Hot on Facebook

Guy Buys $123 Safe on eBay, Finds $26,000 Inside Seller tries to get half the cash back, fails »

Falcons Sign New QB Leftwich

Former Jacksonville Jaguar adds depth to position

By Max Brallier, Newser User

Posted Sep 19, 2007 4:24 AM CDT

(Newser) – The Atlanta Falcons have signed former Jacksonville quarterback Byron Leftwich in an effort to sew up the spot left vacant by Michael Vick, who was suspended indefinitely after pleading guilty to dogfighting. Joey Harrington has run the offense for the first two games of the season, both losses, but coach Bobby Petrino has been unhappy with his performance. Leftwich is now expected to vie for the starting spot.

Leftwich, the seventh overall pick in 2003, was cut by Jacksonville after a poor pre-season that saw him throw for 226 yards and a touchdown in three games. His career has been marred by injury, particularly a bad ankle that kept him out 10 games last year.

[Images (3)]

[Videos (1)]

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Byron Leftwich gestures to the crowd in the second quarter of this Oct. 8, 2006 file photo in Jacksonville, Fla. during the football game against the New York Jets. Leftwich,... (Associated Press)

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Byron Leftwich passes during the team's first day of football training camp in this July 28, 2007 file photo, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Atlanta Falcons, seeking immediate... (Associated Press)

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback David Garrard, left, attempts a fourth-quarter pass as New England Patriots' Mike Wright, right, attempts to make the sack during a National Football League game, in a... (Associated Press)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

Marshall Thundering Herd - GMAC bowl vs ECU winning drive (WeHerdU (YouTube))

View larger videos >>

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next »

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Pats Sink Bills 49-21, Clinch Top AFC Seed

Patriots top Bills, Saints crush Panthers, 49ers thump Rams

(NEWSER) - The New England Patriots overcame a 21-point deficit today with 49 unanswered points to rock the Buffalo Bills 49-21, the AP reports. The win earned the Pats home-field advantage and the AFC's top seed. Tom Brady threw for 338 yards and finished with the second-most passing yards in NFL history, 5,235—behind only Drew Brees, who threw for 5,486 this year with the New Orleans Saints. More»

Vick Vows He 'Won't Disappoint'

QB: 'I'm glad to have a second chance'

(NEWSER) - Michael Vick says he “won’t disappoint” as a player for of the Eagles, the Philadelphia Daily News reports. “I’m glad to have an opportunity at a second chance,” said the convicted felon and newly signed quarterback. He said at a press conference today he had “ done some terrible things, made a horrible mistake,” but “now I want to be part of the solution and not the problem,” the AP reports. More»

Feds Spring Vick; Appeal to NFL Up Next

(NEWSER) - Michael Vick’s 23-month federal dogfighting sentence ended today, paving the way for the disgraced football player to finagle a return to the NFL, the AP reports. Two prison officials appeared at Vick’s house today, likely to remove the electronic ankle monitor he’s sported for the past two months. The NFL commissioner would like to meet with Vick, but no formal plans have been made. More»

Falcons Release Vick

(NEWSER) - Michael Vick may yet fling a football again in the NFL, but it won't be for the Atlanta Falcons. The team today released its former quarterback, who is close to completing his federal sentence for dogfighting, reports the Journal-Constitution. The Falcons had hoped to trade Vick—who is still awaiting word on whether the league will lift his suspension—but got no takers, notes ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas. More»

Vick Sprung From Prison

Final 2 months of sentence will be home confinement

(AP) - Michael Vick has left a Kansas prison and is on his way back to Virginia, where he'll be confined to his home for 2 months, one of the suspended NFL star's lawyers says. Vick left the federal penitentiary at Leavenworth overnight, ostensibly for a home he owns in Hampton. The former Atlanta Falcons quarterback, serving a 23-month sentence for financing a dogfighting ring, is expected to be released from federal custody July 20. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Falcons Sign New QB Leftwich