Jeff Garcia, the 43-year-old quarterback who hasn’t thrown an NFL pass in five years, is interested in a comeback with the Browns.
Garcia told 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland that he would be interested in playing for the Browns, who are currently deciding between Brandon Weeden and Jason Campbell as their starter.
“I actually reached out to the Browns and said ‘work me out, take a look, I’m open to the opportunity,’” Garcia said, via Keith Britton.
The Browns were apparently not interested, which is not surprising, considering the last time Garcia threw a pass in the NFL was in 2008 for the Buccaneers. Garcia (who played for the Browns in 2004) has attempted to stay in football into his 40s and has spent time with the Raiders, Eagles and Texans along with the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League.
When we last heard from Garcia he was working with JaMarcus Russell and talking up Russell’s chances of returning to the NFL, but Garcia didn’t sound too high on Russell when speaking to 92.3 The Fan today. Garcia said he helped Russell get into shape early this year and believed that Russell was serious about an NFL comeback, but according to Garcia, Russell “got soft” after they stopped working together.
“I just don’t know if that fire, that hunger, continued to burn,” Garcia said of Russell. “That’s the unfortunate thing because that three months that he was with us, he really committed himself.”
It sounds like we can safely say neither Russell nor Garcia will return to the NFL.