Buccaneers: Dirk Koetter Compares Mike Glennon to Matt Ryan
Buccaneers coach Dirk Koetter compared Mike Glennon to one of the NFL’s brightest stars.
When Dirk Koetter ascended to the head coaching position with the Buccaneers, he had a starting quarterback in place. Jameis Winston was coming off a rookie season that saw the team improve by four games, from two wins to six. His combination with Mike Evans was already on its way to becoming one of the best in the sport.
He also inherited backup quarterback Mike Glennon. We all know Glennon’s story. He posted decent stats in his first season, including a 19-9 touchdown to interception ratio. However, he fell off the pace in 2014, leading him to lose his job and the eventual selection of Winston. The bottom line? There was no way that Glennon was going to start in Tampa.
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That didn’t stop Koetter from throwing some high praise at his former backup. He was asked about Glennon and he compared him to one of the league’s best quarterbacks.
Listen to him talk and it sounds like he wanted Glennon to stick around (per Jeff Dickerson of ESPN):
"“They’re getting a very accurate passer, they’re getting an excellent leader, a guy that will be a relentless, tireless worker,” Koetter told reporters at the owners meetings. “He’ll set the standard for how to work for their team. I compare Mike Glennon favorably with Matt Ryan, and I’ve coached them both. I think they have a similar skill set. Now, Matt’s been a starter since the first day he came into the league and had a lot of success and Mike hasn’t maybe gotten as many opportunities, but I think style of play, I think they have a similar style.”"
Talk about high praise. That is very high praise considering that Glennon hasn’t started a game in two seasons. Although if you compare the stats, looking at their first seasons as a starter, there are comparable numbers between Glennon and Matt Ryan.
Ryan’s completion percentage that season was 61%, Glennon’s was 59%. Most notable was the touchdown to interception ratio. Glennon’s was 19-9. Ryan’s was 16-11.
Could he have become “Mikey Ice”? Obviously that’s difficult to predict. Who knows what would have happened if Winston had not arrived.
Koetter talked about the type of professional that Glennon is as well:
"“I think the main thing teammates will be impressed with is his work ethic,” Koetter said. “In our building, Mike and Jameis — boom! First two guys in the building, always in the quarterback room, always studying, always offering tips to the other players. I think a quarterback starts off by just setting the tone by how hard they work, how much they’re in the building, how much they help [others]."
He does make a good point, and from what we understand, this will mark a difference from the Jay Cutler era. There were times where Cutler was known to be a bit of a problem in the locker room. That may be one of the reasons that teams like the New York Jets showed lukewarm interest in him at best.
It’s important for a quarterback to be a leader in the locker room as well as on the field. If Glennon is, that will be a marked change from their previous leader.
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If it works out for the Bears, it’s good for all sides in the end. Glennon gets his chance to play, and succeed, while the Bucs move ahead with Winston to take the next step.