Free-agent safety George Iloka 'absolutely' wants to continue playing in the NFL

Free-agent safety George Iloka is hoping to get back on the gridiron after a brief hiatus.

“Yeah, absolutely,” Iloka told The Enquirer.” We’ll see if I get another opportunity. I still want to play, I know I can play but at this stage, you can’t control those things. But yeah, I’m ready.”

The Cincinnati Bengals selected Iloka in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He played six seasons with the Bengals. Iloka started 73 of 83 possible games in Cincinnati and enjoyed his best NFL years in the Queen City. He was a starting safety for the 2015 Bengals squad that went 12-4 and won the AFC North, yet suffered a painful loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the wild-card round. A loss that still stings players who were on the roster.

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“That 2015 Bengals team should’ve accomplished a lot more, but it is what it is now. That team was very talented. It was the perfect storm of talent, youth, veteran leadership and not too many guys injured. I know Andy (Dalton) got hurt midway through the year (Week 14 of the 2015 season) and A. J. McCarron stepped up,” Iloka said.

Following his stint with the Bengals from 2012 to 2017, Iloka played one year with the Minnesota Vikings in 2018 and he spent last offseason on the Dallas Cowboys’ roster. He was released by the Cowboys before the regular season.

The veteran safety had a shoulder issue that bothered him during his short tenure on the Cowboys. Iloka met with two other teams after the Cowboys cut him, but his shoulder ailment was a concern. The veteran believes his banged-up shoulder affected his ability to sign with another club in 2019.

Iloka’s since had surgery to repair the shoulder, and he told The Enquirer he’s ready to go.

“I had a minor procedure on my shoulder to just clean up some things. But I’m back feeling good,” Iloka said.

Iloka is training this offseason in the Dallas area. He and his wife are also getting a house built in the area. In addition to training for the 2020 season and setting up a headquarters in Dallas, Iloka is the host of the successful “The Gym Bag Podcast.”

The 29-year-old safety has appeared in 99 regular season games and four postseason contests. Combining the regular season and playoffs, he’s registered 371 tackles, nine interceptions and 32 pass deflections. He’s hoping to see an uptick in all those statistics. Yet, he’s at peace if a call doesn’t come for his services.