Terrell Owens: Involvement in London Outreach Speaks to Owens Desperation

Terrell Owens, the NFL's best self-promoter this side of Chad Ochocinco, is back in the news. Don't check your calendar. This isn't 2005. The man they call T.O. is back in the news for something a little different this time.

Owens will be heading oversees with several other former NFL players to promote the league in advance of the Bears-Buccaneers game that will take place at Wembley Stadium on October 23rd.

Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk made an interesting point about Owens' involvement in a story posted Friday afternoon:

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It’s a little surprising that Owens will be off the field promoting the game in London because Owens has been saying he’ll soon be on the field playing for some NFL team. That Owens has made plans to be overseas four weeks from now suggests that he thinks he’s more than four weeks away from being ready to play.

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That is certainly a far cry from the prediction made by his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, when Owens first went under the knife. Rosenhaus described Owens as a fast healer and speculated that his client could be ready by Week 1.

If Smith's hunch about Owens' health is right, Owens' motivations to be part of this program are obvious. Owens needs a way to keep his name circulating in NFL circles.

Owens' presence is not one easily missed, but that certainly won't stop him from doing everything he can to stay relevant.

He is a lot of things, but a dummy is not among them. He can feel his career slipping away and he refuses to walk away from the game without knowing full well that he is done.

The feeling of knowing he is done is something that Owens will have to get used to quickly. He is well past his prime and he is not worth the headache that he will bring to a locker room.

Owens taking a trip to London to promote the NFL is a nice way to keep his name in the news, but it won't keep him in the league.