It turns out that Buffalo Bills wide receiver Marquise Goodwin won’t have to pick between a shot at the Olympics and a potiential spot on the team’s roster after all.
Goodwin finished fourth in the long jump at the 2015 U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championship in Eugene, Ore today, posting a best effort of 27 feet, 5.5 inches, which just missed the cut for a spot at the world championships.
The top three performers in the event automatically became eligible to participate in the IAAF World Championships in Beijing, held August 22-30 this year.
Had Goodwin made the cut, it could have possibly had an impact on his chances of making the Bills roster. The world championships would have conflicted with not only the end of the Bills’ training camp, but could have impacted his availability for two preseason games as well, depending on his required travel and commitment to being as close to 100 percent for the event as possible.
For a player who hasn’t competed in the sport since the 2012 London Games, it was quite a showing for the talented athlete, but at least he can enter training camp focused, without the possible distraction looming over him.
“Back to football,” Goodwin told the Associated Press. “But words can’t even explain how happy I am right now.”
It’s not to say that his career on the track is anywhere close to over. The third-year wideout can give it another go next summer, when a trip to the games in Rio is on the line.
“We know what’s (coming up) next year,” Goodwin said to the AP. “I expect big things but football is my main deal right now.”
