Simms breaks silence: I feel like I'm being held hostage

Chris Simms, right, watches alongside Chas Gessner during the Bucs game against the Houston Texans last season. [BRENDAN FITTERER | Times (2007)]

Chris Simms says his relationship with Jon Gruden is beyond repair and has been told he will not be with the team in 2008.

But with no trade on the horizon, the Bucs' forgotten quarterback wants to be released immediately, bringing an end to his career in Tampa Bay that seemed inevitable after missing nearly two seasons following surgery to remove his spleen.

"I feel like I'm being held hostage,'' Simms said. "I hate that all this has happened. I love Tampa. My family loves it here. But I've been quiet long enough. I feel like it's time to let everybody know why I'm not out there.''

Click here to read more from Simms' Monday interview with the Times, including why he has not attended the Bucs' off-season workout program.

Comments

[cewilly]

He should apologize to anyone who has ever been held hostage. Most hostages don't get paid millions of guaranteed money.

[Al]

Chris,
Chill out and collect the pay check. Drink more beer. They'll let you go eventually, then you can go to the next team and throw passes at the back of the O-line's head.

[ben]

Good for you Chris! I'm proud of you, and as a fan of yours I want to express how eager I am to see you play again, even if it's not with the Bucs. You deserve a chance to prove yourself.

Good Luck and God Bless

[ed jr]

Quit complaing you made millions for not doing a dam thing

[Zac]

I have always liked Simms and he stuck in there and didn't speak out while all of this was going on. I am not going to sell Gruden down the river, but I can totally see him doing that to Chris. Seriously, the guy almost died. Gruden didn't like Simms from the beginning, the only reason he could let him go was because Simms played well enough to keep his spot. Gruden maybe a good coach, but he gave more credit to a sorry quarterback in Gradkowski than a quarterback that led the Bucs to a NFC South division championship...

[MSEN]

Maybe we should build him a home and subsidize his income. I mean it the right thing to do for this community.

[ed jr]

p.s. and you sucked as quaterback, to little, to slow and that half side arm throw was awfull and easy to bloch

[Brandon]

Hey Eddie Junior-

There's no chance he sucks half as bad as a "quaterback" as you do a blogger. I mean seriously, are you in elementary school? I counted 8 spelling errors in less than 30 words... what an IDIOT!!!

And Simms is too (notice the use of "too" and not "to") little? He's bigger than any other QB we have on the roster, what are you smoking, you nitwit?!

[boyle]

If you understand the business side of this than shut up and move on! Millions of dollars for a fourth string q.b.is not a good business decision. Good luck in arena ball!

[Matt]

I think we all know what type of men Gruden and Allen are, and the type of man Simms is. I know the NFL is a business, but some teams seem to be successful AND treat their players with dignity and respect. The Bucs haven't since the days of Dungy and McKay. We wouldn't have won a SuperBowl without Gruden, but god do I wish he would move on...

[troy parker]

"How can you look gruden in the eye"? What the hell does that mean? stop being a baby! Gruden wanted to cut you because of the way you played! he kept you because he had no choice... not his fault.did you want to pay the bucs back the salary and signing bonus they gave u since you didnt play? If you pay them back, i bet they would grant your wish and cut you! Chris, you should of kept your mouth shut!!!!!

[Rob]

Zac,
You quote, "Gruden didn't like Simms from the beginning, the only reason he could let him go was because Simms played well enough to keep his spot." If I'm not mistaken, Gruden drafter Simms and sung him his prasies for a couple years. Griese was actually released in favor of Simms after beginning a season 6/2 and suffering an injury of his own. I am a Simms'fan and wish him the best. I feel we never used him to his strengths and in the right system, he will blossom into a good starting quarterback. I do also firmly believe though that the truth lies somewhere in the middle and to put all credibility in Simms is a tough call.

Just my little rant.

[Tuck]

Simms has a stronger arm than anyone else on the Bucs roster and he has plenty of playing time left. That’s why it doesn't make any sense to me for the Bucs to let him go.

Most of his poor play was the result of an O-Line that was always overmatched. Simms throws an excellent deep ball, but never had enough time. Most fans were begging for a shotgun formation that didn’t come for 2 more seasons.

In fact, Simms’ O-Line was so poor, not one of those 5 starters remains a current starter. That starting left tackle (Davis) is now just a backup guard…and age isn’t a factor, it’s talent. Simms led the league in batted throws because the line was constantly being driven backwards into the pocket. That’s why the Bucs spent so many early draft picks and so much free-agency money on O-lineman.

