Free-agent tight end Chris Cooley is open to playing football this season, but he doesn't expect it to be with the Washington Redskins.
Cooley told The Washington Post his old team isn't likely to call unless there's a significant injury to starting tight end Fred Davis or backup Niles Paul.
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"If they call me at some point this season, that's great," Cooley said. "If they don't, that's fine, too. I'm not going to worry about it too much. I'm happy with what I've done here. I'm satisfied with my career. If I don't play again, that's how it is. I'll go through the season and see what the offers are. I'll go through free agency and see if there's interest. If I'm not playing at that point, I'll see about whether to retire or not."
He said the New England Patriots expressed interest before signing Kellen Winslow, but Cooley isn't interested in playing for the league minimum. After eight years in the NFL, Cooley told his agent he isn't desperate enough to run back on the field for a situation that doesn't fit.
"You look at it and you say, 'I could play here,' or, 'I could play there,' and it's not necessarily the case," Cooley said. "Then you have guys available on the market like Winslow, like (Jeremy) Shockey. It's not a good market for tight ends."
Cooley was versatile enough to play fullback for Washington, but they've moved on at tight end. An injury could change the landscape for Cooley, but this is a man who sounds content to roll into the sunset if the phone goes quiet.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
