Willie McGinest Could Return…

…Just not to the Cleveland Browns.

He didn’t play last season and rookie center Alex Mack took his jersey number, but former Browns outside linebacker Willie McGinest – now 39-years old –  is entertaining the idea of coming back to the NFL if given the right situation.  McGinest, in a report from the Boston Herald, has yet to turn in his retirement papers despite taking a year off of the field.

“I took the time this year to heal and train and get stronger and get better,” said McGinest.  “You never know – I definitely want to do some commentating.  I’m going to weigh my options and see what happens.”

Making the Pro Bowl twice, the outside linebacker spent the 2009 season doing some work with the NFL Network.  Coincidentally, his coach (and friend) Romeo Crennel was also out of the game for a year.  Now that Romeo is back in the game, taking a coordinator position with the Kansas City Chiefs, the Herald thinks that the veteran defender could receive an invite from New England West.

McGinest expressed a desire to return to the New England Patriots this past summer as they were the team that drafted him.  However, the Pats opted to go a different route, claiming that the then 37-year old could not play at a high enough level any longer.  Bill Parcells was the man that drafted McGinest back in 1994, so McGinest would likely consider Miami as well.  Unfortunately, there needs to be mutual desire and not many NFL teams will roster a 40-year old who is not a spokesman for Wrangler Jeans.

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(Photo by Karl Walter/Getty Images)