The Atlanta Falcons have signed Rex Grossman to a one-year deal, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, setting up a competition with T.J. Yates and Sean Renfree for the job of backing up starter Matt Ryan.
Atlanta Falcons sign Rex Grossman to 1-year deal
Sexy Rexy is back!
Rob Carr/Getty Images
Yates, in particular, has struggled this preseason. Through two games he’s completed just 56.7 percent of his passes and has a quarterback rating of 46.9. Grossman, 34, is also familiar with the scheme of offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, whom he played for in both Washington and in Cleveland -- where he spent the 2014 training camp. Shanahan has spoken highly of Grossman in the past, most recently in June.
"I loved Rex because he was so tough," Shanahan said then, via ESPN's Vaughn McClure. "Rex would hang in there, get the crap knocked out of him every week. He never flinched. He'd hang in there and take all the hits. He didn't mind the pressure on him. He'd let it sling every time. Sometimes, I'd have to tell Rex that he was letting it sling around a little too much and that you might have to take a sack here or throw it away.
“But the thing I loved about Rex is how much he competed. Every time that he was in the game, I felt like we had a chance. If he was going to throw three picks, I felt like there was a great chance he was going to come back and throw three touchdowns. He was a real fun guy to have.”
The Falcons originally brought in Grossman for a workout and a physical on Tuesday, according to McClure. Grossman hasn't appeared in an NFL game since 2011 and hasn't been on a team since being cut by the Cleveland Browns last summer.
Grossman, who was taken by the Bears with the 22nd overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft, has played 11 seasons in the NFL. His career quarterback rating is 71.4 and his career record is 25-22. He has, however, completed just 55 percent of his passes and thrown more interceptions (60) than touchdowns (56). His best season came in 2006, when he started all 16 games and led the Bears to a 13-3 record and the Super Bowl, where they fell to Peyton Manning's Colts.
But Grossman's career has mostly been a roller coaster ride loaded with more low points than highs. The year after making the Super Bowl, he was benched by Lovie Smith in favor of Brien Griese. He remained a backup, in Chicago and Houston, until getting a chance to start one season for the Redskins in 2011.
Grossman was offered another shot by the quarterback-desperate Browns last December. But he reportedly turned them down because he had his entire family in town for the holidays.
* * *
SB Nation presents: There is not enough Tim Tebow coverage
See More:
