David Garrard was in camp with Miami last season, but hasn’t taken a snap in the NFL since December 2010.
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This time next week, David Garrard expects to be a member of the Jets following a week of practice and no signs of a nagging knee injury. He said he is the healthiest he’s felt since 2010.
Garrard was brought back by the Jets last Wednesday just a day after the team announced quarterback Mark Sanchez had undergone season-ending shoulder surgery. Originally signed by the Jets in the offseason, Garrard had to retire in May due to lingering issues with his knee. Now he is back and on the exempt list, practicing with the scout team and feeling like his old self.
“Almost a full week and I feel great. Nothing has indicated that the knee is going to swell back up — dry as a bone,” Garrard told Metro. “When you have surgery things never quite get back to what you were born with, but it feels great, great enough to come out of retirement and great enough to be here.”
The decision by Garrard to retire on May 15 was due to a knee injury that has kept him off the field since 2010. He had a brief comeback with the Dolphins during preseason in 2012 but failed to make the team.
A source told Metro in May that Garrard was struggling with offseason workouts and had difficulty making his throws due to the injury.
“It was a lot of things. It would swell up so much that I couldn’t go out there at times. But when I did go out there and work on turf, that would flare it up,” Garrard said. “When I was on grass, it was pretty good but even a few days on grass it would aggravate. It was keeping me out way too much. It never healed to the point where it felt great. Now it feels good.”
Garrard is throwing roughly 30 balls a day to the younger players following practice. He thinks this time next week — when the Jets need to make a decision on whether to keep him or release him — that he will officially be in Jets green.
“All the feedback I’ve been getting is great. I anticipate being here but I’m not the one making the calls,” Garrard said. “As long as the knee doesn’t act up again I would have to figure they would want me to stay because they brought me here for that reason. If I look good running around then I would see no reason why they wouldn’t keep me.”
Follow Jets beat writer Kristian Dyer on Twitter @KristianRDyer.
