Terrell Owens Says He Wants to Box Donovan McNabb: 'I'd Knock Chunky Soup from Him'
Sep 6, 2021
Former NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens before an NFL football game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Indianapolis Colts Sunday, Dec. 8, 2019, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
In 2014, Terrell Owens said he moved on from his beef with former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb.
Apparently not.
The Hall of Fame wide receiver told Shannon Sharpe he wants to box McNabb and "knock chunky soup from him" in what seems to be a reference to the quarterback's old Campbell's soup commercials.
"I'm dead serious," Owens said. "Shannon, I'll knock him out. Because there would be so much pent up … I'll be controlled. It'll be controlled anger. I'd be like a Navy SEAL. They're cool and calm under all conditions. But there would be a fire burning inside of me."
Owens and McNabb played together in 2004 and 2005 on the Eagles and even reached a Super Bowl. Yet the issues they had with each other dominated the headlines.
It seems as though some of those issues have lingered into retirement.
Terrell Owens on Tyreek Hill vs. Usain Bolt Race: 'That's Comical...No Way Possible'
Aug 22, 2021
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 19: Terrell Owens poses on the red carpet for The Pump Group Soiree at The Beverly Hills Hotel on August 19, 2021 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Cassy Athena/Getty Images)
Hall of Fame wide receiver Terrell
Owens isn't giving Kansas City Chiefs wideout Tyreek Hill any chance
of beating three-time Olympic 100-meter gold medalist Usain Bolt in a
race.
Owens pointed toward a couple of races
where he faced off with Hill in July 2020 when he was 46 years old. He lost the 40-yard dash
by a few strides as Hill, 26 at the time, posted a winning time of 4.37 seconds. The Chiefs star then gave him a 10-yard advantage in a race covering a
full NFL field, and Owens held on to win by four or five yards.
"So, to think that he can beat
Usain Bolt? I mean, straight up, there's no way possible," Owens
told TMZ Sports in an interview released Sunday. "I mean, have you
seen this guy run?"
The six-time Pro Bowl selection also
took the opportunity to call out Brandon Marshall, another former NFL
receiver, for ducking him in final negotiations about a potential
$100,000 match race.
"He called me out!" Owens
told TMZ. "He wagered $100K to race me in a 60-meter that has yet
to be done because he keeps backing out. He's backed out on me twice.
So, if I could say anything to Brandon right now ... Brandon, don't
be a coward!"
Meanwhile, the potential for a Hill vs.
Bolt showdown has been brewing for a while.
The Chiefs receiver jokingly called the
Jamaican superstar, who retired from competition in 2017, "washed
up" in late July:
Bolt responded during an appearance
earlier this month on The Dan Patrick Show, saying he'd put up
one of his Olympic gold medals against Hill's Super Bowl championship
ring:
Here you go... Usain Bolt vs. Tyreek Hill in a 70 meter dash. @UsainBolt says he'll put up a gold medal if Tyreek puts up his Super Bowl ring. You in @cheetah? We'll set it up for the week after the Super Bowl. Let's do it! pic.twitter.com/YLY3YUq57I
If both lightning-fast athletes were in
peak form, Bolt would be a considerable favorite—he is the
fastest man in recorded history, after all.
It's unclear what type of times he'd be able to post at age 35 after four years of retirement, though. That
would at least bring some intrigue into a possible showdown with the
27-year-old Georgia native.
For now, Hill is focused on trying to
chase down another Super Bowl title with the Chiefs, but perhaps in
the offseason fans will get to see Hill vs. Bolt with Owens vs.
Marshall on the undercard.
Terrell Owens Has 'No Doubt' He Can Still Play in NFL at Age 47: 'I'm Not Washed Up'
Aug 19, 2021
Former NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens flips a football before an NFL football game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Indianapolis Colts Sunday, Dec. 8, 2019, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Hall of Fame wide receiver Terrell
Owens said he's still interested in making an NFL comeback at age 47.
Owens, who last played for the
Cincinnati Bengals in 2010, told TMZ Sports in an interview released
Thursday he recently ran a 4.4-second 40-yard dash.
"I'm not washed up," T.O. said. "... Once you know how to ride a bike,
you know, you don't forget how to ride that bike. ... There's no doubt, 100 percent, that I can play in the National Football League today."
Owens was a dominant force at his peak,
highlighted by a stretch where he scored at least 13 touchdowns in
seven seasons over the span of 10 years from 1998 through 2007.
The Alabama native was still productive
for the Bengals in 2010, tallying 72 catches for 983 yards and nine scores in 14 games. He suffered a torn ACL during the 2011 offseason,
however, and hasn't played in another regular-season game despite
consistently seeking a possible comeback.
