Brady Quinn Released by New York Jets, David Garrard Activated

David Garrard hasn't thrown a pass in the NFL since 2010, but he's officially back in the league and on a 53-man roster as of Monday afternoon. 

And that means Brady Quinn has been sent packing. 

According to ESPN's Chris Mortensen via Twitter, the New York Jets have decided to add Garrard to the active roster and release third-string quarterback Quinn to accommodate that decision:

The team's official Twitter account confirmed the report:

Rookie Geno Smith has been the team's unquestioned starter since Mark Sanchez went down with an injury in the preseason, and Rex Ryan has been relying on Matt Simms as the No. 2 guy on the depth chart behind him. Quinn has been listed as the No. 3 QB.    

Although the release can't feel good for Quinn, Fox Sports' Mike Garafolo provided a bit of a silver lining with this tweet about what's next for the former Notre Dame star:

Quinn was cut by the Jets before the 2013 season opener but re-signed with the team shortly after. He did not see the field in any of New York's seven games this year. 

Garrard first signed with the Jets earlier in the offseason and was supposed to provide competition for Mark Sanchez and help mentor Smith in training camp. Instead, he retired in May due to chronic knee issues. 

He then signed with the team again in October and was immediately placed on the exempt list for two games. After the Jets' Week 7 win over the New England Patriots, that time frame had expired and the Jets had to make a decision about his future with the franchise. 

Garrard over Quinn was the final call. 

Feeling healthy enough to return to football, Garrard will provide depth at QB and try to impart wisdom from his nine-year stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars to the young players ahead of him on the depth chart. 

As noted by ESPN's Rich Cimini, Garrard has to feel ecstatic about the Jets' decision to keep him in the fold:

The 35-year-old Garrard has thrown for over 16,000 yards and 89 touchdowns in his career. Quinn, by comparison, has a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 12-17 and has completed just over 53 percent of his career throws. However, he is seven years younger than Garrard. 

New York ultimately sided with Garrard's experience. The 4-3 Jets face the 5-2 Cincinnati Bengals on the road in Week 8. 

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