Megabust quarterback JaMarcus Russell says he’s so desperate to return to the NFL that he’d play for free. That, of course, wouldn’t be permitted under the collective bargaining agreement. But the reality is that at this point, Russell probably couldn’t pay a team to bring him in.
It’s hard to believe, but the No. 1 overall pick of the 2007 draft has now been out of the game for six years. The man will turn 31 this summer and hasn’t thrown an NFL pass since he was 24. Nobody can afford to miss that much time and return to a professional sport, not even good players.
Russell, of course, wasn’t a good player. In his final year with Oakland, he threw three touchdown passes and 11 interceptions, completing fewer than half of his passes for a rating of 50.0. That is the lowest single-season passer rating for a quarterback with at least eight starts since the turn of the century.
Per the linked report from Sports Illustrated, Russell wrote every team in the league last season asking for another shot at salvaging his career, noting that he’d be willing to serve in any capacity at whatever rate. That’s admirable, and it’s great to hear that the former LSU superstar has finally gotten his life together and is in good shape, but it’s simply too late.
Let’s just hope that even if all 32 teams refuse to sign him, or bring him on as an intern or whatever, Russell continues down the right path. NFL busts often crash and burn at the game of life, but it appears Russell is fighting that. And beyond playing football, he could have plenty of opportunities to work in and around the game as a mentor, an inspirational speaker, even a coach.
Here’s hoping he winds up in one or more of those roles, because Russell has a lot to offer, even when he’s not under center.
