Celek 'leaning' toward retiring; wouldn't take $10M from Cowboys

Longtime Philadelphia Eagles tight end Brent Celek said Friday he is more likely to retire than play a 12th NFL season, adding that he wouldn't play for the rival Dallas Cowboys even if they made him a monster offer.

"I think I'm leaning more toward retirement," Celek said in a radio appearance on 97.5 The Fanatic. "I've had a few offers, but none of them are worth leaving a city that I have been in for 11 years where I won the Super Bowl in my final year. It wouldn't feel right to put another uniform on."

Celek, 33, was released by the Eagles in March after 11 seasons with the team, which drafted him in the fifth round in 2007. Before his release, multiple reports said Celek planned to continue his career, but Friday suggested he likely won't keep playing unless the Eagles bring him back.

Celek's aversion to wearing a different team's jersey was especially strong when he was asked about staying in the NFC East and joining the tight-end needy Cowboys.

"Hell no," he said. "Do you think I would play for the Cowboys? Philly is my home. If they offered me 10 million, I still wouldn't go."

After the surprising retirement of Jason Witten to join ESPN's Monday Night Football broadcast team, the Cowboys have just one tight end on the roster who has played more than one NFL season. Geoff Swaim, who turns 25 next month, is entering his fourth year.

The Eagles, meanwhile, don't have an obvious reason to bring Celek back. They took Dallas Goedert, who has seven catches for 123 yards and a touchdown through preseason games, in the second round of April's draft and signed veteran Richard Rodgers in free agency. Starter Zach Ertz is coming off his first Pro Bowl appearance and caught the game-winning touchdown in the Super Bowl.

In 11 seasons, Celek has 398 catches for 4,998 yards and 31 touchdowns while playing in all but one regular-season game.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)