During the NFL off-season, the Oakland Raiders were able to bring back a familiar face as the result of signing veteran safety Charles Woodson.
In Woodson’s return to Oakland, the three-time All-Pro put on a show in front of the avid Raiders at O.co Coliseum. Woodson helped lead the Raiders to their first victory of the season against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The future Hall of Famer’s incredible tackle of Maurice Jones-Drew was arguably the play of the day as it prevented a touchdown and was arguably the turning point for vastly improved Raiders defense.
Woodson talked about the tackle on Jones-Drew and how he’s approaching the game later in his career via Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com:
“All I hear these days now is ‘old man,’” Woodson said. “Like I told these guys when I first got here, man, I love playing football. Those kinds of plays, like the one from Sunday, are second nature. As long as I’m out there on the field, that’s the kind of effort I’m going to give.”
Following the win over the Jaguars, it became clear that Woodson still has something left in the tank and is back in Oakland to compete rather than finish his career with the team that drafted him back in 1998.
After seven seasons with the Green Bay Packers, Woodson was released as a salary cap casualty making the veteran a free agent. Woodson weighed his options and ultimately decided to return to where it all began.
Although there’s no indication of how much longer Woodson will be able to play in the NFL, the veteran might be good for a few more years at the safety position if able to stay healthy moving forward. Clearly, the perennial Pro Bowler wants to continue playing while helping the Raiders becoming playoff contenders once again in the AFC.
