Matt Hasselbeck Says NFL Playoff-Contending Team Called Him About Playing in 2018
Three years after retiring from the league, Matt Hasselbeck was reportedly still fielding calls about his availability to play in 2018.
While discussing the success of older quarterbacks today, Hasselbeck, 43, told The Ringer's Kevin Clark that one playoff-contending NFL team called him asking whether he was "in shape and available to sign."
Hasselbeck started eight games for the Indianapolis Colts in 2015 in relief of an injured Andrew Luck. Hasselbeck was 40 years old that season and threw for 1,690 yards and nine touchdowns. He retired due to a number of consequential hits, including a helmet to the jaw from Whitney Mercilus against the Houston Texans and a hit that separated two of his ribs against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
While it appears Hasselbeck has no intention of returning to the field, he believes older quarterbacks in the league now have a better chance of playing longer, thanks to the NFL's recent focus on reducing big hits.
"Those hits get you in a downward spiral,” Hasselbeck told The Ringer. “It’s one hit that gets you, and then life is miserable. So the NFL took a stance: When the Vikings play the Packers, ‘We are not interested in DeShone Kizer against Trevor Siemian.' They’ve said, 'We don’t care if it is unfair to defensive players and the result has been that quarterbacks will get to play longer.' Those guys, especially Brady and Brees, they could probably play until they are 45 if they really wanted to."
Hasselbeck has been working as an analyst for ESPN since 2016.
