Freeney off the golf course and back in NFL with Seattle

Dwight Freeney was on the verge of giving up on the 2017 season. Growing tired of going to the gym and going through the same workout routine in the hopes of getting a phone call from an interested team, Freeney had given himself one more week before deciding the rest of the season would likely be spent on the golf course. "I was like if I don't get a call now I can't go into that same gym and work out doing that same workout again," Freeney said Wednesday after signing a one-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks. "Thank God those guys called me and said they had interest so it pushed me another week to work out and get going." Freeney's addition could be a midseason coup. He's a three-time All-Pro, a seven-time Pro Bowl selection and even last year in the twilight of his career was a contributor in helping Atlanta reach the Super Bowl. Seattle needed a defensive end after Cliff Avril was placed on injured reserve due to a neck injury. Frank Clark has stepped in as the starter and will get the bulk of the playing time moving forward. But Freeney's experience and availability was a combination the Seahawks couldn't pass up even at age 37. "This is an extraordinarily savvy guy. He's so smart and so well-schooled," coach Pete Carroll said. "Got tremendous discipline about his part of the game and rushing the passer that it's going to help guys just being around him. He's very aggressive, he was very active last year, made a lot of things happen and the film looked great. He's been sitting out kind of waiting for an opportunity." Freeney was hopeful for a return to Atlanta, where he played in 15 regular-season games and had three sacks a season ago. But when an opportunity with the Falcons never materialized, Freeney waited. And waited. He attended Peyton Manning's statue dedication in Indianapolis, still hoping for a shot at playing this season while many of his former teammates were already happily retired. "Kind of made me feel bad in a sense that they are all retired and I'm the only one still playing," Freeney said. Seattle reached out to Freeney soon after it determined that Avril's injury was significant and would require a lengthy absence. Seattle is unsure at this point if Avril has a chance to return this season.