Chuck Pagano Closes Door On Josh Freeman
March 22nd, 2016
Colts head coach Chuck Pagano talked today about Josh Freeman, who won in Week 17 but got the boot.
The NFL is a cold business.
One day your boss gives you love in front of a national audience. The next minute you’re unwelcome.
Last month at the NFL Scouting Combine, Joe asked Colts head coach Chuck Pagano about former Bucs franchise quarterback Josh Freeman, who played well as a starter for Indianapolis in their Week 17 victory.
Pagano was so happy with Freeman and planning to have him compete for a backup gig. (Quotes here)
But then Freeman was cut. The Colts signed Scott Tolzein in free agency to back up Andrew Luck. Tolzein, 28, has two career starts, both in 2013.
The Colts opted to make Stephen Morris their third quarterback, but not hold four QBs entering spring practices. Freeman was signed to a contract less than $800,000 for 2016.
Joe asked Pagano today whether something happened after he spoke glowingly about Freeman at the NFL Scouting Combine.
“No. Like I said, our roster, it’s fluid. Every decision is based on what’s best for the team and gives us the best chance to win,” Pagano said. “We just felt like going after Scott [Tolzein], acquiring Scott, bringing him in and moving on. You know, appreciative of what Josh did. He came in that last week and played really good football for us.”
The Josh Freeman saga continues.
March 22nd, 2016 at 10:41 am
I’m always a bit torn on Josh Freeman’s freefall out of the NFL. On one hand I think good, that son of a b!tch deserves whatever he has coming for the lies he spread, chaos he created, and careers he torpedoed (besides his own) yet the more I see this guy keep trying to resurrect his career despite getting knocked down every time I kind of feel some sadness for him too. The young man had a lot of physical potential to play the position, it really is too bad that whatever sent him spiraling out of control (we probably have a good idea but innocent until proven guilty I guess) happened. Unlike Lovie who I don’t think owes us an apology (he tried, he sucked, he’s gone…move on) I actually do think Josh owes Bucs fans and the organization and some of the coaches he basically smeared an apology. It would go a long way towards moving forward in life for him too I actually believe.
March 22nd, 2016 at 10:44 am
Freeman is history, gone, departed, terminated, through, finished, vanished, elsewhere, SYONARA, ADIOS, AU-REVOIR, Auf WIEDERSHEN, CHEERIO, ADJO, ANTIO, DO SVIDANIYA, HASTA LA VISTA, BYE-BYE…. SO LONG Of course, Schiano would say CAIO!!!
March 22nd, 2016 at 11:01 am
One day the full true story will come out concerning Josh Freeman and the Bucs. It never has yet. Regardless, he handled his situation very poorly here. I hope he learned and grew up. Had he took his benching like a man, he very well might still be in the NFL today..as a backup. Schiano probably was not the best. But he was our coach at the time. Freeman screwed himself. HE never got back on track after the Bucs. And his NFL career is done. Short ride for him. I hope he saved some of that money he made. He pocketed quite a few millions for not much work. Good luck Josh in your next..career.
March 22nd, 2016 at 11:15 am
Schiano screwed up with Freeman and with Blount. Horrendous officiating kept Freeman, Raheem, and the Bucs, out of the playoffs. Will always wonder who would have won the SB had the Packers not made it in. Also, would Schiano end up with the job after the following season? We’ll never know.
March 22nd, 2016 at 11:17 am
Translation, when Chuck Pagano takes out the trash he keeps it out!!!! The only thing I will be said about is they did not cut him right on the field during a meaningless preseason game!!!! When you lie about other and take no responsibility you get all the bad Karma that jfro-6pak deserves!!! May he lose all the money that he did not deserve to have if he has not already!!!!!
March 22nd, 2016 at 11:18 am
Remember when Josh scheduled the 110X16 gauntlets in the Florida summer heat?
Brian Price, who was the heart and soul of this young team, suffered a needless career ending leg explosion less than 1/4 of the way into that drill. Josh traded his ass to Chicago before the stretcher bearers could reach his crippled, agonized body.
Josh destroyed the team that day.
(Am I remembering that correctly?)
Funny, if Miko was around back then, Miguel wouldn’t have got banned.
March 22nd, 2016 at 11:38 am
It can’t just all be lack of talent at this point. The kid is being thrown aside for nobodies and never has been’s. He must be a head case or something. Perhaps he needs to spend less time worrying about football and more time figuring out wtf is going on with his life.
March 22nd, 2016 at 11:44 am
One can only hope that at this point, jfro-6pak is hired by Illinois as a Qb coach assistant, just so that he and lovie can stare at each other cluelessly and wonder why they were treated so badly by the NFL!!!!!
March 22nd, 2016 at 12:34 pm
So Freeman is not good enough to be 4th string and come into camp to fight for a job after he started a game last season??? There’s more than is being told here. Whatever it is – I hope Josh can get himself straightened out. Seems like that’s been the refrain for the last 3 years though so its probably not going to happen. Jfro is not our problem anymore. Thank God Dom did not sign him to a long term deal after 2012 – that’s at least 1 thing the “rockstar” got right.
March 22nd, 2016 at 12:47 pm
We talkin Josh not LOVIE right, anyway Josh got Back-Stabbed, Bamboozled. Lead Atsray, Hood-Winked, Undermined by his T BUCS COACH!!
