Charles Woodson was once a perennial Pro Bowler with the Raiders and Packers, but now he can’t seem to find a job.
Why is such a highly decorated player not even drawing a sniff of interest from NFL teams? Woodson, who would be entering his 16th pro season, says his age is scaring clubs off.
“I’m 36, so of course I’m considered ancient in the game right now, and teams are looking for younger players and trying to make their rosters younger,” Woodson said on NFL AM on Friday (via Pro Football Talk). “If you’re an older guy they kind of push you to the side, and they’ll maybe look at you much later on down the road, when I guess they figure they can get you much cheaper.”
Last season was a down year for Woodson, who switched over to free safety after playing the majority of his career at cornerback. A broken collarbone limited him to just seven games, and the Packers decided to cut the aging veteran at season’s end. In the six weeks since his release, Woodson says a team has yet to show legitimate interest in signing him.
“Nothing right now, nothing substantial,” he said. “I’m just waiting around. We put feelers out, just to see where everybody’s at, but there’s not much right now.”
Even if he does not play another down, it would be a shock if Woodson is not enshrined in Canton one day. The Heisman Trophy winner’s career resume includes eight Pro Bowls, seven All-Pro selections, the 2009 NFL Defensive Player of the Year award and a spot on the league’s All-Decade Team for the 2000s.
Photo via Facebook/Charles Woodson
