OverDrive - Garcia on playing for the San Francisco 49ers, and the proper QB mentality, and his time in the CFL

Episode Date: February 5, 2026

Former CFL & NFL Quarterback Jeff Garcia joins to chat about his CFL career, his experience with the San Francisco 49ers, and what mentality is important for quarterbacks embody in order to succeed.

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You live down in San Diego. It's a little bit nicer than up here, but not much, I would imagine. I traded in the Calgary winner. Yes. Yes. It's pretty good place. It's pretty good. And I'm glad you brought up Calgary because we had Doug Flutie on earlier. And we said this is probably the only show where we're going to reference your CFL career. You're a Great Cup winner. You're up in Calgary for a number of years. And, you know, when you consider what happened with your career and what you're doing now with your life, like how did that kind of set you up for success going to the CFL?

Absolutely. None of the NFL career would happen without making it to want. I wasn't drafted, obviously. I wasn't sought out by the NFL teams coming out of college, which I felt like I was good enough, but for whatever reason, I wasn't getting that opportunity. So my only opportunity was to go to Canada playing the Canadian Football League. I was aware of Canada.

I had seen the game on ESPN, but truly to... Go out there onto that field, the measurements of the field. It's bigger, it's wider, it's longer, it's all those things. But to be able to learn from a guy like Doug Flutie, following his footsteps, see how he played the game, how he approached the game. Really led to me being able to take what I knew as a quarterback and as a player and put it to work on that Canadian Football League field. And without that experience, without those five years,

winning the Gray Cup. And believe me, I thought I was at a point in my career after five years there. I had bought a house in Calgary. I had opened a Mexican food restaurant in Calgary. Yes, yes. This guy probably was at the restaurant. I heard you. These two are red it. You know, I had drinks at his restaurant. I was putting some roots down thinking, hey, this is going to be my career and all of a sudden things change. But that being said, I'm so thankful and grateful for my experience up there. Well, I was an incredible one. And obviously then, end up down here in San Francisco and it's such great history.

What was that experience like for you? Like being a nineer and being a quarterback when you talked about falling in the footsteps with Doug Flutty, you're following Steve Young and Joe Montana. Yes. What was that like your San Francisco years? So I grew up an hour

south of San Francisco. So I grew up with the 49ers as my team, as my hometown team, as the team I grew up watching. And And really looking at Joe Montana is my idol. I wanted to be like Joe Montana. I wanted to play the game like he did.

So cool, calm and collected, leading the team to four Super Bowl titles. That was like the icing on the cake. For me to now have a chance to join in my childhood favorite team was really a dream come true. And to follow in that lineage, not easy to do, right? Future Hall of Famer in Steve Young. Already a Hall of Famer in Joe Montana, Super Bowl titles, all those things, and now I'm the guy. And early on, I could feel that pressure.

I could feel the pressure in the sense that when we were struggling as a team, people were going to say you're not that guy. Their only difference on the team was the quarterback. Right? And I knew that there were more issues with the team, but from a fan standpoint, the quarterback was the change. And so I had to deal with that. Well, I think my five years in Canada, I was more mature at the time. I had gone through some things, maybe not quite at that level, but some experiences that prepared me for something like that,

learning how to tune out the noise, so to speak, not drink the poison, right? Hey, those people aren't in the locker room. It's all about what your teammates think, what your coaches believe in, and what you believe in. And once I was able to settle into that role and understand, And I can't be Steve Young. I can't be Joe Montana. Gotta be myself.

Execute the game the way you know how to execute it. You're here for a reason because somebody believes in you. And that guy was Bill Walsh. Bill Walsh believed in me. That's why I was with the Niners. So let's prove him right and prove everybody else wrong. That's got to be pretty incredible. Sorry, dude.

Bill Walsh. It doesn't get any... I mean, you talk about Montana being your idol. Walsh must have been kind of your idol as well, right? Absolutely. He was the architect of what the 49ers were able to do. To create that two decades of winning was because of what he put together. Hey, the coaching staff that he put together, the players that he put on the field, the free agents, the great drafts, all those things.

But yes, for that guy to be in my corner and believe in me really, really meant a lot to me. And I just wanted to be able to prove that he was right in what he believed in. So what were the pros and cons of coming home and playing in front of family and friends and all the floaters coming out of the woodwork and all of that? Was it, you know, all positive? Or did you have to manage some of the things along the way? I mean, there were a lot of great things that came out of, obviously having the local support from my family, from my friends.