He signed with the Seattle Seahawks in
August 2012 but lasted just three weeks on the roster before being released. That was his most recent NFL contract.
Yet, Owens told TMZ he spoke with
somebody in the NFL as recently as this summer who told him to stay
prepared in case his phone rings.
"With that conversation that I
had, they asked me to keep myself in shape—anything can happen,"
he said. "And, so, that's what I'm doing."
While T.O.'s physical conditioning was
always an advantage when he was terrorizing secondaries on a weekly
basis in the late 1990s and early 2000s, trying to compete with
players in their 20s when he's a few years from 50 would be an
incredibly difficult task.
The UT-Chattanooga product has nothing left to
prove anyway. He was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 2018 after a
career where he made 1,078 catches for 15,934 yards and 153
touchdowns. He was one of the most unstoppable playmakers in league
history when at his best.
It sounds like Owens plans to remain in
shape indefinitely while hoping to get a call, but it would be a
major surprise to see him play in another regular-season game.
George Blanda holds the all-time record
for oldest player in the NFL at 48, though he'd mostly transitioned
into a full-time kicker for the final nine years of his career.
Training camp is supposed to be smooth. Build relationships with teammates, master the playbook, get ready for the season. If only it was always that simple...
Terrell Owens Shares Photo of Car Crash on IG: 'Thankful for No Injuries'
Mar 28, 2021
Former wide receiver Terrell Owens delivers his Pro Football Hall of Fame speech on Saturday, Aug. 4, 2018, in Chattanooga, Tenn. Instead of speaking at the Hall of Fame festivities in Canton, Ohio, Owens celebrated his induction at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where he played football and basketball and ran track. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Terrell Owens shared on Instagram Sunday images of the aftermath of a car crash he was in the day prior.
Owens noted that he didn't suffer any injuries in the crash:
I was on my way home but this is.. HOW MY DAY ENDED YESTERDAY and.. HOW MY DAY STARTED TODAY. 🙏🏾 Thankful for no injuries, health and able to see another day. God is Good. ✝️ https://t.co/h1Cz18sWRN
Per TMZ Sports, Owens had been sharing videos while test-driving an Audi Q8 55 TSI on Saturday. It is unclear if it was the same vehicle that Owens was driving when he got in the crash.
The images Owens shared included serious damage to his car and at least one other vehicle. He was driving on a freeway at the time of the crash.
Owens, 47, played in the NFL for 15 seasons, catching 1,078 passes for 15,934 yards and 153 touchdowns. He finished his career eighth in NFL history in receptions and third in both receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
He was a six-time Pro Bowler, five-time First Team All-Pro selection and was voted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2018.
Terrell Owens Questions HOF Voting Process After Calvin Johnson's Induction
Feb 14, 2021
Former NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens before an NFL football game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Indianapolis Colts Sunday, Dec. 8, 2019, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Wide receiver Terrell Owens was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018 but still has no plans on visiting the museum in Canton, Ohio.
He pointed to the recent selection of Calvin Johnson as more evidence supporting his position.
"This past weekend was a further indication of why I wouldn't go," he said, per Bob Glauber of Newsday. "No disrespect to anybody that got in, but I just don't understand the process. Calvin Johnson got in [on the first ballot]. This has nothing to do with Calvin himself. The guy was a beast. But there's no justification when you have [receivers Torry Holt and Reggie Wayne on this year's ballot] that have done equal or greater things."
Owens played for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals during his impressive career that lasted from 1996 through 2010.
There is no question that Owens is one of the best wide receivers of all time and was a surefire Hall of Fame player as a six-time Pro Bowler and five-time First Team All-Pro selection who is third on the NFL's all-time list for receiving touchdowns, third for receiving yards and eighth for receptions.
However, he wasn't inducted into the Hall of Fame during his first two years of eligibility and had contentious relationships with some teammates and media members.
Glauber, though, detailed a story about former NFL reporter Terez Paylor, who died Tuesday, explaining to a group of reporters how important Owens was to a younger generation of football fans. That speech helped get Owens inducted during his third year of eligibility.
Johnson, by contrast, was selected to the Hall of Fame on the first ballot. It should be noted that Owens is upset that certain wide receivers have not been inducted rather than upset that Johnson was selected, although the Detroit Lions legend did not play long enough to reach T.O.'s numbers.
Johnson was a six-time Pro Bowler and three-time First Team All-Pro selection who led the league in receiving yards twice, but he retired in a surprise move after just nine seasons following the 2015 campaign.
