Last night, the Seattle Seahawks announced that they have signed Terrell Owens to a one-year, $1 million contract, allowing the veteran wide receiver to return to the National Football League after he spent last season with the Allen Wranglers of the Indoor Football League.
Owens, who will turn 39 in December, has played for five different teams during a career spanning 15 seasons. After beginning his career with the San Francisco 49ers, he also spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles, the Dallas Cowboys, the Buffalo Bills, and the Cincinnati Bengals.
Owens, better known as “T.O.,” has long been famous for his clashes with teammates and has often been referred to as “Team Obliterator” by ESPN’s Skip Bayless, but in my eyes as well as the eyes of many others, he is a future Hall of Famer.
While 38-year-old wide receivers are ordinarily not very coveted, Owens is no ordinary player. He has always kept himself in tip-top shape and his football IQ is extremely high. There’s no doubt that he comes with baggage, but given that the Seahawks only gave him $1 million for a one-year deal, they have put themselves in a low-risk, high-reward situation.
When the Atlanta Braves inked starting pitcher Ben Sheets to a similar contract, they were taking a chance, but they have reaped the rewards of a guy who has went 4-1 with a 1.41 ERA over his first five starts. By taking a gamble on a player with great numbers in the past, the Braves ultimately found someone who has helped solidify their rotation.
Terrell Owens could have the same impact on the Seahawks. Like Sheets, he is a player who has impressive career statistics, having caught 1,078 balls for 15,934 yards and 153 touchdowns. Unlike Sheets, there is not much of a history of serious injuries, with Owens having played in at least 14 games in all but one year.
I, for one, am excited to see how the six-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro selection performs in another new city. In the end, I don’t see the Seahawks being “Sleepless in Seattle.”
Source: ESPN.com
Josh McKinney is a long-time supporter of Terrell Owens. He has enjoyed watching the Alexander City, Alabama native throughout his decade and a half in the National Football League. You can follow McKinney on Twitter @SuperJMac32.
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