Dwight Freeney Open to Arizona Cardinals Return Provided it Happens Quickly
By Dan Benton
36-year-old veteran pass rusher Dwight Freeney isn’t quite ready to step away from the NFL and is open to an Arizona Cardinals return, but above all else, he’d like it to happen quickly.
Appearing on ESPN’s SportsCenter on Thursday, Freeney said while his body appreciates the downtime, his mind certainly does not. And after dealing with the career uncertainty a season ago, he’d like to be signed early enough to participate in training camp.
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“I know my body loved it, but the anxiety mentally wasn’t good,” Freeny said on ESPN. “So, hopefully, I can get signed before that.”
In a perfect world, Freeney says he’s reunite with the Arizona Cardinals, but that desire won’t preclude him from latching on elsewhere. With only a little gas left in the tank, it’s going to be first come, first serve for the veteran with an emphasis on winning.
“Arizona would be a great team. Obviously, I have some ties there,” said Freeney, who is currently in Arizona. “But if it doesn’t work out here, it could be anywhere. It just depends. It has to be a winning team. I’m used to winning. It’s not great to be a part of a losing organization.”
Despite his age and signing late last season, the seven-time Pro Bowler proved he could still be used as a quality situational pass rusher. He recorded a team-high eight sacks in only 11 games for the Cardinals in 2015, finishing the season as Pro Football Focus’ sixth-ranked 3-4 outside linebacker.
To this point, Freeney has generated some interest from team’s around the league, but no substantial talks have taken place. However, as General Managers continue to evaluate their 90-man rosters, things will undoubtedly heat up.
“I guess when you are when you are as old as me … those teams want to figure out what they want to do,” Freeney added. “They have their young guys, they have their draft picks, so an older guy like me who’s been playing for a while … you know what, they want to take their time and that’s OK. I don’t mind.”
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In 14 NFL seasons (Indianapolis Colts, San Diego Chargers and Arizona Cardinals), Freeney has been credited with 319 tackles, 119.5 sacks and 47 forced fumbles. He was also named to the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team.