Call it a comeback? Terrell Owens is, at least.
The Hall of Fame wide receiver is officially returning to the gridiron as part of Fan Controlled Football, teaming up with former Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel on the Zappers ahead of the indoor league's season opening on April 16.
"If Tom Brady can do it, if they can marvel at some of the things he's done, I'm no different than Tom," said the 48-year-old wideout, who hasn't played professional football since 2010.
Former NFL Pro Bowl receiver @terrellowens is joining the new Fan Controlled Football League and isn't ruling out a return to the NFL:
— The Recount Alt (@therecountalt) April 6, 2022
"If Tom Brady can do it and they can marvel at some of the things that he's done ... I'm no different than Tom." pic.twitter.com/AeNzPLWIlQ
Perhaps it isn't a huge surprise Owens is plotting an NFL return. He posted a video of himself running the 40-yard dash in 4.44 seconds a couple of years ago, so clearly he's been trying to keep himself in shape for some kind of return for a while now.
"I wasn't given the opportunity to play. That doesn't mean I retired," Owens insisted with his usual confidence, via ESPN. "I can do a lot of things that people feel I can't do. It's not a matter of me going out there and trying to prove anybody wrong. I just don't like the notion that people see it, even in the National Football League, it's almost like, OK, you've reached a certain age at whatever point in time in your life and they feel like you can't play anymore or your skills decline to a degree. Of course, everybody's skills at some point may decline, but I think there are certain people that kind of defy those odds, and I think I'm one of those people."
As for playing with Manziel, Owens — spoiler alert — said he doesn't care who he plays with, as long as he gets to prove people wrong.
"I'm looking forward to throwing with Johnny or whomever the quarterback may be," he said. "If it's Johnny Football, it doesn't matter if it's Pee Wee Herman, as long as they throw the ball where it needs to be and ... put it in my catch radius, I'm going to do my best to make some stuff happen with it."
Owens caught 72 passes for 983 yards and nine touchdowns in his last season in the NFL, playing with the Cincinnati Bengals.
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