Damon Huard and Brodie Croyle Out for Season: Quinn Gray Signed

With Damon Huard and Brodie Croyle both put on injured reserve this week, the Chiefs have signed former Jaguars quarterback, Quinn Gray.

When I first heard the Chiefs signed Quinn Gray, I wasn’t as surprised they signed him as much as I was surprised he was a free agent.

Quinn is a very mobile quarterback who is just a year removed from having 10 touchdowns and five interceptions last season in the eight games he played in last year, while going 2-2 in his four starts.

There aren't many backup quarterbacks in the NFL that are capable of putting up numbers like that. Gray was first signed in 2002 by the Jacksonville Jaguars as an un-drafted free agent from Florida A&M.

He failed to make the team and in 2003 was sent to NFL Europe, where he led the Frankfurt Galaxy to a win in World Bowl XI. He attended the Jaguars' training camp the next year and won the third-string quarterback spot.

He spent the next three years as a backup quarterback for the Jaguars before he became an unrestricted free agent after last season. But for some reason, after the Jaguars helped developed him, they didn’t try very hard to re-sign him.

Instead they signed Cleo Lemon, a fifth-year player with a career quarterback rating of 72.2. The Houston Texans would then end up signing Gray to a one-year, $645,000 contract before he was released by the team on June 9.

Apparently Gray didn't adjust very well to the Texans' offensive system. The Colts then signed him to fill the empty spot left by injured quarterback Peyton Manning.

He would play in five preseason games, and due to his poor performances, the Colts released him on Aug. 30. Gray is no stranger to the Chiefs. In Week 17 of the 2006 season, Gray had a two-touchdown performance in a 30-35 loss to the Chiefs.

Apparently the Chiefs liked what they saw. I think this is a smart move by the Chiefs. Gray has a lot of potential, and the Chiefs should see what he could do as a full-time starter.

Although Gray is probably not going to save the Chiefs' season, I believe that he has a good chance of making the Chiefs' offense vastly improved, due to his excellent mobility.

With the Chiefs' putrid offensive line, a mobile quarterback is really the only type of quarterback that could be somewhat successful in their offense.

Although Tyler Thigpen is going to get the start over Gray this weekend, there is more than a good chance of Gray getting considerable playing time this season.

Thigpen is currently dead last in the NFL with a 44.3 quarterback rating and hasn't shown any signs of improvement.

Even if Gray fails to make the offense any better, it’s better to have given him a chance than to continue playing Tyler Thigpen.