Terrell Owens is still without a team
Terrell Owens has definitely had a fair share controversy surrounding him in the past, but the star receiver is desperately trying to turn things around and find a new team. So far, he has had no luck and finds himself without a job.
Many owners are avoiding the controversial player and are looking at his past altercations with team mates and coaches rather than his performance on the field. His Hall of Fame numbers are taking a back seat and are not the topic of discussion. But that is nothing new.
To his credit, Owens has shown some restraint over the past season and avoided the tantrums that tarnished his reputation for most of his career. But Owens does not believe his bad attitude has caused him to be without a team in the National Football League. Instead he is putting the blame on the media.
“I may do 99 good things and if I do one thing wrong, ESPN and the people on there…make it out to be the worst thing ever. I think with the years I’ve had, the last three to four years, I feel like I’ve tried to turn over a new leaf. But still they won’t let go of what I did in the past,” said Owens, according to the NFL network.
Owens is learning the valuable lesson that actions and words follow you for a long time. Whether or not he is to blame for his previous misfortunes, his antics have forced many teams to show him the door. He was booted from the San Francisco 49ers, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Dallas Cowboys, and finally from the Buffalo Bills. He has meet and been in contact with a few teams across the league, but to no avail.
He has even reverted to his peers to help him find a job. Pro bowl receiver and close friend Chad Johnson from the Cincinnati Bengals tried to convince management along with his head coach Marvin Lewis to sign Owens. The media had more fun with the possibility of having these two pranksters playing in the same receiving corps, than anything else. Pundits and most fans knew that this duo was very unlikely.
Others believe that Owens being unemployed in the NFL is due to the amount of money that he and his agent are seeking. At 36, he is not the same player that he was earlier in his career. Although Owens was relatively quiet last season in Buffalo, the same could be said about his stats and production on the field. His 55 catches and five receiving touchdowns were not even close to the numbers that he has posted throughout his entire career. But the blame should not be placed solely on his broad shoulders.
Buffalo’s quarterbacks, Trent Edwards and Ryan Fitzpatrick, were mainly responsible for his stats decreasing. Both failed to generate the offence and the season was a disappointment for all parties involved.
With training camps just a few weeks away, Owens’s agent better start making some calls for his client. Foreseeing that Owens will be given another chance to play in the NFL, it will be with a new team. Owens will have to build chemistry and cohesion with the other guys in that locker room. That takes time and can only be worked on the football field. As it stands, the speculation continues on where the 36-year-old will play this season. He’ll turn 37 in December of the 2010 season and one has to wonder what will come first for Owens: a job in the NFL or retirement?
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