Move Over Tom Brady: Retired NFL Headcase May Snatch His 'Oldest Player in League History' Title
NFL fans may want to get their popcorn ready.
One of the most talented, troubled and polarizing NFL stars of all time could be making a comeback at the ripe age of 49-years old.
Nominally retired NFL receiver and former All-Pro, Terrell Owens, “has been in contact” with one of his former teams about a potential return, according to what his agent told Sports Illustrated.
Owens, a former standout with the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals, has actually been in touch with “Jerry Jones’ office” about a potential second stint with the Dallas Cowboys. Owens had previously played for Dallas from 2006-2008.
“We’ve been in constant communication with Jerry Jones’ office over the last few days about the possibility of him returning to the Cowboys,” said Gregory D.L Daniel, Esq., Owens’s agent. “Terrell is ready to contribute and play any role, big or small. He’s in outstanding shape. He looks no different than he did years ago. I watched him running routes full-speed with [Baltimore Ravens receiver DeSean Jackson], and he looked great. He didn’t drop a pass.”
Owens, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018, has supposedly kept himself in tip-top shape, despite not playing a meaningful NFL snap since Obama’s first presidential term.
“He most recently ran a 4.5 40-yard dash, which was his warm-up. He’s a legend. We want to make history and see him break these records,” Daniel said. “If anybody can do it, it’s him. His three Ds are desire, dedication and discipline. He embodies that every day, even running hills at 3 a.m. on Christmas morning.”
Of course, this isn’t Owens clamoring for a return to the Chicago Bears or the Houston Texans or another member of the NFL’s dregs. No, the Cowboys are firmly in the playoffs already, and many expect them to go far this year.
“He wants to win, I want to win,” Daniel said, echoing what his client thinks of playing for Cowboys owner Jerry Jones for a second time.
The Cowboys, currently 11-4 with two games left to play, are already locked into a playoff berth. They can still win the division if the Eagles falter down the stretch.
Ultimately, it does need to be asked: Does Owens have anything left to contribute to a winning football team in 2022? Perhaps!
But it is worth noting that Owens’s issues on the field seldom had to do anything with production or efficacy. In fact, Owens’s incredible talent probably softened the fact that, by all accounts, he was an abjectly terrible teammate who was every bit as good at burning bridges as he was burning defensive backs.
In San Francisco, despite winning a lot of games and consistently being fed (Owens had a stretch from 2000-2003 for San Francisco where he averaged over 151 targets per season), things ended acrimoniously enough where the mercurial receiver infamously accused his former-quarterback Jeff Garcia of being gay in a Playboy interview.
In Philadelphia, Owens helped the Eagles make a Super Bowl while playing on a badly injured ankle. Not only did he return from said injury in an expeditious manner, he actually put up a monster game in the Eagles’s 24-21 loss in Super Bowl XXXIX. And yet, Owens was impressively able to squander all of that good will by feuding with beloved Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb. Owens accused McNabb of drinking before the Super Bowl and throwing up due to being in poor shape during the Super Bowl itself.
In Dallas, Owens did shape up a bit under the watchful eye of coach Bill Parcells, but was still ultimately cut due to his antics outweighing his productivity. To be fair to Owens, he ended his 1-year stints with the Bengals and Bills as a model citizen.
Should the Cowboys acquiesce to give Owens a second lease on his NFL life, one of the most accomplished football players ever will be suiting up for “America’s Team.” Owens holds several notable records, including: being the only player in NFL history to score a touchdown against all 32 NFL teams, the only player in history to score two touchdowns against all 32 NFL teams, the only player in history to have an 800-yard receiving season with five different teams, the only player in NFL history to have a 150-yard receiving game with five different teams, the only player in history with a 200-yard receiving game for three different teams, as well as a litany of other team records. (Did you know Owens holds the Bills record for longest reception with a 98 yard touchdown reception?)
Should Owens return and play a snap, he will immediately become not just the oldest player in the NFL currently, but the oldest player in NFL history. Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady, 45, and NFL Hall of Famer George Blanda, who last played at 48 years old, hold those aforementioned records, respectively. Owens, at 49, would obviously be older than both Brady and Blanda.
“Just let him prove it,” Daniel told SI. “Just put him on the field. We can all make a lot of skeptical comments about what he can do. The reason he’s doing this is because he knows he can do this. He will never let anyone say what he has the ability to do. Leave it up to his ability and let his skills speak for themselves.”
Owens’s skills have never had an issue speaking for themselves. He is every bit as good of a player as advertised (at least, once upon a time he was).
It’s all the other issues, and the not-insignificant fact of his advanced sports age, that may prevent Owens from ever suiting back up.
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