Free-agent quarterback David Garrard(notes) has had at least two teams call since the Jacksonville Jaguars released him on Sept. 6, according to the Florida Times-Union: the Miami Dolphins and the Oakland Raiders. Unfortunately for Garrard, he’s got to pass on any opportunities for now because he needs to have surgery to fix a herniated disk in his back, according to the Florida Times-Union.

That surgery will put him out of action for four to six weeks, the paper notes, so he is likely unavailable to all for this season but plans to be back next year.

Garrard’s agent, Al Irby, emailed the Times-Union to say the Jaguars “withheld information” about the injury while Garrard was still under contract: “At $500,000 per game, they knew he would be down 4-6 weeks,” Irby wrote. “They didn’t want to pay that bill. Now you know the difference between a first-class organization like Indy, and a sorry organization like the Jags. Indy gave their QB a contract even though he couldn’t play all season. … David was told his back was fine. So he took them for their word. Now he has to go to surgery, and Jacksonville is saying, ‘Not my problem.’ What a first class organization!”

In response, Jaguars general manager Gene Smith told the paper, “David went through the standard process that all players go through when released.”

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Source: Florida Times-Union

Related: David Garrard, Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, Oakland Raiders

Published: Oct. 18, 2011 at 11:19 AM

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Oct. 18 (UPI) — Quarterback David Garrard’s agent said the Jacksonville Jaguars withheld information about his injury and released him to avoid paying him for missed games.

Al Irby said in an e-mail to The (Jacksonville, Fla) Times-Union the team knew it would have to pay Garrard for four to six weeks while he was sidelined with an injury and released him from the team Sept. 6 instead.

“At $500,000 per game, they knew he would be down 4-6 weeks. They didn’t want to pay that bill,” Irby wrote.

Irby said the team told Garrard his back was “fine” and “he took them at their word.”

After he suffered extreme pain in his leg about two weeks ago, Gerrard’s wife suggested he go to an emergency room, where he got an anti-inflammatory shot and painkillers, the Times-Union said.

But after suffering numbness in his calf, he realized it wasn’t a normal leg injury, and an MRI revealed a herniated disc that would require surgery, making it unlikely he’ll play this season.

“Now he has to go to surgery, and Jacksonville is saying, ‘Not my problem.’ What a first-class organization,” Irby said.

Jaguars general manager Gene Smith responded to Irby’s comments in an email, saying, “David went through the standard process that all players go through when released.”

Garrard said he plans to return to football

The Times-Union said the Oakland Raiders contacted Irby Sunday after quarterback Jason Campbell was injured, and Irby said Garrard was getting a second opinion Monday on the need for surgery. The second opinion confirmed Garrard needed the surgery.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jaguars running back Deji Karim has undergone surgery on his right thumb.

Karim, a rookie from Southern Illinois, had surgery Friday at Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute.

Team spokesman Dan Edwards said the surgery repaired a ruptured ligament in Karim’s thumb. Karim had surgery on his left thumb during the preseason.

Karim ran 35 times for 160 yards in 11 games this season. He also returned 50 kickoffs for 1,248 yards, including a career-long 65-yarder that helped the Jaguars beat the Oakland Raiders 38-31 in December.

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jaguars running back Deji Karim has undergone surgery on his right thumb.

Karim, a rookie from Southern Illinois, had surgery Friday at Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute.

Team spokesman Dan Edwards said the surgery repaired a ruptured ligament in Karim’s thumb. Karim had surgery on his left thumb during the preseason.

Karim ran 35 times for 160 yards in 11 games this season. He also returned 50 kickoffs for 1,248 yards, including a career-long 65-yarder that helped the Jaguars beat the Oakland Raiders 38-31 in December.

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

Just last season, in fact, the Colts stirred controversy by benching the multi- time NFL MVP in favor of understudy Curtis Painter, effectively ending their chances at a 16-0 run.

Live from the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, the football match between the Jacksonville Jaguars vs Indianapolis Colts will start at exactly 1:00 pm ET, Sunday, December 19, 2010.

Apparently, an Indianapolis win gives it a split of the season series and forges a flat- footed tie atop the division, though the Jaguars would still hold a tie-breaker edge at the moment because of a slightly-better conference record with two regular-season games remaining. Jacksonville is 7-3 in AFC play at the moment, while the Colts own a 5-4 mark.

The high stakes have resulted in some back and forth between the rivals. Colts running back Dominic Rhodes referred to the Jaguars as a “little brother” within the division, while Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio made a reference to the Colts (7-6) piping in noise into their stadium.

On the other hand, The Jaguars, who won the series opener between the teams by a 31-28 count in Week 4, remained in the lead with a 38-31 defeat of the Oakland Raiders last weekend. Jacksonville has won five of six games since a 22-point loss at Kansas City dropped the team to 3-4 on Oct. 24.

“You have to play your best football down the stretch and here we are in the middle of the stretch playing our best football,” said Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio, whose team lost its final four games last season after a 7-5 start. “We stay about our business, hang together. We don’t fray at the edges.

The Colts, in contrast, rank last in rushing with 79.7 yards per game but want to fare better Sunday to take the pressure off of Peyton Manning. He bounced back from throwing 11 interceptions during a three-game slide to throw two touchdowns with no interceptions last Thursday in a 30-28 victory at Tennessee.

The defending AFC champions have reached the playoffs every season since the South was created. A loss Sunday would put them close to elimination.

Better plan ahead of time now. The game between Jacksonville Jaguars vs Indianapolis Colts will be live telecast via CBS and in some sports channels now. Check your usual local channel listings for you to watch the game at your most convenient time. Enjoy watching the game now.