Quarterback AJ McCarron will be an unrestricted free agent when free agency opens next month after an arbitrator ruled in favour of his service time grievance filed against the Cincinnati Bengals.
McCarron, who has been Andy Dalton's backup with the Bengals for the past three seasons, joins Drew Brees, Kirk Cousins, Sam Bradford and Case Keenum among the unrestricted free-agent options at quarterback when the free agency period starts March 14.
McCarron would have been a restricted free agent if he had lost his grievance as he would not have the required four seasons of service time.
"It's just a blessing," he told the Cincinnati Enquirer. "I was going to be blessed either way because you're still in the league, you're still being able to play the game for a living, but it's just awesome just to be free now and to hopefully get that opportunity and be able to compete somewhere.
"That's all I've ever wanted. I'm just super excited. Just really excited that I get that opportunity now and I just can't wait to just showcase what I can do and show a team that I can lead a team and win ballgames."
McCarron's grievance revolved around the 2014 season, when the Bengals put him on the non-football injury list at the beginning of the campaign with a shoulder injury.
He was not activated until early December, so he did not accrue a season toward free agency. A player must be active for six games to earn a season of service time.
McCarron, 27, came close to being traded to the Cleveland Browns before last October's trade deadline, but ultimately remained in Cincinnati for the rest of his fourth season with the Bengals. The Bengals sent their approval of the trade to the NFL in time, but the Browns did not get the paperwork sent in time.
The Browns appealed to the league to allow the deal, which would have sent 2018 second and third-round picks to the Bengals, to go through, but they were denied.
McCarron, a fifth-round pick of Alabama, has played in just 11 games over the last three seasons. He started three contests in 2015 while Dalton was injured and passed for 854 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions in seven games that season.
He passed for 212 yards and a touchdown against one interception in the AFC wild-card game against Pittsburgh that season, a game in which the Bengals famously fell apart in the final two minutes to lose to the Steelers.
He did not throw a pass in 2016 and was 7-of-14 passing for 66 yards last season.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater also could join the list of unrestricted free-agent quarterbacks as he also is waiting on a service time ruling.
Bridgewater signed a four-year deal as a first-round pick but missed the entire 2016 season to recover from a serious injury that required reconstructive knee surgery. Bridgewater spent more than half of the 2017 season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.