In 2021, when Antonio Brown was giving the Tampa Bay Buccaneers plenty to deal with, the team found itself in need of a dependable wide receiver. And somewhere outside the NFL spotlight, Terrell Owens was already thinking about a return. He hadn’t played since the 2010 season, but the idea of unretiring had taken hold.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
Owens believed he could still step onto the field, take the risk, and give Tampa Bay what it needed. He was ready to do it all over again. There was just one problem: as Owens later admitted, then-QB Tom Brady completely ignored him. Now, years later, Owens has once again reiterated that he would return in a heartbeat if any NFL team contacted him.
“No, they didn’t [no NFL team contacted him],” Owens said on the 95.7 The Game podcast. “But if they were to call me right about now, I would be ready. Given the fact that I understand the game, third-down and red-zone situations, I think that’s where I would really offer some help. I would be advantageous.”
In fact, the hosts pointed to last season’s playoffs, when Broncos quarterback Bo Nix suffered a season-ending ankle injury. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that former Denver assistants Joe Lombardi and Pete Carmichael contacted retired quarterback Drew Brees about returning for the AFC Championship Game.
Brees declined; Denver lost to New England. So, while Brees had no desire to return to the field, Owens would love to. In fact, during a December 2022 appearance on 95.7 The Game, Owens pitched a comeback while the 49ers were dealing with injuries at quarterback.
Trey Lance, the starting quarterback, had already suffered a season-ending ankle injury, while backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was also sidelined with a season-ending foot injury, leaving rookie Brock Purdy as the starter.
Owens had reached out to 49ers CEO Jed York and offered himself for third-down and red-zone situations, and make Purdy’s life easier.
“Yo, if you need somebody, I’m definitely a viable option,” Owens said back then. Part of that confidence comes from how he views today’s cornerbacks compared to the ones he faced during his 15-year playing career with the 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills, and Cincinnati Bengals.
So, in his latest podcast appearance, when asked about how he’d face cornerback like Deommodore Lenoir, he said: “I’m going to use my physical presence. It will obviously be imposing and intimidating in itself.
“You guys know the corners that I face throughout the course of my career. So, these [new] guys, I don’t think they will pose a threat to me. That’s not to demean them. But there have been corners, I’m sure in terms of comparison, that obviously people will say are better than them. But I believe in me. I believe in my skill set. I still believe in these hands right here.”
Owens has stayed involved in football since his final NFL season with the Bengals in 2010. He played in the Fan Controlled Football League in 2022 and later ran a 4.38-second 40-yard dash that August, giving him yet another point to make for his successful return.
And to be honest, Owens still looks like he can play. At a charity football game in 2018, he caught a 60-yard Hail Mary with no time on the clock.
Terrell Owens’ career numbers still hold up
His career stats hold up against nearly anyone who has played the position. He finished with 1,078 career receptions, 15,934 receiving yards, and 153 touchdowns, ranking third all-time in NFL history in receiving yards.
He spent his first eight seasons in San Francisco, where he remains second in franchise history in catches, yards, and touchdowns.
The Brees situation never resulted in an actual return to the field; the former quarterback’s arm had some issues at the time. But Owens is 52 years old, and past his prime. However, the fire to play is still alive in the legendary wide receiver. While that might not be enough to make a return, it certainly shows how passionate he still is about the sport.
No wonder he chose to stay close to the sport through his podcasts ‘Getcha Popcorn Ready’ and ‘Get TO The Point’. So, fans have a higher chance of seeing him on podcasts than on the football field.