Fans will root for their favorite QB to win the starting job on Thursday. Joe suspects Bucs players have their favorites, too.

The players on the Bucs offense are human. They have feelings. They’re not robots.

That said, Joe knows it’s very likely that each guy on the first team offense, which will play three quarters on Thursday, has a preferred winner in the starting quarterback derby.

How could they not?

Same goes for the Bucs offensive coaches, and Raheem The Dream and Mark Dominik.

Joe’s played on high school and college teams. Joe always had guys he preferred to play with — no matter the sport. Joe even thought he knew better than his coaches, at times. (Coach Slane, if your still alive, Joe still can’t believe you couldn’t find a way to get Tom DiBuono on the court. Shame on you.)

So which quarterback on the Bucs will have the most guys working that little bit harder for him on Thursday night? Byron Leftwich? Luke McCown? Might Jeff Jagodzinski keep his favorite QB in a comfort zone in order to showcase his best? After all, Jagodzinski has an awful lot at stake.

Joe does know that Earnest Graham, Antonio Bryant and Kellen Winslow have publicly touted their appreciation of McCown. Winslow and McCown even spent time at each other’s summer camps this offseason. Joe also knows that McCown has long relationships with the guys on the offensive line.  

As for Leftwich, Joe has no idea where his friends are on the offense, although it’s becoming obvious he’s got a friend in the head coach.

Sure, all the Bucs players and coaches are professionals, and they should perform that way, which means none would ever consider giving a little extra for a certain quarterback fighting for his career. Yeah, right, and Joe has an appointment with Rachel Watson in a hot tub tonight.

Joe’s going to be looking for clues on Thursday. There should be at least a few out there for the conspiracy lovers to chew on.