Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio appeared on ESPN’s Jim Rome Show Thursday afternoon and had some choice words for his starting quarterback, David Garrard.
Here’s a transcribed version of the Del Rio interview, which can also be viewed here:
Rome: Hey Jack, is David Garrard a Super Bowl-caliber quarterback?
J.D.R.: Well that’s a, uh, good question. I think I would say a quarterback like David Garrard can be that with a great supporting cast. You know, I don’t know. When you look at teams that have won multiple championships, I think they’ve had elite quarterbacks.
[Del Rio emphasized the last statement, “elite quarterbacks,” with a hand motion, clearly to convey that Garrard isn’t one.]
J.D.R. cont’d: Peyton Manning type guys, Joe Montana type guys. The elite quarterback? He’s not that. I do think David’s a good football player.
Garrard surely is not an elite NFL quarterback. He did not deserve to make the AFC’s 2009 Pro Bowl roster. Del Rio simply stated a fact.
But Del Rio undoubtedly could’ve phrased his answer more tactfully.
And as the head coach of an organization that’s experienced all kinds of locker room problems throughout his tenure, Del Rio’s approach to the situation only served to plant yet another unnecessary seed for player-coach fallout after a season in which the Jaguars lost their last four games.
