RUNYAN STILL WANTS TO PLAY
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Eagles
RUNYAN STILL WANTS TO PLAY
Bob Brookover
If you saw Jon Runyan an hour after the Eagles' NFC championship loss to the Arizona Cardinals Sunday night, you'd have thought he'd be considering retirement.
After weeks and weeks of playing on a sprained right knee, then suffering a concussion on the final play of the game, the Eagles' 35-year-old tackle looked like a worn-down man.
But as the players cleaned out their lockers this morning at the NovaCare Complex, Runyan made it clear that he wants to keep playing and he'd prefer that it would be with the Eagles. Runyan, in fact, said he had more energy playing this year than he has in the past.
"Actually this year was easier than most," Runyan said. "It hurt a little bit, but more than anything it's an energy issue and going through this year, besides my knee bothering me, I felt pretty good."
He went on to rate his current level of pain as a 12 on a scale from one to 10 and said most players would have shut it down rather than play with the knee sprain he had to deal with on a weekly basis.
"I'll be better in a week or two," he said. "I think the biggest thing is being able to get off of it. Most people probably wouldn't have played with what I've been through, but most people aren't me. That's who I am and that's how I've always approached it. I take a little more pride than most people do."
Both Runyan and fellow offensive tackle Tra Thomas are among the Eagles' seven potential unrestricted free agents. That group also includes safeties Brian Dawkins and Sean Considine, tight end L.J. Smith, running back Correll Buckhalter and cornerback Joselio Hanson. Receiver Hank Baskett and Nick Cole are both eligible to become restricted free agents.
Runyan said he wouldn't put a number on the years he still thinks he can play in the league. Before re-signing with the Eagles in 2006, Runyan visited the New York Jets. He said he doesn't have any inkling whether the Eagles want him back and coach Andy Reid declined to talk about the specifics of his own free agents at his year-end news conference.
"I don't worry about that kind of stuff," Runyan said. "You do what you can and you make their job hard. If there job is easy, then it means it's time to go. It would be nice to stick around, but if I got to go I got to go. I still do this better than most. I just hope everybody else feels like that."
why would you target Gaither...he lost his job to Akeem Jordan during the season.— jimbo712
Comment removed.- can we just get one more year out of big jon and dawk and then make them coaches or something?— mariomick
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- Two issues with your "blog"; 1) Bradley just completed his second season, correct? 2) How can Baskett become an unrestricted free agent? I guess blogging is DDiferent from the antiquated medium you are used to.— thomas paine
- Bring back Dawk & Big John...2-3year deals...one year as a starter and 1-2 as a backup/mentor. Let them retire as Eagles and then make them coaches. The rest of them can be easily replaced by FAs or draft picks...— TheLlama
- Only way you will get rid od Reid, Mcnabb, LJ, you have to go to the head of the snake and cut it off! Owner,Banner send them a very clear message! Look for new a new local owner who wants to win and will put the right people in place!— losteagle
- #5 let us down again he just doesn't have want it take to win the big game, no heart.— lexi
- #5 let us down again he just doesn't have want it take to win the big game, no heart.— lexi
- Bring back Big John . LJ Smith and Tra Thomas....good riddance !— Joe R.
- just get rid of lj smith, reggie brown and greg lewis, and find a fullback, or get eckle involved as fullback and use correll alot more next yr for north south run plays— Will.i.Am
- Runyan can still play no question about it...The Eagles should give him a two-year deal. I would resign Tra Thomas even though he schooled yesterday...I think you bring Dawk back with a two year deal. I think they will re-sign Avant too.— Will T.
- besides gettin rid of smith, brown, and lewis, get a solid WR for Donovan to go to, we should have avant..curtis..jackson...and bring in a guy that McNabb can rely on. besides using Buckhalter more, get a fback or use eckle, hes a big dude and could block or run up the gut well— Will.i.Am
- If Fatboy Andrews isn't to depressed maybe the time is now to move him to right tackle. That was the Eagles plan all along. Tra adios! U R old fat and slow....— bryky
