TEMPE, Ariz. -- Arizona Cardinals linebacker Karlos Dansby may be 36 years old and a veteran of 14 seasons, but there’s no doubt in his mind that he’s going to play in 2018.
“Hell yeah, I’m going to play next year,” he told ESPN. “Why wouldn’t I? That’d be crazy. That’d be crazy not to. That’d be crazy.”
Dansby is scheduled to be a free agent Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET, when the new league year begins but he doesn’t want to go anywhere. He’d like to stay in Arizona, saying the Cardinals are his preference.
But Dansby won’t rule out signing elsewhere in 2018 if the Cardinals don’t want to bring him back.
“I’m not going to close the door on other teams but I’d rather be here,” he said. “If the opportunity calls and somebody needs my expertise and what I bring to the table and the Cards don’t move, then I have to do what I have to do.”
Dansby had 95 tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery while starting 15 of 16 games last season, in which he became the fifth player in NFL history to have 40 sacks and 20 interceptions.
He was in his third stint with the Cardinals since they drafted him in 2004. He’s also played for the Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals in his career. But Arizona is where Dansby’s heart is.
“Legacy, man ... finish what I started,” he said. “And do it here, it’s huge. It’s everything. It means more. But a ring is a ring. No matter where you get it from. It’s about being appreciated.”
While Dansby has waited for free agency to start, he’s been occupied by things other than football. Being patient at his age isn’t an issue.
“I have other things to occupy my time -- kids,” he said. “Just got to be patient and wait.”
