Former NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens hasn’t played meaningful snaps for a professional team since 2010.
However, his agent Gregory D.L. Daniel, Esq., shared with Sports Illustrated’s Aaron Wilson some head-scratching news. He’s in contact with the Cowboys and other NFL teams about an Owens return.
As Wilson notes, Owens would become the oldest person to ever play in the NFL if he returned. The wideout just turned 49 on Dec. 7. Former quarterback and placekicker George Blanda holds the age record at 48 years.
“Terrell is ready to contribute and play any role, big or small,” Daniel told Wilson. “He’s in outstanding shape. He looks no different than he did years ago. I watched him running routes full-speed with DeSean [Jackson] and he looked great. He didn’t drop a pass.
“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. If anybody can do it, it’s him.”
The big thing that Owens has working against him is history. No one has ever come back from a 12-year NFL hiatus.
Quarterback Doug Flutie went nine years between professional snaps. He spent nearly a decade in the Canadian Football League before signing with the Buffalo Bills in 1998.
Tim Tebow recently attempted a nine-year comeback with the Jacksonville Jaguars, but it fizzled out before the season.
Nobody has ever cleared a decade away, much less 12 years.
Owens attempted a comeback with the Seattle Seahawks in 2012 but was cut before the season.
The odds aren’t working in Owens’ favor for an NFL return. While he’s recently played in the Fan Controlled Football league, an NFL return still seems like an impossibility.
In fact, NFL reporter Jane Slater quickly threw some water on the simmering Owens buzz.
It seems like Owens’ NFL playing days will remain in the past.
