Former NFL quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has been retired for three years now but apparently one NFL team in desperate need of a QB was still kicking the tires on his willingness to play this season.
According to The Ringer's Kevin Clark, Hasselbeck said he received a phone call from a playoff-contending team at some point during 2018 asking if he was "in shape and available to sign."
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Hasselbeck, 43, spoke about receiving interest from NFL teams this past season during a discussion regarding his decision to retire. He says one major factor that contributed to his retirement was a vicious hit to the jaw from Houston Texans linebacker Whitney Mercilus while he was QBing for the Indianapolis Colts.
"I wasn't eating solid food for a couple of weeks," he said. "They tested me for a concussion. It wasn't, but I couldn't hear out of my right ear. I hurt a joint near my ear. So you get rid of those crown-of-the-helmet hits. You get rid of the full body weight falling on a player."
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Hasselbeck last played for the Colts in 2015 at the age 40. In eight games he threw for 1,690 yards, nine touchdowns and a 60.9% completion percentage while the team went 5-3.
This Sunday, a pair of 40+ year old QBs will take the field in conference championship games as 41-year old Tom Brady makes his eighth straight AFC title game appearance and 40-year old Drew Brees looks to take the Saints back to the Super Bowl.
