John Abraham hopes to find the fountain of youth in the Arizona desert.
The Falcons’ second-leading all-time sack leader was blindsided when the team elected to release him after seven productive seasons.
After contemplating retirement, Abraham, 35, elected to sign with the Arizona Cardinals on July 25, shortly before the start of training camp. He signed a two-year, $6 million contract. On Sunday, the Cardinals will play host to the Falcons (4:25 p.m., Fox).
Abraham joined the Falcons in a 2006 trade. He was drafted by the New York Jets in 2000.
A four-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro, Abraham had at least 10 sacks in four of his seven seasons with the Falcons, including 16.5 in 2008. His 68.5 sacks rank second in team history behind Claude Humphrey, who had 94.5 sacks from 1968-78.
Before last season, Abraham signed a three-year contract and expected to finish his career with the Falcons.
“I got cut, so it was like I didn’t feel that I was wanted,” Abraham said. “I got cut. It was kind of obvious.”
For much of his tenure, Abraham essentially was the Falcons’ pass rush, with a masterful sack-strip move that destroyed quarterbacks and caused fumbles. Coming off a trip to the NFC title game, Abraham thought he was in the clear.
“I was surprised because I was worrying more about us losing to San Francisco,” Abraham said. “So, I really wasn’t worried about getting cut because I’d just signed a three-year deal. I was just chilling, and the next thing I know my sister called me and said, ‘Boy, they are about to cut you.’ I was like, ‘What?’”
Abraham said he had turned off his phone and was going about his business in the offseason until he received the warning from his sister.
“Later, (coach) Mike (Smith) called me and (general manager Thomas) Dimitroff called me,” Abraham said. “They were like ‘John, it was a business decision. It was not your physical play.’ I was like ‘OK.’ It wasn’t bad at all. Mike told me that he wanted to stay, but it was a business decision, and it had nothing to do with me personally or anything. It was just more business.”
While lining up to sign quarterback Matt Ryan to a lucrative, $103.75 million contract extension, Abraham, running back Michael Turner and cornerback Dunta Robinson all were released March 1.
“I contemplated retiring after I got cut, but I was like I can still play a little bit,” Abraham said. “I still feel like I can play. I’m taking it year-by-year. They say once you get to 10 years, you just start going year-to-year.”
The Falcons and the rest of the nation got to see that Abraham clearly still has some gas left in the tank Thursday against Seattle on national television. He had two sacks and forced two fumbles.
“He’s been really close on about six or seven other occasions,” Arizona coach Bruce Arians said. “He’s got that perfect swat when he gets (near that ball). He must have missed that ball maybe five times by an inch. John has been playing extremely well for us.”
Abraham believes that he’ll have his emotions in check when he faces the Falcons. If the game were the Georgia Dome, he admitted that he would have been a wreck.
“It’s human nature to get a little bit more excited when you are playing the team that you used to play for,” Arians said. “But he’s been bringing it every week. I would be hard for me to think that he could any more up for games than he’s been getting up.”
Abraham has played outside linebacker for the Cardinals, playing on the right and left side. When he’s rushing from the right, he’ll face left tackle Sam Baker, who returned to practice Wednesday, or Lamar Holmes. When rushing from the left, he’ll face right tackle Jeremy Trueblood.
“I played with these guys,” Abraham said. “I know everybody on the line except for the center. I don’t really know him that well, but I know everybody else pretty good.”
Abraham said he remembers Trueblood from his days with Tampa Bay.
He plans to get a couple of sacks of Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan.
“It’s going to be fun,” Abraham said. “I used to chase him in practice. I just couldn’t touch him. Now, I can.”
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