David Garrard's knee was bone on bone as he struggled to workout last week with the New York Jets before deciding to retire.
"I couldn't jog most days," Garrard said. "I could barely walk around without it hurting. And we weren't even in the strenuous part of camp yet. I figured, 'No way I can just take every fourth day off.' I went to see Rex [Ryan], and I just told him I didn't think I could do it. He didn't want to hear it. But I just told him what the doctor said -- it's only going to get worse. And that was it."
Garrard was signed by the Jets in order to compete with Mark Sanchez and Geno Smith at quarterback.
The Jets have offered Garrard a position as a coaching intern at training camp.