Take care of those who take care of you. That should be every NFL quarterback's mantra when it comes to his relationship with his offensive linemen. It's certainly something San Francisco's Jeff Garcia won't forget this year.

Last season, Garcia was making the league's minimum wage and came close to losing his job after Week 2. But by the end of the year, he had set a single-season team record for passing yards and took a trip to the Pro Bowl.

So how did he take care of the boys up front? Floral-print shirts from Hawaii.

"Can you believe that?" Ray Brown asked me. "All we got were shirts. Maybe we will get a better gift this year. Really, we are expecting a bigger gift."

Garcia's not just a scrappy CFL refugee looking to make it in The League anymore. He's a Pro Bowler. He's a franchise. And on the eve of training camp, the Niners started paying him like it, making him their version of the Six Million Dollar Man by giving him a six-year, $36 million deal. Now the linemen want their share.

"Yeah," says tackle Derrick Deese. "This year, we want Rolexes."

"Are they kidding?" asks Garcia. "They've been the big-money guys for a long time now. And they got something, which is better than nothing. Besides, what does the quarterback ever get from the linemen, other than protection? Actually, that is the ultimate gift, isn't it. I'll take protection over anything.

"You know what? They will be getting better gifts."

Now that's a gifted quarterback.

Chad Millman is a regular contributor to ESPN The Magazine.