As a result, he is 23rd on the all-time list of receiving touchdowns, 32nd in receiving yards and 47th in receptions.
Those may be first-ballot Hall of Fame numbers, but they don't match Owens' production.
Terrell Owens on Untold Stories: Donovan McNabb Partied Before Super Bowl 39
Dec 30, 2020
Philadelphia Eagles receiver Terrell Owens (81) looks on as quarterback Donovan McNabb calls a play in a huddle during training camp in Bethlehem, Pa., Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2005. (AP Photo/Coke Whitworth)
Hall of Famer Terrell Owens has waded back into his Philadelphia Eagles tenure and leveled a significant accusation against former teammate Donovan McNabb.
Owens told B/R's Master Tesfatsion on Untold Stories he heard McNabb had been out the night before the Eagles played the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX, losing 24-21. (Watch the full episode exclusively on FB Watch.)
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Owens also referenced McNabb's brief time with the Washington Football Team, saying he "can't go to Washington and not beat out Rex Grossman" while still being considered one of the league's top quarterbacks.
BR Video
McNabb appeared on Untold Storieslast January and offered his take on why such a productive partnership with Owens in 2004 flamed out so quickly. He described how Owens helped Philadelphia reach the Super Bowl but was the source of steady drama in the subsequent offseason.
McNabb put up an uneven performance in Super Bowl XXXIX, finishing 30-of-51 for 357 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions. The six-time Pro Bowler allegedly vomited in the middle of the fourth quarter, which some used as a referendum on whether he could deliver on the biggest stage. McNabb denied it happened to Tesfatsion.
Owens alluded to the moment when asked why he didn't tag McNabb in a tweet that solicited others to complete a driveway workout challenge in March.
He subsequently told NBC Sports Philadelphia's John Clark that his relationship with McNabb "has deteriorated to the point to where right now, I just don't care anymore."
Time usually heals all wounds. Fifteen years apparently isn't enough to ease the tension between Owens and McNabb.
Chiefs' Tyreek Hill Says Randy Moss Is Greatest NFL WR Ever over Jerry Rice
Dec 23, 2020
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Randy Moss points to fans as he celebrates his first quarter touchdown against the New York Giants in Minneapolis, Monday, Nov. 19, 2001. Moss scored three touchdowns as the Vikings beat the Giants 28-16. (AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt)
Hill told TMZ Sports in an interview released Wednesday there's some bias in his choice because Moss was the player he looked up to most as a kid.
"Everybody know I'm going to say Randy Moss," he said. "Randy Moss was my favorite player growing up. Randy Moss is my favorite player of all time! Randy Moss, Randy Moss, Randy Moss!"
Rice was already a two-time Offensive Player of the Year, two-time Super Bowl champion, eight-time Pro Bowl selection and seven-time first-team All-Pro by the time Hill was born in March 1994. He added further accolades before his retirement in 2005.
Hill said he's aware of the Hall of Famer's outstanding career numbers, but he just doesn't believe anybody can match the peak dominance of Moss.
"Like, he just changed the game: 6'4", run a 4.2 [40-yard dash], can create separation, can run routes, can catch the ball. Like, come on," Hill told TMZ. "Like, I understand Jerry got the stats, he got the touchdowns, he got all this, he can run routes. But if I'm picking a receiver who's going to make me some plays in crunch times when I need them, Randy Moss, definitely."
The 26-year-old Georgia native added he still watches old clips of Moss to try to pick up some tricks he can put to use on game day.
"I'm like, how is he able to do this at 6'4", running this fast? Like, how?!" Hill said. "Like, man, do God only make these players like once in a generation? Like c'mon, man, this is crazy."
Rice discussed the topic Monday on 95.7 The Game (via Peter Panacy of Niner Noise) after Moss also ranked himself No. 1 and T.O. second among all-time receivers on the latter's Getcha Popcorn Ready podcast last week:
"Well, this is what I tried to say to the fans and say to everyone: It was not about me being the GOAT. I don't care if I'm the one, the second or third receiver. It was all about me winning Super Bowls for the city of San Francisco, my teammates and my family. I was able to win three Super Bowls. I was MVP. I pretty much hold every record right now, and he continues to say it's political or whatever.
"If Randy wants to be No. 1, that's fine. There are so many GOATs. If T.O. wants to be No. 2, that's fine. But my main thing is it was all about the rings, the championships. That's why we play the game."
Hill, meanwhile, has one championship after helping the Chiefs win Super Bowl LIV, and they're once again the title favorite thanks to a 13-1 record with two weeks left in the regular season.
Kansas City is back in action Sunday when it hosts the Atlanta Falcons at Arrowhead Stadium, but the debate about the greatest receiver in history is sure to carry on.
