Greg McElroy's time with the New York Jets is over.
NFL roster cut tracker
Teams had until 6 p.m. ET on Saturday to reduce their rosters to a maximum of 53 players. Who was cut?
NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reported Saturday that the reserve quarterback and former University of Alabama star was released after three years with Gang Green. The Jets later announced McElroy had been released with an injury.Â
Rapoport also reported that McElroy is flying to Cincinnati on Monday and is destined for the Bengals' practice squad.Â
Matt Simms, the son of former New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms, locked down the No. 3 quarterback spot with a nice showing against the Philadelphia Eagles in Thursday night's preseason finale. McElroy's fate was sealed when he suffered a knee sprain that forced him to miss the game.
McElroy appeared in two games for the Jets last season. He replaced a struggling Mark Sanchez to lead the team to a Week 13 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Three weeks later, McElroy got his first start, a loss to the San Diego Chargers, in which he suffered a concussion that he initially failed to report to the team.
McElroy never was a Rex Ryan favorite. He got off on the wrong foot as a rookie when he shared his thoughts about the Jets' late-season dysfunction with an Alabama radio station.
Dropping McElroy is a somewhat perplexing decision, as so many Jets quarterback-related moves tend to be. McElroy reportedly had developed a strong bond with rookie Geno Smith, serving as a mentor for the second-round draft pick, who is a hugely important figure in the team's immediate future.
Logic would dictate that you'd want to keep a veteran like that around, but the Jets apparently have other plans.
Update: Rapoport reported Sunday, via a person who spoke with the quarterback, that McElroy is flying to Cincinnati on Monday and is destined for the Bengals' practice squad.Â
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