The Seattle Seahawks released Terrell Owens on Sunday, perhaps signaling the career end for one of the most talented wide receivers to ever play the game.
“I’m no longer a Seahawk,” he said via his Twitter account. “I THANK the organization 4 the opportunity, I’m truly blessed beyond belief. My FAITH is intact & will NOT waiver.”
Owens, who will be 39 in December, has not played in the NFL since suffering a knee injury late in the 2010 season. He had impressed Seattle in workouts, however, and hoped to show enough flashes on the field to stick for a 17th season.
But Owens never got going after signing a free agent contract on Aug. 6, managing just two catches for 41 yards in two preseason games. The improved play of Braylon Edwards left Owens as the odd man out in a receiving corps that also includes Doug Baldwin, Sidney Rice and Golden Tate among others.
The release of Owens came as NFL teams have until 4 p.m. today to reduce their rosters from 90 to 75.
“We really liked the group that we assembled,” Seattle coach Pete Carroll said. “Terrell came in here and busted his tail and he looked really effective right from the start. But as we just took a look at our guys that are coming through the program and growing up with us, we thought that it would be best for us to stay with those guys.”
Owens had looked impressive in turning in speedy 40-yard dash times during workouts, but never became the deep threat for which Seattle was looking, struggling with a few key drops.
Owens has started 201 of the 219 regular season games in which he has played. He has 1,078 career receptions for 15,934 yards in a career that has included stops in San Francisco, Philadelphia, Dallas, Cincinnati and Buffalo. His 153 touchdowns rank as the second-highest total in NFL history.
It remains to be seen whether any other team would be interested in Owens.
