Questions About A Steering Column Failure

[Axle]

There is the collapsable joint in the column, nylon or plastic insert to keep the slop out. Similar to the one you need to melt out of the jeep shaft in order to get it to shorten to fit into the truck.

Take a look at the base of your column where the jeep shaft attaches, is the (column) shaft still fully inserted in the column? If that internal plastic insert is broken it lets the lower (column, not jeep) steering shaft move in/out.

Lower column bearing compromised? Having to manhandle it may have pushed it over the edge. More wobble there = more overall play/wobble when combined with the additional joints in the jeep shaft.
I've also noticed that my jeep shaft has developed play already after two years of daily driving (I'm using an Omix-Ada). Which is a bummer, but still hasn't gotten as bad as the old rag joint. yet.