A.J. McCarron Wins Grievance Against Bengals, Will Be Unrestricted Free Agent

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Bengals QB A.J. McCarron won his grievance and will now be an unrestricted free agent next month.

The quarterback market was already deeper than it’s been in years and it looks like there will be another option for teams to consider.

McCarron’s grievance stems from the Bengals’ decision to place him on the non-football injury list (NFI) at the start of training camp due to a shoulder issue during his rookie year. This prevented McCarron from accruing a season and is why he would have only qualified as a restricted free agent had he lost the case.

McCarron contended that he was healthy enough to come off the NFI list during training camp, but Cincinnati didn’t add him to their active roster until it was too late.

It’s worth mentioning that the Browns nearly completed a trade for McCarron before last year’s trade deadline. Although, other teams could be in the mix for him including the Broncos.

McCarron, 27, is a former fifth-round pick of the Bengals back in 2014. He’ll be entering the final year of his four-year, $2,401,652 contract and stands to make a base salary of $690,000 for the 2017 season.

In 2017, McCarron appeared in three games for the Bengals and completed 7 of 14 passes for 66 yards to go along with no touchdowns or interceptions.