Don’t worry about Simms. He’ll end up starring for another team. Let’s just hope that it isn’t Atlanta or Carolina.

[Tim]

Hey Boyle.. he CAN'T move on.. that's his whole point... Gruden would throw his mother under the bus if it helped his plans...

[Tommy Jr]

It is a business and we sometimes forget this. It's not what we did in the past but what we can do now and in the future. Even with this said, I was not a Sims fan until he showed me his heart and toughness playing injured like he was. It is hard to believe he would not get another chance for the chance he took. I'm a Simms fan today and wish him the best.

[Jen]

Chris deserves better than that. The more and more we learn about Gruden the more I don't like him. Chris will blossom somewhere else and be better off without the coach with little man syndrome.

[Wow]

What an absolute joke...he is upset with Gruden for wanting to cut him last season, yet now he is upset with Gruden for not wanting to cut him. Was he upset when he was collecting that hefty paycheck? Players are cut all the time when they sustain major injuries. This is an absolute farce and another hit piece by the Times on GruAllen....

[Vince]

Rob, are your serious? Gruden did not draft Simms. McKay drafted Simms against Gruden's wishes. Griese was released because he refused to take a pay cut. Please try to get your facts straight.

Simms does not say it (I wonder if the Times asked him), but he knows exactly what is going on. He is making a lot of money and the Bucs are not just going to cut him. They want him to play and show he is healthy so they can at least try to recover something on him, which is exactly what they should do. Simms is not a victim. . . PLEASE.

[Tim]

Gruden has no class...never has. The Bucs, and particularly the Glazer family deserve better. Let's keep Simms and send Gruden on his way!

[Wow]

Stroud is a joke...always a one-sided piece of garbage spewed by that no talent hack.

[Sean]

Vagina, that's all.

[john]

Might as wells take drew weatherford to play for us. That would be about production we get out of Simms.

John

[Steve]

Simms got paid a lot of money to be a hostage.

[Scott]

Thanks for the division title in 2005, Chris. I guess all the geniuses here forgot about that.

[ScottSucks]

Scott, what was Simms record as a starter that season?

[Edward]

Anybody ever seen the NFL Network training camp show featuring the Bucs a few years ago? I believe the first season after Griese was hurt and Simms was the anointed starter? Gruden couldn't get anything he liked out of him. It was really interesting; Simms couldn't seem to do anything right. I know it was camp... but Gruden wasn't happy with him one bit. He got through that and had a decent enough season, but I'll always remember how little confidence Gruden seemed to have in him.

[Frank]

The 2005 Division Championship is owed as much to what Cadillac did in the beginning of the season as it is to Simms. He says he wasn't ready to play in the preseason game against Miami. What was Gruden supposed to do, put him in whenever he decided he was ready? I laud him for his efforts to come back from that horrifying injury, but this is the NFL -- every game is a fight for a coach's professional life. I hope he gets a starting spot somewhere, but let's face it: even without the injury, Chris Simms is not a franchise quarterback.

[max]

WWWAAAAAAA!!!!

[LP]

Chris, you have your college roommate's initials tattooed on your calf!! I'm pretty sure that means you should keep your mouth shut FOREVER!

[Mike]

The Bucs still in town? The only game in town is the Rays!!! GO RAYS!!!

[Edward]

Help! I'm being held hostage by my employer! Wife and I are house poor! Eating alright, but WHOA, this mortgage is just *killing* us (bought right as the bubble burst, losing our backside since). Need more money! Boss says NO! Why am I being treated so unfairly?!?!

[Billy]

wah, I made 2 million last year and the coachie doesn't like me, wah.

Simms is a horrid fit for any offense, hes a baby, and is mentally weak. Don't let the door hit ya

[Floyd]

Let me think about the Bucs history & quaterbacks..how many couldn't succeed here & ended up going on to lead thier teams to superbowl titles. Chris will get his chance & I hope he does just that.. :)

[TonyE]

The fact that Gruden wanted to cut him at the beginning last year would have meant he could have gone to another team and played for less money than the $7 million he was getting paid to be on the bench and hold a clipboard. His mechanics had a glitch and everyone saw that. We didnt like him when he was a starter but kept him anyways and no one was saying we needed to keep him like they are now. I thought Simms had a chance of being a good QB for the Bucs, but after watching him, Luke McCown was slightly better. Im not saying Luke is the world but a little better than Chris. Im in the Air Force and get paid less than 16 Cents and hour. He made $7Million in 2 years holding a clipboard. Why is this an issue? Let him move on and try and get paid the money he got paid here. If it happens I will eat my words.

