Written by Nate Peterson at CBS Sports.com
Ever been humiliated at your job?
Then you can definitely relate to Mike Glennon.
The NFL is a humbling, dog-eat-dog business, but when it comes to suffering indignities at the office, Glennon is a special case.
In Tampa, he was benched for journeyman Josh McCown, who is now playing for his eighth NFL team. He watched the Buccaneers pick Jameis Winston No. 1 overall just two years after drafting him, relegating him to clipboard duty. He had to adjust to three different head coaches and three different coordinators in four seasons.
Then, a break, it seemed. Despite attempting only 11 NFL passes since the start of the 2015 season, he somehow landed a three-year, $45 million deal that includes $19 million guaranteed from the Bears in March.
Finally, Mike Glennon was the man.
At least for seven weeks. Then he headed out to his new team’s draft night party at Soldier Field to sign some autographs, snap some photos with fans and await the pick of the defensive stud that the Bears were absolutely supposed to take at No. 3 overall. That’s when Bears general manager Ryan Pace decided to pants Glennon with the entire football world watching, inexplicably giving up three picks to move up one spot and draft Mitchell Trubisky, a one-year wonder at North Carolina.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, Trubisky, the future face of the franchise, played for the most-hated rival of Glennon’s alma mater.
Yep, it’s definitely going to be a fun quarterback room this season in Chicago. It’s so bad that even Jay Cutler, of all people, offered to reach out to Glennon for a pep talk. If the two ever connected, we’re guessing the conversation probably went something like this.
Cutler: Hate the Bears now?
Glennon: Yeah
Cutler: Hey, who got my old parking spot?
But Glennon can take solace in this: He’s not the only quarterback who had an uncomfortable draft night or enters 2017 in an uneasy spot. Entering training camp, here are the 15 most awkward QB situations, ranked.
15. New England Patriots
The Patriots have the best QB situation in the NFL. They have the ageless Tom Brady, the greatest QB of all time, under center. They also have the NFL’s best backup in Jimmy Garoppolo, who Bill Belichick refused to trade in the offseason despite a robust market for his services.
But this situation has the potential to become the most awkward in the NFL, by a mile, if Brady struggles in 2017. Think Joe Montana in a Chiefs uniform, or Jerry Rice running routes for the Raiders and Seahawks. Think Joe Namath with the Rams or Johnny Unitas limping through a season with the Chargers. Think of the unthinkable: Belichick going full Belichick and moving on from Brady, like he has with so many other signature Pats. Our own Joel Corry explained why time and money aren’t on Belichick’s side when it comes to keeping two starting-quality QBs on his roster. And there’s no way Belichick held on to Garoppolo, passing on a ransom of draft capital, to get a measly comp pick if Brady’s backup leaves in free agency after 2017.
Will Brady ever play for another franchise other than the Patriots? No, it can’t happen. It won’t happen. Until it does happen. Brady’s boyhood idol was Montana, so he knows better than anyone that time waits for no man, not even legends.
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