Alan Faneca has missed only two games in his 12-year NFL career, but he acknowledges that all those years in the trenches have taken their toll on his body.
Still, Faneca said this week after being cut by the Jets and signed with the Cardinals, he still believes he’s a quality NFL starter.
“I think it was a good year for me,” Faneca said of the way he played in 2009. “Was it as good as Year 6? Honestly, no. I don’t think any guy that’s on Year 12 can honestly tell you to your face that it’s the same as it was six years ago.”
Faneca signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal with the Cardinals and is expected to start at left guard. In Arizona he’ll be reunited with Russ Grimm, his old offensive line coach with the Steelers.
“That’s a big part of why I wanted to be here,” Faneca said. "[Grimm] is a great coach, a great friend.”