Byron Leftwich claims he’s lost 25 pounds in an effort to return to the NFL but that hasn’t been enough for any team to give him a look since his release by Atlanta.

Leftwich is the subject of a feature in today’s Washington Times. Half the piece reads like an open letter to coaches and general managers, full of positive comments from Leftwich about his desire and fitness for action. The other half, however, outlines his long, ugly injury history culminating with the insertion of screws into his right ankle last season.

The Times quotes Brian Billick and Bears pro personnel director Bobby DePaul saying positive things about Leftwich the player, though your mileage may vary on their bona fides on this count. Each man, however, offers the health of his legs as a major caveat to any positives he can bring with his arm. Leftwich chalks up his many trips to the trainer’s room as bad luck and says he’s been completely healthy for several months. It’s probably not a coincidence that those months have been spent doing things other than playing tackle football.

“I know teams are thinking, ‘Hey, this guy’s getting injured every year,’” Leftwich said. “A lot of teams are scared of taking a chance on me. We all know I can play once I’m out there. But I don’t really know. I know somebody’s gonna give me the opportunity, and when I get that opportunity, somebody’s gonna take advantage.”

The problem with Leftwich is that he’s never really been healthy enough to know that he can play when he’s out there. In 2005 it looked like he was settling into a nice career but the injuries have obscured whatever process he made to that point. Losing the weight is a nice signal of his seriousness and could help him avoid further leg problems but it appears Leftwich is caught in a Catch-22 scenario regarding his future. He’ll need to prove he can stay healthy to get another job but needs another job to prove he can stay healthy.