Edge rusher Shane Ray hasn’t played an NFL game since 2018. He’s a longshot to stick with the Titans, who signed him last week.
But all Ray wanted was a chance.
“For me, it’s been one step at a time,” Ray said Wednesday, via Jim Wyatt of the team website. “Training, training, training, and talking to my agent, praying to God: Is there something? Is there something available? Does somebody want to bring me in? Is there an opportunity? Those moments were highs and lows because sometimes it was like, ‘Hey, we might have something,’ and other times like, ‘Hey, man, we got to go train for another five, six weeks.’
“So, for me, the call itself was amazing. Then, walking to the building was amazing; meeting the coaches was amazing; and having my first minicamp workout back was amazing. Every step that I’ve taken up to this point is another milestone that, for a long time, I just dreamed about it, and prayed about it and worked for. This opportunity, I have been preparing for this for a long, long, time.”
The Broncos made Ray a first-round pick in 2015, and he played 49 games, with 15 starts. He has recorded 14 career sacks, including eight in 2016 while playing in 16 games. He was a Super Bowl champion in Denver in 2016.
Injuries, though, set him back.
He has had offeason stints with the Ravens in 2019 and the Bills in 2023, playing for the Toronto Argonauts in the CFL in between. Ray said he has stayed on a schedule, continuing his training routine he had when he was in the NFL.
“When I came into the league, I came in with all the [high expectations], and now coming back it is really just on me working, and building,” Ray said. “It feels good to earn what I am getting. But my life is completely different now.
“I love this game. Unfortunately, I got banged up early when I felt like it was time for me to take it to the next level in my career, and it kept me out of the league for a long time. Now I have another chance, and I feel like I am ready. I’ve worked, and I’ve prepared. Now it is on me, and I want to show what I can do.”