Josh Freeman: Buccaneers QB Lucky He Can Still Throw a Football After Gun Mishap

This has not been a good season for Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman. His performance on the field has been lackluster, and the Buccaneers are currently mired in a five-game losing streak that has taken them out of the NFC South race.

Believe it or not, things could be much worse.

According to a report from The Tampa Tribune, Freeman suffered an injury to his right thumb while at a local gun range back on Oct. 31. The team kept it under wraps after it happened, but the Buccaneers confirmed the incident on Tuesday.

Supposedly, Freeman had to get five stitches in his right thumb after suffering a small cut due to "unexpected recoil while firing a gun."

Earth to Josh: When you're firing a gun, you should expect recoil. In addition, make sure your gun is always pointed downrange, and you should always wear eye and ear protection.

Kidding aside, Freeman is lucky he walked away with an injury that required a mere five stitches to heal. Goodness knows it could have been a lot worse. At last check, guns are pretty dangerous, and gun-related accidents are not exactly infrequent.

Oddly enough, Freeman had his best game of the season in the first game after the incident took place, compiling a 103.6 QB rating against the New Orleans Saints on Nov. 6.

Since then, Freeman hasn't played well at all. In his last three games, Freeman has thrown four touchdown passes and seven interceptions. The Bucs last won on Oct. 16.

Are Freeman's struggles and the gun incident related? We can only speculate. For what it's worth, the the team claims Freeman had the stitches removed from his thumb after a week.

Still, it bears repeating that this could have been a lot worse. No doubt Freeman will be cautious next time he chooses to pick up a gun, and he can be excused if he never picks one up again.