[Scott]

Simms is simply trying to force the Bucs to cut him or trade him for nothing so that he can go on and play somewhere else. The more he talks to the media, the more of a media circus it will actually become....and the more likely Allen and Gruden will be to trade him. You people on here are being played by a person in showbiz....thats all. Quit analyzing what type of person he is or Gruden is because this is all about Simms using the media and public to force his movement to another team...duh.

[Drew]

I seem to remember several games in which several of his passes were batted down. He may have the best arm on the team, but he's not the smartest QB on the team. There are a lot of QB's in the league with cannons for arms that aren't able to hit the broad sde of a barn and are incapable of thinking.

If Luke matures enough to approach the game intelligently he'll become the QB of the future. This Kid has a cannon for an arm and he's accurate. He just needs to learn to keep his head in the game and eliminate the mental mistakes.

[Drew]

I see plans within plans. I see Daddy Simm's coaching young Simm's in the art of manipulating the media to get what he want's. I seem to remember Daddy Simm's using the media manipulation approach early in his career to get what he wanted.

Hmmm!!!

[John]

Chris,

You got a raw deal. There's no doubt about that and you deserve better. Not only Gruden but some Yucs fans seem to forget how badly you were injured. But what are you gonna do? I know what I would like to see you do. Get released by the Yucs and hook up with another team. Then you play against the Yucs & kick them & Gruden's butt. How sweet that would be!

Didn't he get paid last year? I don't understand what the problem is?

If he is still on the roster by regular season, he will be paid again.

[TonyE]

Drew,
Good point with Phil in chris' ear. Also 2 or 3 batted balls during a season is acceptable. 2 or 3 batted balls every 5 plays in a game is unacceptable.

[TonyE]

John are you a disgruntled Raider fan? Sounds like you are.

[JB]

Chris-
You deserve better - good luck in finding the right situation. Don't pay attention to the idiot that mentioned the initials of Cole Pittman - I'm sure is isn't aware that he died in a traffic accident on the way back for the start of spring practice in Austin in 2001. Just goes to show that there's idiots everywhere.

[Fred]

The dude whined while he was at Texas, its no surprise he's whining again. Little Chrissy was handed everything. Daddy Phil even cried and moaned that he wasn't the starter at Texas when he couldn't even beat out Major Applewhite. What a spoiled brat. He sucks - just cut him and roll with the 4 QBs...Garcia, Griese, McCown, and Johnson.

[Dave T]

Pathetic fans, absolutely sickening the fans this area produces, must be a product of the sports writing, but its downright disgusting!

[Dan]

Thanks alot Rich McKay! Gruden wanted a guy named Brian Westbrook - geeez he turned out pretty good huh? Ol Richie drafted Simms - NOT Gruden. Once again the long pathetic arm of McKay is still screwing things up. Thank God BA got our cap turned around.

[Jason]

I'll second what a lot of you are saying... he is using the media to his advantage, that much is clear. If he belongs to the team, why shouldn't the team try to maximize what they can get out of him? If he's healthy, he should play, show another team he has value, and then he will get his wish and be traded to a place where he gets his shot. Simple.

[Simms' Spleen]

I'd like to say thanks for all the support from my "fans". I'd also like to personally thanks Chris for all he did for me before we were separated after the Panthers game, we still talk frequently. Chris has set me up nicely financially, after all there isn't much work out there for an unemployed spleen with little "real-world" work experience. The thing that meant the most was that Chris will be getting my likeness tatooed on his lower leg later this summer - whatta guy! I love you man!

S.

[charlie]

Talk about leaving your blood and guts on the field,almost passing out and then having to be taken out by the coach still wanting to play that is what I call commentment. That should be respected. It's not like he beat his wife and still got paid millions to play even when while whining about getting the ball every play like pittman. Either play him or cut him give him the respect he deserves.

[Wow]

Lots of internet tough guys on here. wow. Good luck Chris.

[K Smith]

Chris, you are an exceptional QB. I look forward to you continuiong your career with saner coaches and fans. Hopefully you get this opportunity, which you deserve, in 2008. HookEm!