Franchise Passing Yards Record (Josh Freeman)
Former Buccaneers quarterback who broke franchise passing records but was never selected to the Pro Bowl.
Joshua Tyler Freeman (born January 13, 1988) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats, and was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft. Freeman became the starter for Tampa Bay in his rookie year and went on to break numerous franchise passing records. However, he was released partway through his fifth year with the team.
Quick Facts
- Role
- Quarterback
- Affiliation
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2009-2013)
- Draft year
- 2009
- Peak season
- 2010
- Status
- Former Player
Lore & Background
Freeman was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft with the 17th overall pick. He started his first professional game on November 8, 2009, against the Green Bay Packers, leading the Buccaneers to a 38–28 win that ended an 11-game losing streak. He became the youngest quarterback in franchise history to start and win his first game. In 2010, he started all 16 games, the first Buccaneer quarterback to do so since Brad Johnson in 2003, and led the team to a 10–6 record. He was awarded NFC Offensive Player of the Week twice in 2010. He was never selected to the Pro Bowl.
Reader's Guide
Freeman holds several franchise passing records for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, including most passing yards in a season (3,592 in 2011) and most touchdown passes in a game (5, tied with others). He was released by the Buccaneers on October 3, 2013, after the team tried unsuccessfully to trade him.
Did You Know?
- Freeman was the first true freshman to start a game at Kansas State since 1976.
- He set a Kansas State freshman record with 1,780 passing yards in 2006.
- Freeman matched a Buccaneers franchise record with five touchdown passes in a game against the Seattle Seahawks on December 26, 2010.
- He was ranked 86th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2011.
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