EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Tuesday is the day on which the New York Giants (and most other teams) have a bunch of players in for tryouts. Among those who will be trying out this Tuesday is an interesting name -- former Washington tight end Chris Cooley.
ESPN 980 in Washington, D.C., the radio station that currently employs Cooley, tweeted the news Monday and a source confirmed that Cooley will be among those trying out for the Giants this week. He is 33 years old and last played in the NFL in 2012, but he has kept himself in shape and has been telling people he'd like another shot in the NFL.
It's unclear what his chances are. The vast majority of the players who try out on Tuesdays are not signed, though if they show something, the Giants put them on a list of possible signees in case a need arises. Currently, the only tight ends on the Giants' roster are Larry Donnell, Daniel Fells and Jerome Cunningham, and Cunningham missed last week's game with a knee injury. So it's possible they would add a tight end this week if Cunningham's injury lingers.
Cooley caught 429 passes for 4,711 yards and 33 touchdowns in a nine-year career that ran from 2004 to 2012 with Washington. He was a durable and reliable player from 2004 to 2008 but struggled with injuries in the final four years. He broke his ankle during a game in 2009 and had knee surgery in 2011. Washington cut him at the end of training camp in 2012 but re-signed him during the season.
Cooley's outspoken nature made him a very popular figure with the Washington fan base during his playing career, and since 2013 he has been a radio talk show host in the D.C. market and a member of Washington's radio broadcast team.