When the going was tough in those first couple seasons, at least I kind of had a place to go and hide where they're going to love me no matter what, right? That being said, trying to situate tickets before a game, that was not fun. That was not fun, man. I'm trying to focus on a football game, yet I'm trying to get all the,

we'll call tickets aligned properly. That being said, it was a great experience. We did a lot of great things. My family was able to watch so many great things firsthand, right here in candlestick, which is no longer here, but right here in the Bay Area. And so there were definitely more blessings than curses or negativities. You talked about blocking out the noise and drinking the poison. For these two quarterbacks on Sunday, they're going to throw out the cliches where it's like,

I just got to do my thing. I got to play my game. It's just another game. Like, how difficult will it be with the lack of experience for what? one of these guys to step up and have the game of their life when there's obviously going to be a lot of pressure and they've never done it. Well, I think both of these quarterbacks as young as Drake May is and Darnold went through it being a highly drafted, sought after quarterback coming out of college, much like Drake, but not going to a team that had the track record that New England has. You go to the New York Jets.

It's a completely different situation. It's a mess. And you don't know what you're going to see or get. Going to New England, even though they came off of a couple of lean years, they got a leader who was part of the two decades of greatness. They have a mentality that they need to get back on top in a hurry, much like what I experienced here with the 49ers. But they also have solid football teams in the three aspects of the game.

They're not down on the defensive side. They're not down in special teams. They're good in all aspects of the game. So really, they just have to manage the game. Nobody's expecting them to be lights out or do something phenomenal. Drake is, or May is probably a little bit more of the athlete than Darnold is. He's going to play a little bit more out of the pocket than Darnold will. But that being said, they have weapons around them.

They have a running game. they have a great defense. They have people that are helping them. As long as they can stay in that mindset and not feel like they have to win it on their own because that's where it's going to fail. If they have to feel like they have to win it on their own, I'm not just talking about a last minute drive.

I'm talking about, hey, from start to finish, I got to play perfect. If I don't play perfect, they're putting themselves in a mindset that's going to be a failure instead of a winner. And, you know, just do the things you've been doing all year. You had a 14 and 3 record in the regular season. You've been outstanding in the playoffs.

Keep playing that team game. Must be so tempting, though. When you say managing the game, it's basically not do something stupid and cost your team the game. But with the elite athletes and a guy that think they can do anything, quarterbacks are special players. And they always have that mindset where I've got to be the difference maker because they basically are the biggest factor on the team.

It's got to be so tempting to go from managing the game to I want to break this thing open and set up. separate. Yeah. And I think that's where humbling yourself a little bit and understanding what is coming from the top down. They have great coaching staffs. They have great mentors. They have great teammates. And, you know, I think both guys are very humble down-to-earth guys. They're not those guys that have, yes, they came out highly touted out of, big college programs, but they don't carry themselves that way. And I think with that sort of mentality, I think that's why their teammates gravitate toward

them, they follow them, they demonstrate it, they don't have to speak it. And I don't think either guy is really a raw, raw type of guy in the locker room, right? So nobody in that sense is looking to be anointed with a special presentation of the crown. they're all in on the team. The best example, I was telling Brian this morning in the hotel lobby, I went to the Super Bowl in Jacksonville where New England played the Eagles, and it was my first time putting eyes on Tom Brady.

And I thought I was going to see these plays that were just out of this world, and it's like I've never seen anything like that. It was 10-yard-outs and 10-yard-outs and 10-yard-outs and then touchdown. I'm like, that was so almost boring. They went down and scored every time just by doing that and chipping away. Nickel and dime, the consistency, the taking what the defense gives you. And I think New England has a little bit more explosiveness of attacking down the field with the big play, but it's not something that they rely upon.

If it happens, great. But I'm not expecting it and I'm not forcing it to happen. And that's why Drake May is in the MVP ballot race because of his decision making, how he's led. It's not because he had this phenomenal 10 throws that were 50 plus yards down the field. It was the consistency that he played the game with week in and week out. Jeff Garcia's with us. We're live on Radio Row ahead of the Super Bowl. You know, there's so much preparation that goes into a game like this.

When you're the quarterback, though, and something confuses you. Like, how do you adjust on the fly like that? Like, you're taking two weeks to think, okay, I'm reading safeties. I'm reading whatever defense it might be. I got an idea of what's going to happen, you know, whichever defense they might apply here. I've seen all the game tape. And yet you get to a game like this, and maybe they've got something coming at you that no one's seen before.

