Terrell Owens' return to the NFL was short-lived. The Seattle Seahawks announced Sunday they had terminated the 38-year-old receiver's contract. NFL teams must reduce their rosters from 90 to 75 players by 4 p.m. ET on Monday.
"I'm no longer a Seahawk. I THANK the organization 4 the opportunity, I'm truly blessed beyond belief. My FAITH is intact & will NOT waiver," he wrote.
Owens, who hadn't played in the NFL since 2010, signed with the Seahawks on Aug. 6 after an impressive workout.
He played in the second and third preseason games for Seattle, but caught only two passes.
But his preseason performance was more notable for the passes he dropped than any ones he caught. Owens dropped a potential 46-yard touchdown pass against Denver on a perfect throw from Matt Flynn. He failed to make a catch in any of his five targets against the Broncos, and then had another glaring drop against Kansas City on Friday night. He finished the preseason with just two receptions -- a 40-yard catch from Russell Wilson on which Owens had to slow down and lean back to haul in the pass, and a 1-yard reception on a screen.
For as impressive as his long catch was in Seattle's 44-14 win over the Chiefs, it served as Owens' only highlight in a Seahawks uniform.
Owens was trying to make a comeback after not playing since Week 15 of the 2010 season while with Cincinnati. He sat out the entire 2011 season following surgery on his left knee and failed to receive any offers.
Owens got the rust off this spring by playing for the Allen Wranglers of the Indoor Football League. He had 35 catches for 420 yards and 10 touchdowns while playing eight of 11 games, but was released and lost an ownership stake in the team in May.
With Owens on the roster, another veteran wideout, 29-year-old Braylon Edwards, picked up his game noticeably. And when Owens struggled to get going in two preseason games, Seattle apparently decided it had seen enough.
Owens and Edwards were competing to fill the role Mike Williams played in 2010, that of a big receiver to help move the chains and, ideally, factor in the red zone. Kris Durham, a draft choice in 2011, was targeted to fill that role. He has not made an impact, however, after returning from an injury suffered last season.
Owens has started 201 of the 219 regular-season NFL games he has played. He has 1,078 receptions for 15,934 yards and 153 touchdowns -- the second most in league history.
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