Jeff Garcia Wants Mo Money

I'm not exactly sure what to make of this article about Jeff Garcia wanting a new contract. On one hand, I can kind of see his point, especially if this is true:

Because of the Bucs' decision to rest him for the final two weeks of the regular season, he fell just short of participating in 70 percent of their offensive snaps, preventing him from earning a seven-figure bonus.

His contract reportedly has $7.5 million worth of incentives over its term. I don't think Jon Gruden sat Garcia out of the last couple games because he didn't want to pay him; I'm pretty sure he was legitimately trying to save him for the playoffs. But when Garcia signed the contract, he had to be under the expectation that he would be under center at least 70% of the time, so I can see where he'd be disappointed.

On the other hand, he's a 37 year old quarterback who got his paydays in past years. Remember, Gruden wanted him in 2004, but couldn't offer that much money at the time because of cap problems. Cleveland offered him a $25 million contract, so he went there. So if he was allowed to make a business decision and go with the big money a few years ago, you can't blame the Bucs for making a business decision and waiting until the last minute to try and extend him, especially considering how he played in the playoffs.

Also, something about this doesn't sit right with me:

Nonrookie starting quarterbacks average between $7-million and $15-million a year in the NFL, making Garcia among the league's lowest-paid quarterbacks.

First of all, that's a big fucking spread. That's like saying the average man is between four feet and eight feet tall. The numbers are nearly useless as an average. Secondly, there are about a dozen ways to measure football player compensation. Does the $7 - $15 million include pro-rated signing bonuses, roster bonuses, likely-to-be-earned incentives, etc.? Or are they just salary? Just going by salary, take a look at Garcia's NFC South peers:

Jake Delhomme: $3.69 million
Drew Brees: $4.7 million
Chris Redman: $1.5 million (this is an estimate, but his new contract is for $5 million/2 years total with a $2 million signing bonus. I split the remainder.)

All of a sudden, Garcia's $2 million salary doesn't look so weird, does it? I can't tell if Rick Stroud is just trying to stir up shit because he can't stand to see a stable Buccaneer quarterback, or if... wait, I guess I don't have to end that sentence.