Former Green Bay Packers safety Nick Collins was coming off three consecutive Pro Bowl selections when a neck injury ended his football career early in the 2011 season.
Uncomfortable with the idea of clearing Collins to play again, general manager Ted Thompson released the Super Bowl XLV hero in April of 2012.
Collins, now 30, suggested this week in a pair of tweets that he will attempt a comeback in 2014.
Collins was one of the NFL's premier playmaking safeties for seven seasons, recording 21 interceptions and nearly 500 tackles. The Packers' defense has been reeling from his absence for three years now.
Still, there's little reason to believe the organization will veer from its established medical opinion on the danger of Collins pursuing a football career following 2011 spinal fusion surgery.
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Collins' agent fielded calls from interested teams following his Packers release, but he couldn't find one willing to take on the risk.
"Organizations feel like I'm unable to play," Collins told the Green Bay Press Gazette, via ESPN.com, last August. "But I still have that hope that one day I get a call and they're like, 'Let's go give it a shot.'"
It would make for a great story if Collins finally gains full medical clearance and makes a triumphant return to the field next season.
- The "Around The League Podcast" taped our Super Bowl XLVIII recap from MetLife Stadium right after the game. *
