Antrel Rolle Cites 'Worst' Playing Surface For Knee Injury That Ended Season With Bears

(CBS) Former Bears safety Antrel Rolle, who was just released Sunday after the team took three defensive backs in NFL Draft, cited a poor playing surface at Halas Hall for a knee injury that he suffered in November that ended his playing career in Chicago.

Rolle suffered a sprained MCL on Nov. 20 during what was termed a "non-contact practice" and never recovered well enough to return, missing the final seven games of the season.

"The surfaces in the Chicago facilities are the worst I've ever been around, I'm just gonna be honest with you,'' Rolle told the New York Post on Monday. "I slipped on the surface, I wasn't even running, I was just kind of shuffling and slipped."

Not long after making those comments to the Post, Rolle reiterated the same point in an interview on the Spiegel and Goff Show on 670 The Score, saying "that goes without saying" when asked if the Halas Hall fields being subpar is a topic of conversation.

"The surface had a whole lot to do with it," Rolle said. "You know what I mean, it happens. It happens. It's the surface we've been practicing on all year long. A lot of guys slip, not just myself. It's unfortunate I had to deal with that injury.

"The facilities are good in Chicago. The fields are just not as good. I don't know the reason behind it ... I'm sure they'll put a ton of work in to fix it. I always knew Soldier Field was bad, I just never knew that the facilities (playing surface at Halas Hall) were just as bad."

The 33-year-old Rolle has conveyed the belief that he can still play at a high level and that his 2015 season that fell short of expectations with the Bears was a blip on the radar, primarily because of injury. Rolle also suffered a sprained ankle in an early October home game that caused him to miss two games.

He holds no hard feelings against the Bears.

"Every team wants to get younger," Rolle said. "The philosophy is, the younger the better. I understand that. Do I agree? Not in all situations, but you know, that's the organization, that's how they work. That's how they wanted to work. So I'm a free agent now."

Now, Rolle would like to return to what he calls home and play for the Giants.

"You know the crazy thing, I can play at All-Pro level right now,'' Rolle told the Post. "And I'm not saying that to blow smoke up anyone else's ass or blow smoke up my own ass. I'm very realistic with myself.

"I've made a lot of money in this league, I've achieved a lot of accolades in this league. I want to play where I feel good playing, want to play where my heart is going to be into doing everything I can possibly do to make sure the organization wins. New York definitely brings that feeling to my soul."

Listen to Rolle's full interview on the Spiegel and Goff Show below.