Bruce Irvin was working out in Atlanta hoping for an opportunity that, a month in the NFL season, still hadn't come.
And having already accomplished a lot in his NFL career, including a Super Bowl championship and financial stability, Irvin was just about ready to call it a career and focus his attention on his wife and three kids. But before making that decision, Irvin decided he'd give it three more weeks of commuting an hour from his Atlanta home to daily workouts, hoping his phone would ring. And not long after setting that deadline, he got a call from a familiar place.
"I had told my wife, 'This is getting old,'" said Irvin, who signed to the Seahawks practice squad this week, his third stint in Seattle. "I said, 'I'm going to give it three more weeks, then I'm going to hang it up.' Three days later, my agents reached out to me and said Seattle had contacted them about me coming out here to work out. Once I found that out, obviously it was a no-brainer."
Irvin, Seattle's first-round pick in 2012, flew to Seattle for a workout with nothing guaranteed, but he had no intention on it being a quick visit.
"I packed a big ol' bag, and my wife was like, 'Why you packing your bag so big?'" he said. "I said, 'Baby, I ain't coming back.'"
After four seasons in Seattle that included one Super Bowl win, two trips to the Super Bowl and 22 sacks, Irvin signed with Oakland in free agency, then later spent time with his hometown Falcons and Carolina. Irvin returned to the Seahawks in 2020 and was expected to have a big role, but unfortunately tore his ACL two games into the season. Irvin finished last season playing six games for the Bears, but didn't feel like that was the proper ending to his career.
"I didn't want to go out like that," he said. "I was working out for any opportunity, but obviously I love the Seahawks and I've got a lot of history here, and these guys love me too, so once my (agents) told me, it was a no-brainer.
"I'm at a point where I don't need football. I've won a Super Bowl, I've played good, I've got my money, I took care of my money, so for me it's just proving that I still can play. If I couldn't move and felt like I couldn't play at a high level, I wouldn't be here wasting y'all time. I wouldn't waste my time."
And to be clear, Irvin has the utmost confidence he can still get the job done a decade into his career.
"I feel like I'm 25," he said. "You see me move yet? Wait until you see me move. 'This dude ain't 34.' Man, I feel good. My body feels good, my mental is good, I can't complain. I get to live out my dream."
While the Seahawks added Irvin first and foremost to try to upgrade the depth of their outside linebacker rotation, both he and the coaching staff see his experience as an added benefit that can help a young pass-rush rotation.
"It's crazy because the last time that I was at this mic, I was 24 years old standing on this stage," he said. "To comeback 11 years later, being the oldest guy on the team is really crazy. I'm just happy that I never burned any bridges, I kept a great relationship with these guys, and they gave me an opportunity. When Pete brought me here, he just said, 'Just be you.' I have a ton of experience in this league, I played in 140 games, so I have a lot of knowledge not only on the field, but off of the field. I have three kids and a family, so I know how to deal with the family asking for money, girls jumping in your DMs, like I've dealt with everything. I have the experience of everything and I'm a book. I'm willing to share everything on top of contributing on the field. I will do what I have to do to make the defense better also.
"(Carroll) told me that (leadership) was very big. In the outside linebacker room, I think Uchenna (Nwosu) is the oldest one, and he's only like 25. I'm 35, so it's a different experience, but he said that he definitely needed me in the locker room as well. I'm here for whatever, so if he needs me to give a speech every game, be the rah, rah guy, or carry the speaker out, or 12 flag, I'll do it. I'm here just to help in any way that I can."
The Seahawks face the Cardinals at State Farm Stadium for Week 9 of the 2022 season. Take a look back at photos from previous games between the two teams.
