During his 12 season career in the NFL, Simeon Rice was one of the most feared pass rushers in the game. Over those 12 seasons, 11 of which were spent with the Cardinals and Bucs, Rice totaled 122 sacks, making three Pro Bowls and winning the 1996 Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
Now 43, Rice is hinting about a comeback to the league, and he’s dead serious – despite the fact that he hasn’t played in the league since the 2007 season (which he spent with the Colts and Broncos).
On Tuesday night, Rice tweeted about the comeback.
@JennaLaineESPN Believe it or not I can get them to the playoffs #TrainedAndReady
— Simeon Rice (@simeon_rice) October 25, 2017
I stay ready if Tampa Bay wants a dominate the will call the dominator #UnstoppablePassRush pic.twitter.com/0n7F3zC7pF
— Simeon Rice (@simeon_rice) October 25, 2017
He confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday that he wasn’t bullshitting.
“If they want a pass-rusher, they should bring in a pass-rusher extraordinaire who was one of the dominant pass-rushers of any era,” Rice told ESPN. “What is it going to cost? You don’t have one.”
[…]
“My only request is you bring me in and let me play my brand of defense, which is real pressure football — sack fumbles and disruption,” said Rice, emphasizing that this has nothing to do with the Pro Football Hall of Fame and his frustration about not getting votes.
This seems like a bad idea, even if the Bucs could use him – their total of seven sacks through six games is the lowest amount in the league, and there are seven *players* in the league with as many sacks as the Bucs have as a team.
Thankfully, it seems like Tampa Bay isn’t entertaining the idea of bringing Rice back, at least according to DC Mike Smith.
When defensive coordinator Mike Smith was asked about Rice’s comments about a comeback, he laughed, saying, “I don’t want to comment on that. He was a great pass-rusher. I know when I was 43, I know I couldn’t do what I was doing when I was 25.”
Just let it go, Simeon – you had a great career, your place in history is secure, and you’ve got a Super Bowl ring. Think about your future health and life off of the field.
[ESPN]