March 22nd, 2016 at 12:47 pm
When Josh was our quarterback and they did a TV interview with him at home and he all these big snakes I knew then that was not right.
March 22nd, 2016 at 12:56 pm
BigHogHaynes..how does one go through life being you?
March 22nd, 2016 at 1:09 pm
Trade Glennon for a 2nd round (or 3rd and 5th round) pick week before draft. I think Josh would come back to Tampa if invited and make a good 2nd stringer. I would at least kick the tires and see whats left in the tank.
March 22nd, 2016 at 1:11 pm
When Josh Freeman posed as Michael Jackson – my gut told me it was over. When Michael Clayton posed on the hood of his Ferrari in a mink coat in the driveway of his mansion – my gut told me it was over.
Agree with Pickgrin – Scott Tolzein & Stephen Morris – who?? Josh Freeman is a former #17 overall pick with years of starting experience who won some quality games. Freeman had many comebacks in the early years – was known for that, remember? Has the ideal size and arm strength – yet he can’t even make it to OTA’s without being cut for some jabronies named Tolzein and Morris?
I think it comes down to, as Chucky would say, “Do You Love Football?” I believe the answer for Freeman is clearly – NO.
March 22nd, 2016 at 1:24 pm
Buc since ’74….well he clearly loves football, cause he keeps trying. It can’t be the money anymore. Or perhaps it is all about the money and it’s get it while I can all while I have no more fire in my belly.
Still think there’s something wrong with his head or something. Too many coaches are dropping him for nobodies. Schiano was vilified by many on JBF for releasing him. Yet it seems many other coaches feel the same way Schiano did about Josh.
The kid was always an enigma to me. So why change anything now?
March 22nd, 2016 at 1:39 pm
I don’t know if it’s not just about the money or not, I drive by his house on Bayshore every day to work, and for the past two months, there’s been a pile of trash and clothes about 8 feet high next to his front steps. Dude definitely has some personal demons he’s fighting, but he can probably still get a pretty good price for his chrome Maserati!
March 22nd, 2016 at 2:31 pm
Someone out there knows something about what really happened to Josh Freeman.
March 22nd, 2016 at 3:39 pm
1sparkybuc Says
“Schiano screwed up with Freeman and with Blount.”
Both were sleeping during meetings, you know.
And if he had crewed up with Freeman, then Freeman would have done well elsewhere.
March 22nd, 2016 at 4:40 pm
The moral of this post, NFL head coaches have no reason to be honest with the media or sports bloggers when answering questions. If you really think nothing happened (ie oversleeping, missing an appointment, things he’d reportedly done at some of his other stops) and the just happened to sign a career backup with 1 career TD to 5 INTs to replace him then I have a bridge to sell you.
What reason does Pagano have to tell Joe something bad about Freeman? Any team knows to keep things in-house. Let the actions speak for themselves.
March 22nd, 2016 at 5:13 pm
Even while Freeman was performing at a very high level physically for us, it always seemed to me that he just didn’t have a sharp mental grasp of what was going on around him in real time. He just seemed to have a very unfocused pocket presence. It was as if mentally, every moment of every play, he was flying by the seat of his pants. It was as if the game just never slowed down for him.
March 22nd, 2016 at 5:18 pm
@Buc1987: I’ve been a Buc fan since Day 1 also, to answer your question, I know some things because I learned to read and also try to do research on more than just the game of football, my dad was from Williston Florida born (1925), my grandad was from Raleigh Florida born 1899, both of these small north Florida small towns are about 30 miles east of a town called Rosewood! If you research Rosewood Florida maybe you’ll get the answer you want! But I’m no Hater, just trying to live, happy to be free!66
March 22nd, 2016 at 5:29 pm
@realist..you must wake up with a hard on and bust every time you say lovie’s name…let it go!!!!he’s gone…you and many others got what you wanted so let it go….enough with lovie…joe should ban anyone that uses his name…just say the old bucs coach and everyone will know who you mean…for example: dungy, chucky, raheem, schiano, the old bucs coach…see that wasn’t so hard now was it…
I will always wonder wth happened to freeman…I wish him the best…GO BUCS!!!
March 22nd, 2016 at 6:31 pm
@813bucboi
The truth about jfro-6pak is even stranger than you can imagine, with coach and GM covering up signs back in the early 2011!!!!
As far as lovie goes, its like a wise man once said, ” lovie is like school on sunday,,,No Class!!!!”
(From Fat Albert’s chrismas special)
March 22nd, 2016 at 7:35 pm
I can’t get over the “wasted on the radio” interview when he obviously was trashed. Then missing his training camp and Vjax bailing him out. Then he can’t show for the team photo when you are the face of the franchise. I knew a guy as a young man like Josh. Talented, good looking, a winner, and even had Josh’s mannerisms. But, like Josh he was a hedonist and only interested in self pleasure.
March 22nd, 2016 at 7:37 pm
I want to add to that. Talent is more than natural ability. Talent is where hard work meets natural ability. Often people with natural ability don’t think they need to work hard. Those people are not talented.
March 23rd, 2016 at 4:15 am
Saw this one coming…..go away free free.