Former Washington tight end Chris Cooley is coming out of retirement this summer, and the Arizona Cardinals are reportedly interested in signing him.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter broke this story on Wednesday, citing a league source.
Cardinals have spoken with former Redskins TE Chris Cooley and have expressed interest in signing him, per league source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 22, 2015
Cooley was once one of the league’s better pass-catching tight ends before he hung up the cleats in 2012 (though he actually never technically retired). Not counting his final two seasons, which were riddled with injuries, he caught 420 passes for 4,638 yards and 33 touchdowns.
Speaking of injuries, Cooley’s decision to seek another shot at the NFL is based off of his good health. He told Dan Steinberg of The Washington Post, ““I feel [bleeping] awesome,” in a recent interview.
Arizona is the perfect landing spot for Cooley. The Cardinals are tight end poor, with Troy Niklas as the only one on the squad who really scares anyone in the passing game. And Niklas’ young career has been held back by his own injuries, meaning Arizona desperately needs to bolster this unit.
Cooley not only feels good physically, but he’s absolutely certain he still has plenty to offer an NFL team.
“If I went to camp, I could be anybody’s third tight end, worst case,” he said. “I have no doubt. Any team in the NFL, I could be their third tight end. There’s not a question in my mind.”
If the Cardinals do sign him, as Schefter suggests they might, then Cooley would instantly be the team’s No. 2 option and would have the ability to make a big impact.
Photo Credit: Redskins.com