Things just keep getting worse for Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman.
In the offseason, heading into the last year of his contract, Freeman did not receive a contract extension. Then, he had the “C” removed from his jersey, meaning he was no longer a captain. After that, his head coach, Greg Schiano, informed reporters that Freeman was late to a team picture. Then, Freeman struggled through the first three games, all losses. In those games, Freeman was 43-of-94 for 571 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions.
Heading into Saturday’s 13-10 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, Freeman was benched in favor of North Carolina State rookie Mike Glennon. Freeman then expressed his desire for a trade and the Bucs asked him to sit in a suite rather than watch from the sideline.
Now, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen is reporting Freemn “is a stage one participant in the NFL’s drug program but he is not one strike away from a suspension despite being subject to random testing.”
Mortensen also says that Freeman hasn’t necessarily failed any test and “a player can be placed in stage one for a variety of reasons, including behavioral causes. The medical director determines the length of stage one status.”