Whether it saves Coach Jack Del Rio’s job remains to be seen. The team’s owner, Wayne Weaver, has said that Jacksonville needs to make the playoffs for Del Rio to stick around.
Del Rio made it clear late last season that he had grown tired of Garrard’s inconsistency, but the coach remained steadfast through training camp and the preseason that Garrard was his starter. That changed Tuesday, when the Jaguars parted ways with Garrard after nine up-and-down seasons.
“He just couldn’t get it going,” said Del Rio, who added that the team did not try to trade Garrard. Del Rio turned the starting job over to Luke McCown, who outplayed Garrard in the preseason.
“I was shocked by the decision,” tight end Marcedes Lewis said. “They obviously felt it was time to go in a different direction. Luke had a great camp, everyone knows that, and now he’s the guy. There’s no drop-off.”
Garrard did nor return phone or text messages seeking comment, but he thanked Jaguars fans on his Twitter feed: “You’ll always have a special place in my heart and my family’s heart!”
Garrard ends his Jacksonville career with 16,003 yards passing, 89 touchdowns, 54 interceptions and a 39-37 record. He also ran for 1,746 yards and 17 scores.
GIANTS’ GOFF OUT FOR SEASON Giants linebacker Jonathan Goff will miss the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
Goff, in his fourth season with the Giants out of Vanderbilt, sustained the injury during Monday’s practice. He had 80 tackles and a sack last season, when the Giants finished 10-6.
The Giants have lost five key members of the defense for the season since training camp opened. Last week, they lost the backup linebacker Clint Sintim to a season-ending knee injury.