It appears that David Garrard‘s career in New York is over before it started.
NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport first reported Wednesday that the veteran quarterback informed two of his Jets teammates that he plans to part ways with the team, which Garrard himself verified soon after in a text to Adam Schien of Sirius XM Radio.
“Having to call it quits. My knee is not holding up,” Garrard said via text. “Continuing to swell after practices. Limiting what I can do.”
The Jets have made no formal statement regarding Garrard’s reported retirement.
Garrard was expected to be part of an open competition under center that until recently included Mark Sanchez, Tim Tebow, Greg McElroy and rookies Geno Smith and Matt Simms. With Tebow having been released at the end of April and Garrard now out of the mix as well, the crop of quarterbacks has been culled to four, with Sanchez and Smith expected to be the primary contenders for the starting job.
Last appearing in a game in 2010, Garrard has spent his entire nine-year career with the Jaguars, completing 61.6 percent of his passes with 89 career touchdowns and 54 interceptions. He signed briefly with the Dolphins in 2012 but went down with a knee injury prior to the preseason, leading Miami to release him.
Tania Ganguli of the Houston Chronicle reports that Garrard plans on retiring as a Jaguar, most likely via a one-day contract with Jacksonville.
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