouldn't necessarily be lost if Vick went down for a handful of games...that statement of course would depend on their record when he went down, what type of teams we had to play without him, the growth of the defense, etc.
Point being, though, is that I don't know if we have that QB on the roster that can manage a game and give us a chance to win...we at least don't have one that we can say that about for sure— JTR - Put him on the practice squad.— P Even
Maybe since the Eagles are hiring they can hire Garcia to be the executive assistant to the QB coach.
That's a joke, before people start calling me a koolaide drinker, toadie, moron or idiot. LOL- P even, he's a 12 year NFL vet, he isn't eligible for the practice squad.— regassert6
- If Vick fractures his fibula or cracks his coccyx, then Garcia will get a call for emergency backup. Wonder what Donny would think.— tommy_the_k
- Why? Why would you write this article for any other reason besides to stir the pot? The pot in Philly is full of idiots, the same idiots that claim AR and the entire brass of the organization should be let go. Do you realize how easy it is to stir up those idiots? This is not a reasonable solution to our QB depth. The guy is 42 years old, I'd rather have Kafka back there. You are all insane for even considering that Garcia is "worth it." Get out of here, seriously. If you believe that Garcia is better Kafka/Edwards/Foles, it's time to stop watching sports and go put on a dress. He MIGHT be better than Foles overall, only because he has so much more knowledge, but the other two dominate him athletically. Kafka is much more familiar with our offense than Garcia.
I'm not shocked that the same people who constantly put this FO and team down are also rooting to bring back Garcia. It just solidifies my belief in how wrong and stupid you are. I'm sorry, but Jeff Garcia does not deserve a shot on the fastest offense in football.
Lastly, Kafka will be a fine backup. If you are familiar with our system, you will thrive as a QB. Look at all the fool's gold we sold in AJ Feely, Kolb, and McNabb. Look at how good Koy Detmer did in our offense. Guys step in with our offense and do a great job frequently. The only real exception is Vince Young. Garcia was one of those QBs, but that was seven years ago.— StewBrad36
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