Garcia: I Would Like To Stay With Eagles
February 1, 2007
By DAVE SPADARO
Jeff Garcia visited the NovaCare Complex on Thursday and visited with the team and while the visit had nothing to do with contract talks or with his immediate future, Garcia indicated in an exclusive interview that he would like to stay an Eagle for as long as possible.
"Based upon my experience here, I hope that it (future) looks real good," said Garcia. "I hope we can figure out a way to keep me here. I think one of the things I look at is, I just want to be treated fairly. I just want to be respected and appreciated for my accomplishments on the field and what I bring as a person, and a leader and a motivator and just an attitude to this team, to this organization.
"If that can be appreciated, I have no problem with committing myself to Philadelphia, for not just one year but hopefully the rest of my career. Who knows how long that will be, but that's where I would like to see things go."
Garcia sent Eagles fans into a collective state of shock last week when he appeared on The Jay Leno Show and said he would "test the waters" in free agency.
Jeff Garcia enjoyed his Eagles experience and would like it to continue
He cleared up what he meant on Thursday.
"When I say 'test the waters' you have to create some leverage, you have to not allow somebody to just take advantage of you and that's what I want to make sure that I don't allow to happen," said Garcia.
Garcia expects there will be a handful of teams, should he reach free agency on March 2, to show an interest in him. Some may want him as a starter. Some may want him to compete for a starting job. Some may want him to be a backup.
He will have interest.
"I think starting is definitely an important thing, but starting for the wrong team is not that important," said Garcia. "It's not necessarily a money issue and it's not necessarily, 'Where is the best place for me to start?' but 'Where is the best place where I really do fit in well and gives us the chance to win football games and be a championship team?' Right now, I don't see any better places than right here in Philly.
"I hope that things can be worked out and I hope things continue to remain the same, because I don't like getting up and moving all over the country. I like stability."
After a long and successful career in San Francisco, Garica had one-year stops in Cleveland (2004) and Detroit (2005) and those years left an unpleasant taste in his mouth.
"That's not a road I want to go down anymore," he said. "I don't want to experience those type of situations."
He was obviously great in 2006 for the Eagles. Garcia completed 61.7 percent of his passes for 10 touchdowns and just two interceptions in the regular season and then completed 52.5 percent of his passes for two touchdowns in the playoff games.
Garcia helped the Eagles turn around a season -- they went from 5-6 to 10-6 and an NFC East title and then defeated the Giants in the first round of the playoffs before losing in New Orleans a few weeks ago.
"Time will tell, but I'm definitely open-minded to the opportunities that are out there and I definitely have favoritism toward this place right here," said Garcia.
Garcia, for the first time in years, will have options. He could be a wanted man.
"It's nice to be back up on the radar, so to speak," he said. "I think that being wanted, feeling wanted, is a good feeling. I know that I'm wanted right here in Philadelphia and that's a great feeling. Hopefully, we can just make it work."
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