Former quarterback Chris Streveler is now based in Arizona. He is a married man and has a young daughter, living a life that is far more settled than his turbulent football career. Only three years ago, Streveler had been turned away by two teams in the span of a few months before landing with the New York Jets. He thought he’d find some stability here, but one phone call from then-head coach Robert Saleh had him thinking otherwise.

Streveler had been signed by the Jets in 2022. He said in a video on X that during the season, Saleh had called him for a meeting, sparking fear in the QB. He revealed that he’d only just settled down in New York. Streveler also knew very well that QBs Zach Wilson, Joe Flacco, and Mike White were already on the roster, and thought that he’d be dropped by the team. However, he was in for a surprise.

“Robert Saleh gave me a heart attack,” he said in the video. “… I’ve been cut too many times and know what this looks like. So I’m like, ‘This is it, I’m getting cut.’

“[Saleh] sits me down, and [Jeff Ulbrich], the defensive coordinator, is in the room too. They say, ‘Hey man, we just want to say how much we appreciate your hard work. What we’re going to do for you this game, we’re going to elevate you to the active roster. You’re going to be inactive for this game, but we just want to get you a real check because you’ve been working so hard for us.”

Instead of getting fired, he just made an extra $20,000 that week.

Streveler had a difficult time making it to the NFL. After going undrafted in 2018, he found a spot in the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. There, he made his name by helping his team win the 2019 Grey Cup championship, the team’s first since 1990.

The QB began his NFL career in 2020, signing with the Arizona Cardinals. However, Streveler was rarely able to get some time on the field. In his two seasons with the Cardinals, the former QB played in only 7 games. He was waived in November 2021. And since then, for the rest of his career, Streveler became a journeyman.

The Baltimore Ravens signed him for their practice squad, but the stint did not work out. In February 2022, Streveler was picked up by the Miami Dolphins, but was waived in May that year. The Jets signed him afterward.

Even before the season began, Streveler had gone through a fair share of troubles before being made active for this one game. The Jets had waived him in August despite his massive contribution in the team winning the preseason schedule that year. But on the very next day, Streveler had been signed to the practice squad.

No wonder he panicked when Saleh called.

Streveler was with the Jets until 2024, after which he tried to make a comeback in the CFL with the Blue Bombers. The QB went 5-1 in the 2024-2025 season as a starter, stepping in for Zach Collaros. He retired in 2026, after a tough eight years playing professional football. However, he doesn’t regret it one bit.

“You have to be ready to take advantage with your mindset and the work you put in. That’s what I’m most proud of in my career,” he told the Blue Bombers in an interview. “I got these opportunities and then I did the most I could to take advantage of that. I don’t look back and say, ‘Well, I wasn’t working hard enough or I wasn’t prepared.’ Sometimes things just don’t go your way and that’s OK. I can hold my head high that I put everything I had into the process every day.”