Terrell Owens has never been one to shy away from controversy during his 14 year career and while his antics have helped him to become one of the most well known receivers in the NFL, they’ve also hurt his chances to land a decent contract from a contending team next season.

Buffalo took a big chance in signing him last spring when Owens was surprisingly released, and despite a poor start to his season, he has become a solid threat for the Bills as of late, scoring a touchdown in three of his last four games. That said, it’s going to be difficult for Buffalo to justify signing Owens to anything more than a single season deal at a significantly reduced rate, as his production certainly hasn’t lived up to the amount of money they’ve paid him this season.

So where does that leave Owens next season? He obviously still has the ability to contribute, albeit in a minor role, and although he hasn’t toned down his act completely, Owens has stayed relatively quiet in comparison to the usual sideshow he displayed during his time in San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Dallas. That should make him a reasonably attractive option next spring during the free agency period, but most teams will be wary of bringing him, lest he  revert back to the me first, prima donna attitude.

Given the lack of a quality option next to Michael Crabtree, the 49ers could potentially be interested in bringing Owens back to the Bay Area next season, but San Francisco may choose to avoid dealing with any chemistry issues that he would bring and sign someone else to a contract instead. Jacksonville, Baltimore, and the New York Jets could all show some interest as well but there is little doubt that Owens will have to be willing to accept a much lower salary if he wants to take a run at the Super Bowl again.

Taking all of those factors into consideration, the most likely scenario puts Owens back in Buffalo next season with a smaller contract number and a reduced role in the offense. Owens still has the ability to make big plays, but he is clearly getting close to the end of his career and should focus on finding a good place to retire instead of worrying about his individual numbers.

What do you think? Will T.O. end up playing somewhere else next season or will he stay in Buffalo?

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