Phoenix Cardinals quarterback Gary Hogeboom can't find a receiver due to heavy defensive pressure from Seattle Seahawks (92) David Wyman and (72) Joe Nash during action in their pre-season game, Aug. 12, 1989 in Tempe, Arizona. The Seahawks proved too much for the Cardinals after the game went into overtime and lost 16-10. (AP Photo/Chad Surmick)
Running back Ron Moore (30) of the Phoenix Cardinals is held to a one yard gain as he is tackled by Cortez Kennedy (96) of the Seattle Seahawks during the third quarter of their NFL game in Seattle, Washington, Dec. 19, 1993. Watching the play is Joe Wolf (68) of the Cardinals. Phoenix beat Seattle in overtime, 30-27. (AP Photo/Bill Chan)
Arizona Cardinals' Chris Gedney (84) takes in a pass while in the grasp of Seattle Seahawks' Fred Thomas (22), Sept. 13, 1998 in Seattle. The play went 23 yards but wasn't enough as Seattle won the game 33-14. (AP Photo/Jay Drowns)
Seattle Seahawks' Shawn Springs (24) intercepts a pass from Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jake Plummer in the second quarter Sunday, Nov. 10, 2002, at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz. Seahawks' Reggie Williams, lower left, and Jeff George, far right, watch as Cardinals' Frank Sanders (81), Jason McAddley, top left, and Steve Bush, right rear, defend. It was the second interception of the half for Plummer. (AP Photo/Rob Schumacher)
Seattle Seahawks' Bobby Engram returns a punt for 48 yards with Arizona Cardinals' Quentin Harris chasing during the second quarter in Seattle Sunday Dec. 26, 2004. The return set up the first Seattle touchdown as it went on to win, 24-21. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Seattle Seahawks' Shaun Alexander dives into the end zone from the one-yard line for a touchdown with Arizona Cardinals' Adrian Wilson defending during the third quarter, in Seattle, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2005. Alexander scored four touchdowns in the 37-12 win over the Cardinals. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner loses control of the ball but regains control as he is sacked by Seattle Seahawks' Darryl Tapp during the fourth quarter of a football game in Seattle, in this Sept. 17, 2006 file photo. One week after Warner was named NFC offensive player of the week in Arizona's season-opening victory over San Francisco, he was blamed, in part, by his coach for the offense's struggles in Sunday's 21-10 loss at Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Arizona Cardinals' Matt Leinart, center, gets a pass off as he is hit by Seattle Seahawks' Patrick Kerney, left, and Darryl Tapp in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 16, 2007, in Glendale, Ariz. The Cardinals won 23-20. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Arizona Cardinals' Ralph Brown (20) knocks the ball away from intended receiver Seattle Seahawks' Koren Robinson in the end zone in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 16, 2008, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Arizona Cardinals in action against the Seattle Seahawks, November 15, 2009.
Seattle Seahawks' Marshawn Lynch (24) leaves Arizona Cardinals' Greg Toler in the dust on a first-half run in an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 24, 2010, in Seattle. The Seahawks won 22-10. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Seahawks' Sidney Rice, left, runs on a 23-yard pass reception as Arizona Cardinals' Kerry Rhodes (25) is kept back by Seahawks' Anthony McCoy, right, and Zach Miller in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2011, in Seattle. The Seahawks won 13-10. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Arizona Cardinals' Kevin Kolb (4) gets off a pass as Seattle Seahawks' Jason Jones (90) closes in after getting past Cardinals' Adam Snyder (68) during an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 9, 2012, in Glendale, Ariz. The Cardinals defeated the Seahawks 20-16. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Seattle Seahawks' Zach Miller, right, makes a catch for a touchdown as Arizona Cardinals' Curtis Taylor (37) is near in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2013, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2014 in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Seattle Seahawks free safety Earl Thomas (29) intercepts a pass intended for Arizona Cardinals' wide receiver Michael Floyd, right, as Seattle Seahawks outside linebacker K.J. Wright (50) looks on in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Brittan Golden (10) is hit by Seattle Seahawks cornerback DeAndre Elliott (21) and defensive back Neiko Thorpe (27) during the second half of a football game, Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Referee Walt Coleman tosses the coin before an NFL football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Seahawks running back Mike Davis (27) dives in for a touchdown as Arizona Cardinals defensive back Budda Baker (36) defends during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 30, 2018, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (11) catches the football in the end zone during an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2019, in Seattle. The touchdown was later ruled incomplete. The Cardinals defeated the Seahawks, 27-13. (Ryan Kang via AP)
Seattle Seahawks running back Carlos Hyde (30) rushes against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half of an NFL football game, Thursday, Nov. 19, 2020, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny heads for the end zone with a 62-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter.
