There were several reports earlier this year and even into the beginning of the season about teams contacting former Patriots running back Corey Dillon about playing for them.
Well it seems that after Patriots running back Sammy Morris went down with a chest injury in the Dallas game, Dillon started to work out with a trainer near his California home in case the Patriots were to call. Over the last few weeks several of Dillon’s former New England teammates have called him encouraging him to come out of retirement.
“When Sammy Morris went down, the phone calls from his teammates intensified,” said Steve Feldman, Dillon’s agent. “I think he felt a real twinge towards his teammates. We’ve had calls all season from teams and the only team he would even consider coming back for was the Patriots.”
Feldman added that Dillon would not be looking to play beyond this season and is just looking to assist his teammates in a time of need.
For now the interest seems to just be on Dillon’s side but I wouldn’t be surprised with this week being the Patriots bye week if he heard from the New England staff about a potential return. Dillon makes a lot of sense in that he knows the system, what’s expected of the players, Laurence Maroney loves him and he was well liked by his teammates despite having a reputation as a troublemaker during his time with the Cincinnati Bengals.
When Dillon retired after 10 seasons he ranked 14th all-time on the NFL’s rushing list. In 2004, his first season in New England, he ran for a career high 1,635 yards and won his only Super Bowl ring.
