National Football League

Jaguars cut quarterback Garrard

Published Sep. 6, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

The Jacksonville Jaguars made a surprising move Tuesday, letting go of their starting quarterback, veteran David Garrard, FOXSports.com has learned.

It’s unclear what led to Garrard's release, but the team now plans to start Luke McCown in its season opener against the Tennessee Titans.

Garrard, 33, has started 58 of 64 games for the Jaguars during the past four seasons. In 2010, he passed for 2,734 yards and 23 touchdowns while throwing 15 interceptions. The touchdowns and interceptions were career highs. He has thrown 89 touchdown passes and 54 interceptions in his career.

Garrard, who had a 44-42 career record with the Jaguars, was entering the fourth year of a seven-year, $62.98 million contract he signed in 2008. He was due $7.975 million this season. That figure was scheduled to grow $500,000 each of the next two seasons.

McCown, 30, has been on and off the Jaguars' roster the past two seasons after spending four years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2005 to 2008) and one with the Cleveland Browns (2004). He has not started a game since 2007 while with the Bucs and his career high is four starts as a rookie in Cleveland.

McCown has a career record of 1-6 and has thrown just nine touchdown passes vs. 10 interceptions.