Charles Woodson Describes Failed Attempt to Sign With Jaguars in 2006
Charles Woodson has created yet another "What If" for the Jacksonville Jaguars. One that may be one of the most confounding in the team's history.
On one hand, Woodson, an all-time great defensive back and one of the best free agents in NFL history once wanted to sign with the Jaguars. Woodson was famously a free agent in 2006 and was looking at a number of franchises, with his eyes on the Jaguars in particular.
On the other hand, the Jaguars didn't reciprocate the interest with the eventual Hall of Famer.
Woodson described his free agency during an interview with Jim Trotter of NFL Media on NFL Total Access. As Woodson described it, he was looking at numerous teams as his next stop after eight years with the Raiders.
Woodson first described wanted to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and his former head coach in Jon Gruden. Then, Woodson went into detail about how the Jaguars passed him over.
"And then I thought, okay if I don't go to Tampa, Jacksonville and what they were doing at that time with their defense -- I mean, they had a stout defensive line. [Rashean] Mathis was one of the corners there. Donovin Darius was there. [Marcus] Stroud, [John] Henderson. Like, they had some studs," Woodson said in the interview. "And I was like man, you know what, this is where I want to be."
At the time, the Jaguars were fresh off a 12-4 season in 2005. They lost to the New England Patriots in a 28-3 Wild Card Round contest in the postseason, but their defense had ranked sixth in points scored against and yards allowed in 2005.
Meanwhile, Woodson was a four-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro cornerback with 17 interceptions and 14 forced fumbles on his resume. He played in just six games in 2005 due to a broken leg, but he was one of the top free agents on the market any way you cut in 2006. Adding him to an already near-elite Jaguars defense could have put them over the top.
But the Jaguars, as Woodson tells it, didn't view it quite the same way.
"And I remember them telling my agent, 'Ah, you know, we're not looking for a corner right now.' I was like, nah, I know they need another corner, you know. And I think the very next week after that, they brought in I think it was Brian Williams, who played for the Minnesota Vikings or something like that," Woodson said.
"I was crushed, man. I said what is it about me, or what has been said about me, or what is going on man that the Jacksonville Jaguars wouldn't want a player like me to come and help that defense out. And so I was devastated."
Woodson then says he asked his agent to call the Seattle Seahawks and Atlanta Falcons, but it was the Green Bay Packers who eventually showed interest in him. Woodson would sign with Green Bay and go on to be one of the best Packers defenders of all time, earning another four Pro Bowls, two more All-Pro honors, a Super Bowl ring, and a Defensive Player of the Year award.
The Jaguars went 8-8 in 2006, losing their final three games of the season to eliminate themselves from playoff contention. They would go 11-5 in 2007 and advance to the Divisional Round, but they lost yet again to the Patriots, this time 31-20.
Brian Williams would spend three seasons with the Jaguars, starting 45 games and recording six interceptions, two forced fumbles, and 29 pass deflections.
"Just got wind of this. I’m torn b/c BW (Brian Williams) is one of my best Homies and loved playing beside him. He was much much better than people gave him credit of being," former Jaguars cornerback Rashean Mathis said on Twitter. "But the thought of being next to C-Wood! Man could have been special."
