Former 1st-Rounder Percy Harvin Wants to Return to NFL, Training with Olympian
Former NFL wide receiver Percy Harvin is training in hopes of making his return to the NFL four years after he last played in the league.
ESPN's Josina Anderson tweeted video of Harvin getting a workout in:
Breaking: Former 1st-rounder, FA WR Percy Harvin tells me: “I’m ready to return to the NFL. I thought I was done, but that itch came back. I’ve been training w/a former Olympian. My body is feeling good. Mentally I’m better. My family is good. The timing is right.” He's 185lbs. pic.twitter.com/NQaadbF73B— ig: josinaanderson (@JosinaAnderson) April 22, 2020
Harvin told Anderson the following regarding his desire to make it back to the NFL at the age of nearly 32: "I'm ready to return to the NFL. I thought I was done, but
that itch came back. I've been training with a former Olympian. My body is feeling good. Mentally I'm better. My family is good. The timing is right."
The Minnesota Vikings selected Harvin with the No. 22 overall pick in the 2009 NFL draft, and he later went on to play for the Seattle Seahawks, New York Jets and Buffalo Bills during his eight-year NFL career.
Harvin was highly sought after when he entered the league after playing at the University of Florida in myriad roles. While Harvin was primarily a receiver, he also thrived out of the backfield as a running back and was a dynamic return man as well.
He immediately made his presence felt as a rookie by returning two kickoffs for touchdowns and getting named to the Pro Bowl as a return man. Harvin was also selected as the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year by virtue of his 60 receptions for 790 yards and six touchdowns.
Harvin's most productive season came in 2011 when he appeared in all 16 games for the only time in his career. Harvin set career highs with 87 receptions for 967 yards and six touchdowns. He also set career highs as a runner with 345 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.
It seemed at that point Harvin was poised to be a major offensive weapon for the Vikes for years to come, but after he was limited to nine games in 2012 due to an ankle injury, Minnesota traded him to Seattle.
The Seahawks sent a first-round pick to the Vikings for Harvin and signed him to a six-year contract extension, but that decision backfired, as Harvin appeared in just six games for Seattle in parts of two seasons.
Harvin did play in Super Bowl XLVIII for the Seahawks, though, and he returned a kickoff for a touchdown in Seattle's blowout win over the Denver Broncos.
While Harvin tried to revive his career over the next few seasons with stints as a member of the Jets and Bills, his inability to stay on the field prevented that from happening.
After finishing with 218 receiving yards and one touchdown in five games with the Bills in 2015, Harvin retired. He came out of retirement to return to the Bills in 2016 but retired again after appearing in two games when migraines landed him on injured reserve.
Harvin was once among the most explosive players in the NFL, but it is unclear if that burst still exists now that he is nearly 32 years old and hasn't played in the NFL in four years.
He could potentially be an asset for a team looking for a versatile player and some wide receiver depth, but Harvin's injury history and the rust involved with being away from the game for so long could prevent most teams from seriously considering signing him.
Percy Harvin
