Owens release highly unlikely
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
By MARK ECKEL
Staff Writer
PHILADELPHIA - Despite pleas from former losing presidential candidates Ralph Nader and Jesse Jackson, sources close to the situation say there is little, if any, chance wide receiver Terrell Owens will be granted his release from the Eagles.

Owens, with the backing of Nader and Jackson, will have his grievance heard Friday by an arbitrator. He wants the Eagles, who plan to make him an inactive for at least the final five games of the season, to release him so he can sign with another team.

That will not happen at Friday's hearing and, according to the source who is very familiar with the situation, will never happen.

"You cannot tell a team to release a player," the source said. "As long as they plan to pay him, I don't think there is anything they can do."

The source said he thinks the four-game suspension, which would cost Owens in the neighborhood of $820,000, will be reduced to two, maybe even one, game.

There is also another interesting twist.

"If the Eagles keep him on the roster and just place him on the inactive list each week," the source said. "he's entitled to be present at the team facility every day. Do they want that?"

This Owens situation is different than the Keyshawn Johnson situation with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers two years ago.

When Bucs head coach Jon Gruden sent Johnson home, with pay, for the final six games. Johnson did not object to it.