Sure you've been in that situation many times in your career. What can you rely on in those scenarios to get you out of it and make the right play? don't compound confusion with a mistake in the sense of whether it's throwing a ball up for grabs or taking a big negative play or exposing the ball not being secure in the pocket. Hey, if you see a pressure that all of a sudden confuses you, what is my outlet or can I get a save a negative play by maybe losing one or two yards. Right. You know, and I think both guys, again, it comes down to their character.

and how they played all season long. And with Darnold, how he's played the last two seasons, minus a playoff game in Minnesota, where he's been a great decision maker. He's been very good with the football, protective-wise. And I don't think there's going to be a whole lot at the end of the day that's going to confuse these guys. The defenses are who they are.

Seattle relies on a four-down lineman pressure. They have great defense-al line. They'll do some things in the defensive backfill, which they are capable of doing because they can rely on four guys getting to the passer where they can be more creative. But at the end of the day, they're going to play probably their two coverages

throughout the game. Same thing with New England. I think there are probably more apps to bring on some pressures that are going to be, you know, for Darnold to recognize, hey, when are they stacking a slot defender with the safety and bringing that, nickel guy off the edge or hey linebacker placement but these guys they're studying the game

from top to bottom morning to night and both of them hey they're married they're not out on the scene right yeah i mean and believe me i've been around hockey players i know you guys they know the seat i know you all like football players are angels yeah exactly come on man but They are very grounded, and I think they're going to take this week as, hey, the preparation is more important than the party. It's all about the process of getting through it and being the best that they can be on Sunday. An example of being in trouble or confused and adding to it, I think, was C.J. Stroud playing the last game against the wing. He got in trouble and confused, and he was tossing up lob balls that were just ridiculous. And they got intercepted.

It was like, what were you thinking during those plays? And I saw that. If there's a guy that I saw playing with less confidence and less grit on the field, especially in the playoffs, was C.J. Stroud. I saw a guy who was like a deer in headlights. Yeah, he was. And for it being, I believe, his fourth, third or fourth year in the league, and who's done some really spectacular things as a young quarterback,

he took a major step backwards. in how he didn't lead the Houston Texans. It's amazing how much you can build up street cred and one game can change a lot of it. Well, it wasn't just, he got lucky in the playoff game before, I believe, versus Steelers. Big time. Because their defense is what saved him.

But he looked awful in that game. I hate to use the word awful because he's a professional quarterback. He's one of the top at his position in the sense of 32 teams. But he was not in his... prime or at the top of his game come playoff tennis. I can tell you what I think he needs. Mueller's Sports Medicines revived, right? And Jeff Garcia's the quarterback.

And Jeff Garcia's the quarterback coach. I got you. But Mueller Sports, hey, they've been around for 60 plus years. They probably, hey, got the tape that you wrap the hockey sticks with, the ankles, all the things. But they have the inflatable leg boots and compression sleeves that

are utilized all over the body, deal with, hey, bringing down, bringing down pain, discomfort, swelling, reactivating the lymphatic system within the body, flushing out the system, as we know. These are in all locker rooms, all training facilities, and all sports med spas around the world now, and why not have them at home to utilize yourself? He blew his knee out. When was that?

A couple years ago. That was a few years ago. It was doing something very stressful. He was sitting on the couch. Oh, yes. Yes. Sudden movement. Man, such movement, man, and it copied.

Big coffee. Well, you took a lot of hits in your career where you look good. Thank you. You're walking good. Everything feels good. Everything's good. Hey, you know, minor tweaks here and there. I've had to overcome some of those things, as we all do, playing the game for so long,

no matter whether it's hockey, because that's as physical as any other sport out there or football. But I feel great, man. Thank you very much for having. It's great team. A great Cup champion, Jeff Garcia. Thank you, guys. Appreciate it, man. Great seeing you.

Thank you. Thank you. You got it. Jeff Garcia joining us here. Live at the Fandual booth. I'm Dylan Playfair. And I'm Tyler Smith. We're putting loneliness in the penalty box

by talking to some of our favorite athletes about the importance of friendship. This is Bromance. Bromance is brought to you by Charm Diamond Centers, proudly Canadian-owned and operator. Charm has been part of your love stories and bromances for over 50 years. And you can find Bromance on the IHartRadio Network

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