JaMarcus Russell told people while working out for the Chicago Bears late last week that he has a tryout upcoming with the defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens, a league source said.
The Ravens have not confirmed that Russell will work out for them.
In Chicago, Russell demonstrated that he had significantly improved his conditioning level and that he has lost nearly 50 pounds. The hope was this would prove that he had committed to a lifestyle change and was determined to succeed as an NFL quarterback.
However, Russell was inconsistent throwing the football. Bears coach Marc Trestman organized the workout for Russell and other players to update the team's ready-list in the event of injuries to players on the roster.
Russell's best chance for a Bears contract comes if Trestman decides to take a fourth quarterback to training camp. A source told ESPNChicago.com after the workout that it's unlikely Chicago will sign him.
Russell hasn't played a down of football in the NFL since 2009 and won just seven of 25 starts during his career at Oakland. Russell received approximately $39 million in three seasons with the Raiders after being selected No. 1 overall in the 2007 draft and has completed 52.1 percent of his passes for 18 touchdowns, 23 interceptions and a passer rating of 65.2.
Bears running back Michael Bush, a former teammate of Russell who is still friends with the quarterback, told The Chicago Tribune that he wishes Russell "would get another shot" to play in the NFL.
"A lot of people gave him a bad rap after his stint in Oakland. He wasn't put in good situations to become a good player," Bush told the newspaper. "We had different coordinators. The line was changing every day. The receivers were changing."
In 2010, authorities charged Russell with felony possession of a controlled substance, a drink containing codeine cough syrup, after officers raided his home that July. A grand jury didn't indict the quarterback later that year on those charges.
Information from ESPNChicago.com's Michael C. Wright was used in this report.