NFL legend Terrell Owens claims Tom Brady 'ignored me' after reaching out to join Bucs in 2021

Antonio Brown left the Bucs in the lurch after walking off the field during a game

Terrell Owens believes he could still play in the NFL even as he’s about to turn 51 later this year.

He revealed in a recent podcast interview that he was ready to put his money where his mouth is when Antonio Brown ran off the field and into the tunnel in his final stunt as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the 2021 season.

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Terrell Owens vs Bills

Terrell Owens of the Dallas Cowboys takes a break during the Buffalo Bills game at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Oct. 8, 2007, in Orchard Park, New York. (Rick Stewart/Getty Images)

Owens said he reached out to Tom Brady but never heard back.

"Tom Brady ignored me," Owens said on the "Bubba Dub Show." "The year that AB went crazy… they just needed somebody to fill some holes with AB leaving at the receiver position. 

"I reached out to him through Randy (Moss) and some other people, just to come in and play third down and red zone situations. This dude ignored me. It just shows you the lack of respect there, but then when they get in front of you they want to act like they respect you."

Owens said he could have helped Brady win another ring before he retired.

Tom Brady in the playoffs

Tom Brady of the Buccaneers during the NFC wild-card playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys at Raymond James Stadium on Jan. 16, 2023, in Tampa, Florida. (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

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"If he really wanted me, he could have made that happen," the legendary wide receiver added.

Owens at the time had just turned 48 and the Brown ordeal was spiraling out of control. He had been in a war of words with then-head coach Bruce Arians about injuries. Owens hadn’t played in an NFL game since the 2010 season, when he was with the Cincinnati Bengals.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018.

At the time Brown left the Buccaneers, Tampa Bay still had one more game left on its schedule before wrapping up the NFC South title. It would have likely taken Owens a few weeks to get game ready to play for Tampa Bay.

Terrell Owens at celebrity softball game

Terrell Owens reacts during the Barnstorm Birmingham Celebrity Softball Game between the Say Heys and the Hammers at Rickwood Field on June 19, 2024, in Birmingham, Alabama. (Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Owens’ return to the field after getting inducted into the Hall of Fame would have been unprecedented in the NFL.

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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

Authored by Ryan Gaydos via FoxNews July 18th 2024