by Ray Glier

Filed under: Buccaneers, NFC South

Tampa Bay quarterback Josh Freeman is practicing this week. He got under center and took some snaps with the thumb he broke in the preseason.

If this was a shotgun team that ran and threw the ball out of the gun with the snap being tossed back to Freeman, that would be one thing.

But the Bucs ask their quarterback to get under center, like most teams, and take that direct snap into the hands. Imagine that for 30-35 snaps a game. It is a lot of pounding.

The quarterback has to then turn and hand the ball. What if, after 20 run plays, Tampa gets into the third quarter and Freeman can’t throw because the thumb is swollen again from the hits?

Freeman does not have an idea what the answer is. He said he will have a better idea at the end of the week.

“It’s a little swollen, but it’s not nowhere near as bad it was after it first happened,” Freeman said

“It’s just going to be part of the game.”