Free Agent DL David Irving Hoping For Another Shot In NFL

Free agent DL David Irving tells Aaron Wilson of Athlon Sports that he’s hoping to secure another opportunity with an NFL team for the 2021 season. 

“I want to show people who David Irving is,” Irving tells Wilson. “I’m a fighter. I want to dominate, and it’s a different mindset. When we’re in the locker room and some guys are turning up and screaming and talking crazy, I’m sitting there with my headphones on listening to music with tears in my eyes because I can’t wait to get on the football field and impose my will. I love the fact that I can be a three-technique at my size and weight and get past two 350-pound guys double-teaming me who can squat twice as much as me and I put them on their ass and make the play. That’s what I live for.

“The workouts have been going great. Everything I’m learning, kung fu, jiu-jitsu, boxing, all of my great training at Phase 1, that’s all helping with my movement and everything you do on a football field. I’m the lightest I’ve been since I was 19 years old and I’m feeling explosive and I’m ready for anything that comes my way. I’m ready to play, and I can’t wait to play football again.”

The Raiders opted to release Irving in May after he reportedly didn’t regularly attend workouts.

Irving has been suspended multiple times for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, but was cleared to return to the league last year. 

“I’ve done the necessary work,” Irving said. “I’m compliant with all of the NFL’s policies.”

Irving, 28, originally signed on with the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent out of Iowa State back in 2015. He was waived at the start of the regular season and later added to the Chiefs’ practice squad.

From there, the Cowboys signed Irving to their active roster and brought him back on a one-year, $615,000 exclusive rights contract. Dallas used a second-round restricted tender on Irving, which cost them $2.914 million for the 2018 season.

After being reinstated last year, the Raiders signed Irving to their practice squad and was on and off their active roster. Las Vegas re-signed him to a one-year contract earlier this offseason after he wrapped up visits with the Lions and Colts only to release him in May. 

In 2020, Irving appeared in two games for the Raiders and recorded four tackles and no sacks.

We have him included in our Top 100 Available 2021 Free Agents list.