Matt McGloin released by Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs have released their third-string quarterback Matt McGloin shortly after he’d made the final 53-man roster.

It’s been a bit of a roller coaster around the third string quarterback position for the Kansas City Chiefs, and Matt McGloin has been the man caught in the middle. Unfortunately for McGloin, he’s now on the outside as the team has announced they’ve released the quarterback.

On the day that roster cuts were due, McGloin found himself standing among those who’d made the final 53-man roster, a major surprise after a preseason filled with a clear battle between the former Oakland Raiders player and newcomer Chase Litton, an undrafted prospect out of Marshall.

Fans were quick to channel their devotion to the rookie for the same reasons that all young unproven quarterbacks are given such fanfare—the sexiness of unknown potential. It wasn’t so much McGloin’s fault as it was having a shiny new car in the garage. Forget the UDFA portion of Litton’s resume, because Chiefs Kingdom mentally erased that some time ago.

If McGloin had instead been a four-year backup for the Raiders and had never once started for them, fans would have been beside themselves wondering who to root for. Instead, McGloin’s middling numbers in silver and black made it an easy call—one as an already failed candidate and the other as the next great franchise quarterback.

On Sunday, the Chiefs found out that Chase Litton had indeed slipped through waivers which made it possible for them to place him on the practice squad. The team was apparently waiting to see if they’d maintain control of the first-year player, because at that point McGloin became expendable. One day earlier, they’d explained the move saying they wanted as many veteran voices around Patrick Mahomes as possible, but that was as flimsy an excuse as fans believed.

So now McGloin must latch on with another team in the hopes of finding real work heading into the 2018 season. Given the recycled nature of quarterbacks, he’ll likely find a home sooner than later, maybe even with the Chiefs if something happens to any of their current lot since they’re already familiar with him. If so, he just needs to remember not to expect any love from the fans. They already know too much about him.