“Hey, Joel and Bryan, I’ve got Josh Johnson in the laboratory. You can’t fire me now. He’s almost ready.”

Ok, Gruden haters. Here’s a Christmas gift for you.

Joe isn’t ready to behead Chucky just yet, but Joe understands how happy it makes you feel to think Chucky is on his way out of town. So here’s some holiday cheer.

Genius Jon “Chucky” Gruden hinted today that he might not have much more time as head coach of the Bucs.

Yes, it’s true, as reported by the Oakland Tribune and its other affiliated papers in northern California.

Asked about former Oakland prep star Josh Johnson, the Bucs fourth-string rookie quarterback, Gruden heaped massive praise on the young man. And then Gruden said he’s not sure if he will be with Tampa Bay to groom Johnson.

“He’s our secret weapon. He’s in our laboratory and I don’t know if they’re going to give me enough time to develop him, but I’ve got a lot of confidence in what this guy can be. He is a very good athlete. A great kid. Football-smart, man. Players love him. I just think a year from now, he goes to training camp, he’ll show you and a lot of people that he belongs in the league and he can become an NFL quarterback.”

In case you didn’t catch it above, Gruden said, “I don’t know if they’re going to give me enough time to develop him.”

Wow!

Joe believes this is Gruden’s first admission that he might not be wanted in Tampa.

Now on to the ridiculousness of his quote. This “laboratory” Chucky talks about is laughable, unless it’s a new unit in the laboratory after the Gradkowski wing was burned down.  Were Rob Johnson and Chris Simms also incubated in this laboratory?

As for Johnson, Antonio Bryant talked to Joe after Sunday’s game and, unprompted, had tremendous things to say about Johnson. Bryant said Johnson has meticulous preparation and contagious enthusiasm “for a kid who’s not even going to play.”

One more time, just for Christmas, “I don’t know if they’re going to give me enough time to develop him.”