Leftwich's sudden fall, unemployment hard to figure

Two days before Leftwich was let go, Leftwich said Del Rio told him to get ready for the Tennessee Titans, only to be stunned by his release a couple days later, nine days before the regular-season opener. Del Rio was the one who made the decision; their personality clash obviously had something to do with it.

Leftwich, who didn't want to get into specifics of his Jacksonville release, signed with the Falcons two weeks later. He would get two starts. In the first one, he took a beating by the New Orleans Saints defense and was forced out with an ankle injury. He was sacked seven times, so even though he completed 15 of 23 passes for 145 yards and one touchdown the game was a disaster.

"It was sad watching that," said an NFC coach who watched the tape closely.

There would be one more Atlanta start for Leftwich, but he wasn't really healthy enough and he struggled. He eventually had screws put into his right ankle to help the healing.

Leftwich calls the right ankle the "other" ankle, since the left one he injured in 2006 was the same leg he hurt during his college career at Marshall. The screws from the right ankle came out in January and he's running again. There are no screws now in either ankle.

The injury stuff, though, has to be turning off teams. They have to wonder if he can stay healthy.

There is also some misinformation out there that Leftwich isn't a hard worker. According to coaches who have worked with him, that's simply not true. He loves the film room and he understands passing-game concepts. One has to wonder how that information is being spread. Leftwich wasn't sure.

Seeing Leftwich, who is only 28 and five years removed from being the No. 7 overall pick in the draft, without a team while Trent Green gets a $3 million a year deal from the St. Louis Rams makes no sense. Leftwich deserves another chance. He isn't asking for a big contract.

"I just want to get back in, get a chance to show what I can do," Leftwich said.

I really like Leftwich as a person. They don't come much better. He is fun, enjoys playing and is a fan of the game. There was never any of the I'm-too-big-for-you stuff at any point during his career.

People who worked with him in Jacksonville still have him on speed dial. I'm talking public relations people, video men and the training room staff. That's a sign that a player is a good guy. And Leftwich is that.

He's also shown that he can be a good quarterback. Why somebody hasn't given him a deal is one of the great mysteries of this offseason.

Leftwich recently took a trip to the Turks and Caicos. I asked him if he did any snorkeling, but he said no.

Why? He said the way his luck has been going a shark might have taken a chunk out of one his ankles.

At least he still has his sense of humor. But what's happening to his career right now isn't anything to laugh about. Somebody needs to sign him.

If Green and Joey Harrington and David Carr and Cleo Lemon and Gray all get action, why the heck isn't Leftwich? That's a hard one to figure.