John Runyan, a former lineman with the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles, announced Thursday that he is considering running for Congress in New Jersey.

Runyan issued a press release saying he is looking at taking on freshman Democrat John Adler in the 3rd District, which stretches from the Philadelphia suburb of Cherry Hill, N.J. all the way to the Atlantic coast. Adler won a close race in 2008 for the open seat left by retiring Republican H. James Saxton, and is already a member of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s “Frontline” program for vulnerable incumbents.

Runyan, 35, played 13 seasons of professional football through last year, the majority with the Eagles. He is a Michigan native and played college football at the University of Michigan. In his statement, Runyan sought to paint his lack of political experience as a plus. “Our great country is headed in the wrong direction,” he said, “and it’s clearer every day that career politicians are incapable of solving the problems we face.”

Runyan said he will have “more to say on this subject in the weeks ahead.”

CQ Politics rates the general election contest Leans Democratic.

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