Cooley breezes back onto ’Skins
Tight end knew he’d get another shot with team after Davis’ injury
ASHBURN, VA. Chris Cooley was driving Sunday afternoon, listening to the Washington Redskins on radio, when he heard that tight end Fred Davis was hurt. Right away, he thought that might be his ticket back to the only team he wants to play for.
Sure enough, the Redskins resigned Cooley on Monday. They had released him after eight seasons during which he was one of their most popular players. He said he could have signed with other teams but held out hope for a Redskins return.
“I knew the extent of (Davis’ Achilles tendon) injury within an hour and figured it was inevitable that they would call,” Cooley said. “And that (possibility) had been mentioned to me. It wasn’t out of this world for me to get a call.
“It’s fortunate for both of us, I think. Fortunate that I get a chance to play where I want to play. And fortunate for them that I sat here and waited. It worked out.”
Cooley passed a physical Monday. He has 428 catches for 4,703 yards and 33 touchdowns in his career, though last season, in which he played five games because of injuries, he had eight catches for 65 yards.
“I was definitely OK with not playing football this year,” Cooley said. “I thought a lot about playing other places and didn’t like the idea of moving and making that change. I feel very fortunate that I didn’t go play somewhere else, because this was the opportunity that I wanted and I’d be kicking myself if I was in another city right now and this came up.”
Cooley was careful to say he was disappointed for Davis.
“It was not opportune for him,” Cooley said. “But at the same time, I am very excited to be a part of this team. It has been (hard) to watch them come together as an offense and not be there.”
Cooley said he feels ready to play right away because he went through preseason training and kept in reasonable shape, though “I wasn’t at home doing squats and power cleans and listening to Rocky music.”
He talked about how much fun it will be to enjoy the camaraderie of an NFL locker room again.
“I feel like I can play,” Cooley said. “I’m only 30 years old. ... I think if I can get an opportunity to show everyone what I can do — because I haven’t over the last two years — then I think I can prolong my career.”
The Redskins released Cooley eight weeks ago today, much to the chagrin of the fan base, which appreciates his candid personality.
“I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes,” he said. “I’m just there to do what they ask me to do. Obviously, I want it to be a large role. But if it’s not in Week 1, I’m not going to be unhappy. I think I’ll have a chance to play a larger role in this offense.”