Josh Freeman is back on the unemployment line.
The Giants signed Freeman a little more than a month ago to join the mix of candidates for the backup quarterback job next season, but his stay came to an end on Friday. The Giants announced that they have released Freeman well ahead of the end of spring work.
The decision to part ways with Freeman may have something to do with Eli Manning’s return to the field at OTAs this week. There was some question about when Manning would be ready to go after ankle surgery, leading the Giants to bolster the depth chart with Freeman and Rusty Smith. Both have been released now, though, and second-year player Ryan Nassib looks like the best bet for the No. 2 job come September.
Getting dropped now is something of a double-edged sword for Freeman. On the one hand, he’s now been on three teams less than a year after he was bidding to become Tampa’s long-term answer at quarterback but, on the other, he’s got some time to find a new home before camp. The former impacts the latter, though, and Freeman’s career trajectory continues to move in the wrong direction.
The Giants also announced that they have claimed offensive lineman Rogers Gaines off waivers from the Bears.