Jerry Rice Responds to Randy Moss: 'It Was All About the Rings''
Dec 21, 2020
Former NFL player Jerry Rice walks on the field before the NFL Super Bowl 54 football game between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Feb. 2, 2020, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
After Randy Mossranked Jerry Rice as the third-best wide receiver of all time—behind himself and Terrell Owens—Rice remarked that he didn't play football to land on the top of anyone's list of stars.
"If Randy wants to be No. 1, that's fine," Rice said during an appearance on 95.7 The Game. "There are so many GOATs. If T.O. wants to be No. 2, that's fine. But my main thing is it was all about the rings, the championships. That's why we play the game."
Rice certainly has the advantage when it comes to his jewelry box. He won three Super Bowls, while Moss and Owens weren't able to secure the league's ultimate prize during their careers.
Rice, a Hall of Famer who played 16 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers before spending time with the then-Oakland Raiders and Seattle Seahawks, holds league records in career receptions, receiving yards, touchdowns and more.
But in Moss' original comment, he said he wasn't particularly interested in any of the numbers.
Moss, who made his remarks during anappearance on Owens' podcast, said he was basing his rankings on "dominating the game and changing the game of football" rather than statistics or championships.
Maybe the former Minnesota Vikings star, who also logged time in Oakland and with the New England Patriots, Tennessee Titans and 49ers while racking up four All-Pro selections and a gold jacket, wasn't interested in statistics, but Rice wasn't all that interested in what he had to say in the first place.
"I don't care if I'm the one, the second or third receiver," Rice said. "It was all about me winning Super Bowls for the city of San Francisco, my teammates and my family."
Randy Moss Says He's Best NFL WR Ever; Puts Terrell Owens 2nd Before Jerry Rice
Dec 18, 2020
FILE - In this Sept. 26, 2004, file photo, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Randy Moss (84) pulls in a 15-yard pass in front of Chicago Bears cornerback R.W. McQuarters (21) in the second quarter of an NFL football game in Minneapolis. Randy Moss, elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, ranks second in NFL history with 156 career touchdown receptions and fourth with 15,292 career receiving yards. (AP Photo/Tom Olmscheid, File)
Though the stats beg to differ, Hall of Famer Randy Moss said he—and not Jerry Rice—is the greatest wide receiver in NFL history.
During an appearance on fellow Hall of Fame wideout Terrell Owens' Getcha Popcorn Ready podcast (h/t Pro Football Talk's Michael David Smith), Moss ranked himself first, T.O. second and Rice behind them:
"I'll put myself first, I'll put T.O. second. I would put Jerry probably third or fourth. I'm talking about dominating the game and changing the game of football. I don't live on statistics because if you live on statistics and live on championships that's all political. You've seen guys released or cut from a team just by a couple words in the media. You've seen guys given contracts or you've seen guys not given contracts just because of the color of their skin. You've got to throw politics out of the game of football, and look at the impact of what each individual was able to make in the game of football."
Still, it is difficult to ignore what Rice did.
In 20 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders and Seattle Seahawks, Rice racked up 1,549 receptions for 22,895 yards and 197 touchdowns, all of which still stand as records by wide margins.
Rice was also a 13-time Pro Bowler, 10-time All-Pro and two-time Offensive Player of the Year, making him one of only two wideouts to win that award and the only one to win it twice.
No. 80 wasn't only successful individually, as he also won three Super Bowls as a key player for the 49ers.
Owens suggested Rice benefited greatly from playing with a pair of Hall of Fame quarterbacks in Joe Montana and Steve Young: "When you think about Jerry and the quarterbacks he played with, he never had a drop-off in quarterback. He went from one Hall of Fame quarterback to another."
It is true Moss and Owens didn't benefit from the same type of quarterback play, but they still put together impressive resumes.
Moss ranks 15th all-time in receptions (982), fourth in receiving yards (15,292) and second in touchdown catches (156).
He also holds the single-season record with 23 touchdown receptions in 2007, though he set it in 16 games, whereas Rice had 22 in 12 games in 1987.
Owens is eighth in receptions (1,078), third in receiving yards (15,934) and third in receiving touchdowns (153).
Moss and Owens were likely faster and more physically impressive than Rice, but they still weren't able to top him statistically, and neither of them won a Super Bowl either.
Moss said he wanted to make it clear that he and Owens weren't "slandering or bashing" Rice.
The argument can certainly be made that Moss is the most talented wide receiver ever, and he may be the best big-play wideout ever as well, but it is difficult to put him or anyone else ahead of Rice given all Rice accomplished.