I have stood by my boy for several years now. Through thick and thin I have worn his jersey with pride, so it hurts me to write this:
Tim Couch, grow up.
The embattled Cleveland Browns quarterback has reportedly spurned a deal with the Green Bay Packers that would give him a fresh start in a new town.
A new chance with a new team is exactly what Couch needs. Any Cleveland fan knows this. From the moment he was drafted with the first overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft, the man has faced every possible situation a young quarterback in the league could possibly face.
Expansion team? Couch led the Browns as their starting quarterback starting in game 2 of their first season back. Quarterback controversy? Just look at last season with its ongoing Couch/Kelly Holcomb debacle. Injuries? When your team refuses to build an offensive line that can protect its quarterback, that QB will take a beating.
The list goes on and on. But through it all, Couch insisted his heart was in Cleveland – and that he wanted to lead the franchise to glory. It was this tenacity and devotion that made me adopt him as my favorite player, and proudly wear his jersey – just like I did for Bernie Kosar while growing up.
But after a difficult season for both Couch and the entire Browns organization, it has become obvious his time has passed. Couch lost his starting spot to Holcomb during the preseason, then regained it when Holcomb was injured.
The biggest issue was, unfortunately, the money. Couch is under a contract with Cleveland, which will pay him $7.6 million this upcoming season and $8 million the following year. The Browns, apparently deciding to move forward, signed former San Francisco 49ers QB Jeff Garcia to take Couch’s job.
The move came after Couch refused a major cut to his salary in Cleveland. Now, if he stays with the Browns, they will be paying a ton of money for a backup QB. Money that could better be used in any number of positions for the team.
Rather than sit as a lame-duck backup in Cleveland with no real starting prospects, Couch had an alternative option: Learn the system in Green Bay as Brett Favre’s backup, then step into the starting role in a year or two when Favre retires.
I cannot think of a better chance for a quarterback seeking to prove he can win. Couch would go to a city that loves quarterbacks and a team that emphasizes its passing game. It’s win-win.
In return for trading Couch, the Browns would have received a conditional draft pick depending on how much Couch plays as a Packer – as well as the relief of not having to pay his hefty contract.
But Couch vetoed the possible trade, just as he did a restructured contract with Cleveland, because the cut in his salary was too steep. According to the latest story in the Plain Dealer, Couch doesn’t want to sit for two years under Favre – he wants one.
I hate to say this, but Tim Couch is not in a position to be making demands. I am convinced he can be a winner, but I am clearly in the minority. It is because of this lack of confidence that teams are not jumping at the chance to sign him.
Tim, shut up and make a move. Your pride is costing you much more than your career can afford right now. Learn what you can from Favre, who is one of the all-time greats in the NFL. And please, stop caring so much about the money.
Adam Jardy is a third-year senior majoring in journalism. Look for him walking around campus with his Couch jersey and send hate mail to [email protected].
