Josh Freeman rapidly declined from a franchise quarterback in Tampa Bay to a disappointment in Minnesota to a backup where he is now, with the Giants. But Freeman thinks he can be a franchise quarterback again.
Although Freeman knows he has no chance of beating out Eli Manning this season, he believes that a good year as a backup for the Giants can put him back into position to start somewhere else a year from now.
“I still view myself as a starting-caliber quarterback,” Freeman said, via NJ.com. “I love the situation because I have the opportunity to be around a guy that really had a lot of success, year after year and continues to win and get his team to the playoffs consistently. It’s a really, really cool opportunity.”
Freeman admits that he played “an awful game” the last time he was in New Jersey, his lone start for the Vikings against the Giants. But Freeman says he didn’t have as much time to prepare for that game as he would have liked, and he thinks he’ll be better when he gets time to settle in to a place where he’s comfortable.
“Looking back, maybe not as prepared as I’d like to have been for the situation, or as much as I thought going into the situation,” Freeman said. “But like anything in your past, it’s an experience to learn from.”
At just 26 years old, Freeman still has time to gain more experience, and to become a starter again. It just won’t happen this year, as long as Manning is healthy.