Cincinnati, OH – The Cincinnati Bengals claimed quarterback John Skelton off waivers on Wednesday, two days after the onetime Arizona Cardinals starter was cut loose by his former team.
Skelton was waived as a result of Arizona's acquisition of veteran Carson Palmer from the Oakland Raiders. The three-year pro started 17 games during his tenure with the Cardinals, but produced a subpar 2-to-9 touchdown-to- interception ratio this past season and lost five of his six starts.
The 25-year-old has thrown for 3,707 yards with 15 touchdowns, 25 interceptions and a 53.2 percent completion rate over 20 career games.
Skelton will compete with recent free-agent addition Josh Johnson for the backup role behind Andy Dalton. Bruce Gradkowski, Cincinnati's No. 2 quarterback last season, signed with fellow AFC North member Pittsburgh last month.
The Bengals also announced that linebacker Vincent Rey, an exclusive rights player, has signed the team's tender offer.
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