What’s up with Garcia? Why is he restless? Missing T.O.?
Gruden could not have expected to take the heat from his own quarterback, Jeff Garcia, who did not sound at all happy about his inactivity the past two games.
"I feel over-rested in a sense," Garcia said on a conference call. "I feel restless, so to speak. It seems like it has been a while since I have actually played a complete game, and I don't really like that feeling. I am more of an old-school mentality. I like to play until I am basically dragged off the field. It's one of those things where I had to deal with coach Gruden's decision; he is the coach and that is the position he took."
Garcia, who didn't play against the Panthers, is 37 years old and was forced out the 12th and 13th games of the season with a back injury. Gruden obviously was being cautious with his starting quarterback, who did not appreciate being treated like some china doll.
"I was disappointed about only playing a half in San Francisco in a place where I had played for five years," Garcia said, "and I really wanted to battle through that entire game."
Instead, Garcia was removed from that game.
"When that took place what are you going to do?" Garcia said. "Coach Gruden is one of those guys where what he says stays and there is no real challenging that."