44-year-old Terrell Owens takes definitive step in returning to the gridiron

By Ross Kelly July 21, 2018 at 12:56pm

There’s never been a football player who still played professionally after being inducted into the Hall of Fame.

But there’s also never been someone quite like Terrell Owens who is attempting to make history.

Owens will be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Aug. 4 even though he won’t attend the ceremony in Canton, choosing instead to give a speech at his alma mater of UT-Chattanooga.

But if T.O. gets his way, soon after becoming a Hall of Famer he will then suit up again as a member of the Canadian Football League.

Earlier this week Owens invoked a clause with the Edmonton Eskimos who hold his rights. By doing that, the team had to either offer him a contract or release him within 10 days according to TSN.

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

The Eskimos chose not to offer Owens a contract, which makes him a CFL free agent. While the 44-year-old clearly has intentions of playing again, it is unknown if any CFL teams have interest in him.

Should a CFL team take a chance on Terrell Owens?

Owens last played in an NFL regular season game in 2010 with the Bengals. He had 983 yards and nine touchdowns, which is nearly identical to the stat line Jarvis Landry posted in 2017 and led to the new Cleveland Brown to sign him to a $75.5 million contract.

Owens then played in the Indoor Football League in 2011 before signing with the Seahawks in 2012. But Owens struggled during preseason and was among the team’s final cuts.

The oldest player to catch a pass in an NFL game was 42-year-old Jerry Rice in 2004. Only kickers and quarterbacks have played an NFL game at age 44 or older in the last 90 years.

The 44-year-old Owens reportedly has his 40-yard dash time match his age as Julio Jones recorded Owens as running a 4.4 40 while at UCLA last month.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BkLcW0EBCof/?hl=en&taken-by=terrellowens

“I know that I do have the ability to play. I know everybody sees the shape that I’m in. There’s a lot of athletes that play their prospective sports, but there are few guys that defy the odds. I think I’m one of those guys,” Owens said while attending the ESPYs.

“It’s unfortunate that I haven’t been able to continue my career, but again, I’m not actively seeking to get into the NFL. But again, if there’s an opportunity for me to play, then yeah, I will entertain that, as well as the CFL.

“If it happens, it happens, but if it doesn’t, it’s not the end of the world.”

Owens ranks second all-time in receiving yards and third in receiving touchdowns. He is also the only player in NFL history to score a touchdown against all 32 teams.

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