After a four-team, five-season odyssey since leaving the 49ers, Jeff Garcia finally found his way back home to the Bay Area — albeit on the other side from where he started.
The four-time Pro Bowl quarterback joined the Oakland Raiders on Monday, with the 39-year-old passer agreeing to a one-year deal to be JaMarcus Russell’s backup.
Raiders senior executive John Herrera told The Associated Press that Garcia will join the club’s off-season workout program immediately in the next stage of a remarkable NFL career that didn’t begin until 1999 after a long detour to the Canadian Football League. Garcia spent the past two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, starting 24 games while leading them to a division title and a playoff berth in 2007, when he also earned his fourth Pro Bowl berth. Despite solid numbers last season — 2,712 yards passing and a 90.2 passer rating with 12 touchdowns and just six interceptions — he wasn’t re-signed by the Bucs and new coach Raheem Morris, who apparently is going with Brian Griese or Luke McCown. Garcia played at San Jose State and enjoyed the best seasons of his NFL career with San Francisco. He passed for 16,408 yards and 113 touchdowns for the team he grew up supporting, making three Pro Bowls and two playoff appearances from 1999-2003 after joining the Niners from a Grey Cup-winning career with the Calgary Stampeders.