Junior Seau leaves possibility of unretiring again open

July 7, 9:54 PMSan Diego Sports ExaminerGerald Nicdao

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the San Diego Sports Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Junior Seau has come back from retirement twice. (AP Photo)

So maybe Junior Seau isn’t retired—at least not yet?

Seau—the former Charger who “graduated” in 2006 only to un-graduate and return to the NFL with the New England Patriots a few days later—told XX 1090 in San Diego that he’s not really sure if he’s going to stay retired.

“I’ll definitely look at it at the end of October or November,” Seau told XX Radion host Darren Smith last week. “Let’s put it that way.

“But if (the Patriots) happen to need me towards the end of the season like they did last year then I’ll definitely look at it.”

Seau has un-retired twice before. Of course, we all remember Seau’s graduation. His second return came last year. The linebacker was called upon to play for New England during the last four games of the regular season as injuries depleted the Patriots’ defense.

There is a difference, though, between someone like Seau un-retiring and someone like Brett Favre thinking about it.

Seau touched upon this in the interview with XX Radio host Smith. Favre, when he has retired, has done so announcing that there is a finality to it.

There were tears in his eyes when he retired the first time, leaving the Green Bay Packers, giving the reins to Aaron Rodgers, to never again put on the pads and helmet.

But a few months later, there was Favre, wanting to unretired and this sorrowful goodbye from football.

Seau’s situation is a bit different—though the tears were there when the Spanos family hosted a huge celebration for Seau in Mission Valley in 2006. The former Chargers, Dolphins and Patriots linebacker has always left the door open to a return, as he has done now.

But maybe finally we are close to seeing Seau be completely finished with football—that is of course unless Robert Kraft calls him up and ask him to suit up again.

And there’s no other team in the NFL that will take an aged talent like Seau and put him in the starting lineup.