After being cut by the Bears, longtime NFL safety Antrel Rolle said he wanted to return to the Giants.
But the more he talks, it sounds like he’d like to play with anyone who plays the Bears next season.
“Like I said, I like the Chicago franchise and the organization,” Rolle said, via Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune. “I had a great relationship with all the coaches and players and the general manager. So there’s no hard feelings. I don’t take anything personally. This is a business. This is a performance-based business. And due to my injury, I wasn’t really able to perform that year and really show what I can bring to the table. So I wasn’t shocked by anything.
“But at the end of the day, I am who I am. I’m still a human being. And I definitely have a chip on my shoulder. And like I said, whatever team I go to, I hope Chicago’s on the schedule. Because I’m coming to bust their ass. And that’s that.”
Of course, part of Rolle’s grudge may stem from some dissatisfaction with the playing surfaces there, saying his knee injury was a result of the poor practice field conditions.
While coming back from a high ankle sprain, he suffered a torn MCL on the final play of a practice, and would finish the season on injured reserve.
“Obviously my ankle was taped up to the max,” he said. “There was so much tape on my ankle where it could barely move. There were a lot of restrictions. I was just pretty much shuffling. I wasn’t even running. I was just shuffling. And I just tried to change direction and I slipped on the surfaces. . . .
“Yeah, I think the surface had a whole lot to do with it. Ya know, it happens man. … The facilities are good in Chicago. The fields are just not as good. I don’t know the reason behind it. I’m a down south guy. I don’t know the soil level or how the maintenance and the upkeep works in the Chicago area. But, yeah, it’s really hard to maintain and just be stable under those conditions. I’m sure that they’ll try to work and fix it.
“I always knew that Soldier Field was bad. I just never knew that the facilities were just as bad.”
Rolle had a reputation for durability before getting to Chicago, so it’s understandable that he’d be upset about missing so much time. And complaints about Soldier Field are nothing new, but it’s surprising to hear such a direct complaint about the practice field.