A bevy of reports seem to indicate quarterback Josh Freeman's run with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is coming to an end as the team falls into "disarray."
First, there's Freeman not being voted as a team captain for the first time in four years.
"Everybody wants to make it out like it's a demotion," Freeman said on Tuesday during his radio show, via the Tampa Bay Times. "I don't look at it like that. They don't look at it like that. Essentially, the conversations, the day-to-day actions are the same."
Freeman praised receiver Vincent Jackson and guard Davin Joseph as "great leaders," both of whom Freeman voted for as captains.
"The simple fact is Davin and Vincent are great leaders," Freeman said. "... It's something that Davin, coming off his injury, and Vincent, the type of offseason and type of year he had last year ... I couldn't think of two better guys."
While Freeman was diplomatic about losing the 'C' on his jersey, some players believe coach Greg Schiano may have rigged the vote. It's just one reason the team is falling into "disarray," according to ex-Bucs quarterback and current NBC analyst Shaun King.
"There's a lot of disarray in Tampa," King said, via The Times. "Some of the players felt there was an unfair counting of the captains vote. Greg Schiano is a micromanager, and it's starting to wear thin with some of the players. I don't think those guys are currently buying into the my-way-or-the-highway."
Schiano, of course, promptly denied that he had any hand in choosing the team captains.
"The players vote. The votes are tabulated by me," Schiano told The Times on Wednesday. "... I know there's a story out there. It's 100 percent false. If there was such a thing as 102 percent, this would be it."
Second, there's the report of Freeman missing last week's team photo. Schiano confirmed the story and said Freeman overslept and has been late to other events before, according to Pro Football Talk.
Third, regardless of whether Schiano rigged the election, Freeman appears to be on the outs.
Freeman's performance (15/31, 1 TD, 1 INT) on Sunday against the New York Jets didn't help his case. The Bucs also held a players-only meeting earlier in the week, although it's unknown what was discussed.
In the final year of his contract, and with the team selecting quarterback Mike Glennon in the third round of this year's draft, Freeman returning to Tampa Bay next season appears unlikely.