McGinest Thinking About Playing One More Year

Veteran outside linebacker Willie McGinest has reached an age where most football players are contemplating their next 18 holes of golf.

Yet, McGinest, 37, is thinking about playing one more season.

After recording only one sack last year for the Cleveland Browns during a 4-12 season, McGinest would like to go out on a winning note that matches the success he enjoyed for the majority of his career with the New England Patriots.

And McGinest, who owns three Super Bowl rings, recently expressed that sentiment of wanting to play again during an interview with Albert Breer of SportingNews.com.

"I've definitely got that itch," said McGinest, an unrestricted free agent.  [Editor's note:  You might be able to get a prescription for that.]  "I feel good.  So, if the right situation with the right team and the right deal came along, I'd definitely go back and play again.  I still want to play, I have that fire.  I've been training, I never really stopped.  But it has to be the right situation.  I want to win, and I want to be around guys who want to win, work hard and play team ball.  I'm ready to go. . . .

"I've had some talks with people.  I'm not going to say I want to play for this team or that team.  But I know there are teams that are capable of doing what I want to do, and being what I'm looking for in a team, something I'd want to be a part of.  That said, it always takes two sides. . . .  I don't like the way I ended last year, going 4-12, it just wasn't good.  I don't want to go out like that.  But I'd say this would definitely be my last year."

McGinest has been preparing in earnest and would like to sign with a team before training camp.

And McGinest's preference would be a familiar 3-4 environment such as Bill Belichick's New England Patriots or a Miami Dolphins franchise run by Bill Parcells.

As far as he's concerned, the Patriots would likely be the ideal situation.

"Yeah, I've talked to [quarterback] Tom [Brady], [defensive end Richard] Seymour and some other guys there," McGinest said.  "Those guys are lifelong friends, and I've heard some people say that it'd be a good fit.  Why wouldn't you want to be a part of that?  And with all the history I have, what we accomplished in the playoffs, that wouldn't be a bad way to finish up."

From the Patriots' standpoint, though, they would have to determine just how much juice McGinest has left after 15 NFL seasons.