Terrell Owens is “100 percent serious” about returning to play football
By Matt Conner
Soon-to-be Hall of Fame wide receiver Terrell Owens is “100 percent serious” about a return to play the game in whatever league will accept him, per his agent.
Eight years after the last time he played in an actual NFL game, Terrell Owens has no problem still commanding attention. The soon-to-be Hall of Famer made waves earlier this year for announcing his intentions to skip the induction ceremony in Canton to host his own party. Now he’s making it clear he’s interested in suiting up again on the field, a claim that’s been circulating several times this offseason.
Earlier this offseason, Owens discussed the idea of returning to the field with Pat McAfee during an interview and brought up the Kansas City Chiefs as a team that would interest him given the presence of his favorite coach Andy Reid. One month later, a video circulated of T.O. running the 40-yard dash with a great time as a bit of evidence that the physical abilities are still there despite not playing in the NFL since the 2010 season with the Cincinnati Bengals.
The latest mention of Owens’ potential return comes from agent Jason Staroszik who recently stated that Owens was 100 percent serious about a return to the game.
I asked player agent Jason Staroszik if T.O. Is serious about playing in the CFL. Here is what he said: “Absolutely 100 per cent. He still feels like he has some football years left in him. He just loves the game and wants to get back to playing whether it’s the CFL or NFL.”
— Dave Naylor (@TSNDaveNaylor) July 17, 2018
As for the Chiefs, the Chiefs have less targets to go around than they have in a long time, but Owens sounds hungry for any chance at all to show what he can do. Is it worth a look when some of the kids like Demarcus Robinson or Chris Conley or Jehu Chesson need room to grow? If Owens truly has something to add, the answer is always yes, but GM Brett Veach has yet to even acknowledge Owens’ public overtures.
The Canadian Football League is, at this point, a much more likely platform for Owens given his age of 44. Being in great physical shape is even a far cry from being in game shape, and the game spits out several peak performers each year because they’re not ready for the grueling NFL season.
Then again, Owens has always been a man among boys, even at the highest level—hence his Hall of Fame induction. As silly as it might sound for a player to return after nearly a decade away, the reality is that it’s silly to ever count out a man with 153 receiving touchdowns in his career. Owens was an incredibly gifted athlete and if he maintains that he can play, is it not worth a look?
Then again, the one thing that Owens loves as much as the game of football is the attention that came his way because of it. This is a highlight year for Owens given the Hall induction, whether he’s there or not, so this limelight could be a way of staying in the center of it all.