He's back! Josh Freeman, out of NFL in 2014, signed by Miami Dolphins

Consider this for a moment: Josh Freeman is a mere six months older than Ryan Tannehill.

And yet Tannehill, the Miami Dolphins' starting quarterback, is considered an up-and-coming player, while Freeman — who signed Thursday as the team's No. 3 QB — was a player who already has missed his NFL starting window.

But at least the 6-6, 240-pound Freeman has a chance to play again, back in the NFL after remaining unsigned for all of the 2014 season.

The No. 17 overall pick in the 2009 draft started 59 of the first 66 NFL games for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that he was on their roster before being benched after only three games in 2013 by then head coach Greg Schiano before being released in early October that year.

After signing midseason in 2013 with the Minnesota Vikings, Freeman started one game against the New York Giants on Monday Night Football, bombed badly, suffered a concussion and never saw the field again. He was not re-signed that subsequent offseason after reports came out he was late to meetings and appeared disinterested.

The Giants signed him for six weeks in 2014, but Freeman was cut — in favor of Curtis Painter and Ryan Nassib. Freeman worked out this offseason for the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles before signing as the Dolphins' No. 3 behind Tannehill and Matt Moore.

Is Freeman's career salvageable? You'd have to think if he doesn't play well in the offseason, this could be his final chance in the NFL.

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Eric_Edholm

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