Raheem Morris Prepares Josh Johnson For Long Career Riding the Pine

There are certainly worse ways to make a living than being a backup quarterback in the NFL. After all, you get paid a handsome six-figure salary (or, perhaps, an eight-figure salary if your name happens to be Jake and you're currently on a short leash with a certain team in Carolina) to get a front-row seat to watch the best of the best do their thing on Sundays. Plus, in most cities, you're automatically the most popular guy in town because everyone assumes you can do a better job than the starter. Honestly, it's not a bad gig.

So, having said all of that, I'm not going to feel too bad for Josh Johnson, the second-year quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, even after head coach Raheem Morris gave this pep talk following the team's loss to Dallas on Sunday: "I've talked about him being my Jason Garrett, that career backup."

That career backup? Ouch.

A quick refresher course on the career of Garrett: he played his college ball at Princeton and spent seven years sitting on the bench in Dallas -- behind Hall of Famer Troy Aikman -- and another with the New York Giants. He started nine games, compiled a 6-3 record, and tossed 11 touchdowns to just five interceptions. For his troubles he has a couple of Super Bowl rings and is currently an assistant coach. Again, not a bad career. I'd take it. Nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about.

But put yourself in Johnson's shoes as an athlete and a competitor. Would you really want to be pegged as a career backup at the age of 23 in just your second year in the league, before you even have an opportunity to prove yourself?

According to Anwar Richardson of the Tampa Tribune, Johnson had the following reaction:

"I have no reaction to it. I don't know," Johnson said. "I really can't speak for the future. I can only worry about right now, and as of right now, I am the backup to Byron (Leftwich) and helping Josh, who is being groomed to do what he's going to do in the future. I don't even worry about it. "If Coach says that, that's fine. We'll see what happens down the road, but as of right now, I am a backup for this team and that's my job."

Johnson, who was listed as the No. 2 quarterback on Sunday behind starter Byron Leftwich, is a 2008 fifth-round pick out of San Diego and has yet to appear in a regular season game. His long-term future with the team as a potential starter obviously took a hit in April when the Buccaneers used the No. 19 overall pick on Kansas State's Josh Freeman.

Still, as far as awkward pep talks go, Morris' attempt to pigeonhole Johnson as "that career backup" is still better than the Lions and their "embarrassment" speech regarding former second-round pick Drew Stanton a year ago. So he's got that going for him, which is nice.