Ranking every Buccaneers starting quarterback since 1990

If there's a sense of nervousness around Buccaneers fans entering this season and what will happen at quarterback, it's because this isn't the first transitional phase we've experienced.

Back in 2009, the Bucs took their first big swing at trying to find a franchise quarterback, drafting Josh Freeman out of Kansas State in the first round. What ensued was a perfect storm of inexperience that led to careers getting derailed and utter failure becoming rampant throughout the next decade.

Freeman's stint with the Bucs was a total disaster, but his numbers weren't that bad. He dealt with bad coaching and even worse offensive weapons (Mike Williams and Arrelious Benn were the tax Bucs fans paid to get Mike Evans and Chris Godwin), but still managed a positive touchdown-to-interception ratio.

The problem was he never leveled up and was stuck in the lowest gear. There were some signature moments, including an upset win over the Packers while wearing the creamsicles back in 2009, but that might have also been when his career peaked. That game happened in Freeman's rookie season, which is a horrible indictment of how the other four-ish seasons went. Raheem Morris, the "Youngry Bucs", and Greg Schiano didn't do Freeman any favors, but he never elevated himself above being a guy with first-round promise who was unceremoniously released in the middle of his fifth season.