Receiver Terrell Owens activated the 10-day window that will force the Edmonton Eskimos to offer him a contract or release his rights on July 14, per sources.
The move by Owens is a sign he’s interested in coming to play in the CFL.
The Eskimos added Owens to their negotiation list on June 19.
Under CFL rules, any player on a team’s exclusive 45-man negotiation list can demand to be offered a contract within 10 days. If a contract offer is not received within that period, the player is removed from the neg list. If a contract offer is received but rejected, the player is removed from the list one year from the offer date.
Edmonton could offer Owens a two-year contract – all entry contracts are one-year plus a team held option – at the league minimum of $54,000 per season and retain his rights until into the 2019 season. Edmonton-based agent Jason Staroszik is handling the CFL negotiations for Owens.
The 44-year-old Owens has not played in a professional game since 2010 with the Cincinnati Bengals. But he can still run – fast, clocking a 4.43 40-yard dash.
In 2012 he played eight games with the Allen Wranglers of the Indoor Football League making 35 receptions for 420 yards and 10 touchdowns. The Seattle Seahawks signed Owens during training camp in 2012 but released him a few weeks later. Owens captained and played for the self-named Team Owens in the inaugural game of the American Flag Football League last June.
During 16 NFL seasons, Owens had 15,934 career receiving yards which rank second all-time in NFL history and 153 receiving touchdowns put him third. He was a five-time first-team All-Pro in the NFL. Owens was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the 2018 class.
