News of Jeff George's release by the Redskins spread through the NFL and was met with predictable "I told you sos."

Norv Turner, his former coach with the Redskins, had to have his calls screened because some coaches wanted to share in the laughter. In 12 seasons, George, innocently or not, burned a lot of coaches with his unfulfilled potential. Joked one former coach, who wanted to stay anonymous, "He's a traveling computer virus who keeps getting into different laptops."

	Jeff George still thinks his strong arm will save him in tight situations.

No one doubts that some team will take a chance on his arm in the next few weeks. The problem for George is that he's been through five franchises and nine different coaching staffs. He's running out of offensive minds who believe they have the confidence and job security to turn around his career. At the age of 33, with a strong, gifted arm that is temporarily bothered by shoulder tendonitis, George has hit the crossroads of his career.

Unless he changes his mental approach to the game, George may be doomed to being a backup who moves from team to team every year looking for opportunities to resurrect his career. As a good family man, George may not find those opportunities to be enticed and may sit for a while. With George, it's not about the money; it's always been about the arm.

"Jeff always felt his arm would overcome everything," said Ted Marchibroda, his former head coach in Indianapolis. "That's been it. Outside of the arm, I don't know what he really believes. It's like he doesn't accept help beyond what his arm is able to do for him."

Don't misunderstand Marchibroda's analysis. He's a Jeff George fan. He likes him personally. The problem is that almost a decade after they first teamed up, he doesn't see much improvement in one of the most gifted throwers of his era.

"He's a pretty good kid, and a good person," Marchibroda said. "When it comes to the football end of it, he totally relies on his arm. He believes in that. But I don't think any coach has been able to get him away from that."

In the NFL, it's more than just the arm. It's a team game. The prettiest, hardest throw isn't going to turn into a completed pass if the receiver doesn't catch it. Since those turbulent days with the Colts, George bounced to the Falcons and Raiders before settling into a backup job with Dennis Green in Minnesota. Green was true to his word in giving him a chance to resurrect his career.

George took over for Randall Cunningham and carried the Vikings to the playoffs. In all of his days in the NFL, George never felt as close to his teammates. Linemen and receivers would get together with George for evenings out. They'd go to movies. They'd have dinners. The wives would join them.

It said a lot, though, when Green didn't even think about brining George back for the 2000 season. Green preferred rolling the dice in giving raw Daunte Culpepper the job.

"It's easy to understand why he keeps going from team to team," one of his former coaches said. "The guy always thinks, 'It's not him.' With Jeff, though, if the ship is sinking and the captain wants to go fix the hole in the ship, Jeff will be the one on deck throwing more water on it. His whole theory is if a coach is going to take him down, he'll take the coach down before that happens."

Part of that might not be malicious on George's part. Remember he believes in his arm. Ron Meyer, one of his former coaches, said George's talents for throwing are legendary. In practices, George would drop back, twirl the football in his right hand, snap the ball into a cocked position and fire the most perfect pass you'd ever see.

When things are falling apart, George usually tries to go deep. Against the Steelers last year after Turner's termination, the play call from the sidelines was "585 Comeback," a simple 18-yard play that fit the Steelers' coverage. George went into the huddle and indicated that he was tired of throwing comebacks, so he told Irving Fryar to go deep.

Fryar went deep, but the pass went into the Redskins' end zone after the Steelers took it for an interception return for a touchdown. The Redskins lost. George shrugged it off as a mistake. The season was over.

	“	At Indianapolis, we had three- and five- and seven-step drops, but he hasn't improved much of his technique," Marchibroda said. "He hasn't improved. He drops back nonchalantly. He just takes the ball back from center and relies on the arm. ”
		— Ted Marchibroda on Jeff George

"In 12 years, he's won less than 37 percent of his games as a starter (46 of 124 starts)," a former coach said. "That says something. He's got coaches fired. It's not going to get better."

Unfair to George is what they expect from him. After 12 seasons, he is what he is. He'll always be in excellent condition. For the Redskins, he reported to camp in the 215-pound range, his lightest weight in years. Spending time watching tapes isn't a problem either. He'll spend the time, but the question is how much gets out of it.

It's all about the arm.

"At Indianapolis, we had three- and five- and seven-step drops, but he hasn't improved much of his technique," Marchibroda said. "He hasn't improved. He drops back nonchalantly. He just takes the ball back from center and relies on the arm."

Marchibroda remembers one game against the Jets in which he benched George and had Jack Trudeau come off the bench to win the game. He remembers the sideline conversation vividly.

"Why are you taking me out?" George asked. "I can win this game."

"I know you can, but we're not moving the football," Marchibroda said.

It's really no different than his ending in Minnesota. George knows he can make enough throws to win a championship. But the losses and the lack of his development beyond just being a thrower has been his downfall.

Last week, George spoke out about being benched in the Redskins' opener and said leadership is overrated.

"Back in Indy, Jeff would get together every Saturday night and had dinner with his mother and father," Marchibroda said. "He is deeply attached to his family, and there is nothing wrong with dining with your mother and father. But that's where you leadership can become a void. After all these years, Jeff doesn't realize why he hasn't been a success."

It's more than just the arm. Until he learns that, his arm won't be golden, and more teams will shy away.

John Clayton is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.