The quotes seemed to be made with tongue at least partially in cheek. But since we weren’t there to observe his demeanor or scrutinize his facial expressions, we deferred to the published report indicating that linebacker Willie McGinest’s comments after a lockout workout with the Lions suggested a genuine desire to make a comeback — especially since the comments appeared under a headline that proclaimed, “McGinest eyeing return to NFL.”
“We’re going to see if I get offered a contract now,” McGinest said Friday. “After I send this tape out to a few teams, we’re going to see.”
As we suspected, McGinest wasn’t serious about actually returning to the NFL after two full seasons out of the game.
“Even though I looked as good as I did, this number 55 has been retired for three years and plans to stay retired,” McGinest said in a statement forwarded on Saturday night to PFT. “The only thing that will bring me back is a one-day contract with New England to retire as a Patriot.”
So there you have it. McGinest, 39, who retired a year after Brett Favre initially did will continue to honor that retirement. Which Brett Favre to date still hasn’t been able to do.