AJ McCarron wins grievance with Bengals, will be free agent

AJ McCarron will finally get his shot at leading a team.

McCarron won his grievance against the Cincinnati Bengals and will become an unrestricted free agent, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported on Thursday. Rapoport also says McCarron will receive lost salary from 2014 plus interest.

McCarron was a fifth-round pick by the Bengals in 2014 and looked sharp when he got a chance to play in 2015, which led to some having interest in him as a trade target the past two offseasons. The Bengals nearly traded him to the Browns last season, but the deal fell through.

The former Alabama QB’s grievance with the Bengals was over him being placed on the non-football injury (NFI) list in 2014. Due to the way the Bengals handled him, McCarron did not accrue a season towards free agency, meaning the team retained his rights for four more seasons after that.

Now that he’s won, the 2014 season will count towards his free agency, making him an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

McCarron’s new status adds another intriguing quarterback to the free agent market.