FanHouse

After some reflection, the thought of trying to revive Shaun Alexander's career, even in the "hey, anybody can rush for 1,000 yards behind this line" offense, was just too burdensome a task for Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan. Which is why Alexander is still unemployed.

Denver had one conversation with Alexander's agent a few weeks ago. The Broncos considered bringing in Alexander for a visit but backed off the idea. Because the Broncos are close to budget for this season and they are satisfied with their tailback crew, they likely won't change their mind about Alexander unless there is an injury. Alexander may have to wait for any team to suffer an injury before getting signed.

So now what? When the Seahawks released him, Alexander still thought of himself as an NFL starter who just needed to fully recover from a nagging wrist injury. Now, after New Orleans, Cincinnati and Denver have all said "thanks, but no thanks," Alexander would probably jump at the chance to sign a contract for the veteran minimum just for the opportunity to earn playing time.

The good news -- if you can call it that -- is that there are sure to be injuries this season in the NFL, which means Alexander will likely get signed at some point in the coming months. That won't change the fact that his best years are well behind him, but who knows, maybe he can thrive in an offense looking for a part-time back who struggles to catch the ball coming out of the backfield and doesn't particularly care for blocking.