Even though he’s 34 years old and almost eight years removed from his most recent NFL game, now that Rolando McClain is eligible to play again, he wants to return to football.

On Wednesday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell ended McClain’s indefinite suspension.

“I never planned to not return to football,’’ McClain told Mike Fisher of Sports Illustrated’s Cowboys Country.

READ MIKE FISHER’S “COWBOYS EX ROLANDO MCCLAIN EXCLUSIVE: ‘I’M READY FOR THE NFL NOW’”

McClain hasn’t played in an NFL game since Jan. 3, 2016. He was indefinitely suspended by the NFL on Dec. 2, 2016, for violating the league’s Program and Policy for Substances of Abuse.

McClain served a four-game suspension to start the 2015 season for running afoul of the NFL’s Program and Policy for Substances of Abuse and was returning from missing the first 10 games of the 2016 campaign on a second suspension when he received the indefinite suspension.

AL.com reported McClain received a conditional reinstatement in August 2019, shortly before he was released by the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 2, 2019, and he was back on the suspended list by December without returning to the NFL.

The end to his suspension makes McClain an NFL free agent.

“Mr. Goodell has been a big supporter of mine from the beginning,’’ McClain told Fisher. “He’s always been fair.’’

McClain was a football and basketball star for Decatur High School before earning the Butkus Award as the nation’s best linebacker and the SEC Defensive Player of the Year Award while playing for the undefeated Alabama team that won the BCS national-championship team for the 2009 season.

McClain was the eighth player selected in the 2010 NFL Draft, going to the Oakland Raiders. McClain made the Pro Football Writers of America’s All-Rookie team, but he played his final game for the Raiders on Nov. 25, 2012.

McClain didn’t appear in another NFL regular-season game for 642 days.

McClain returned from a one-year retirement to help the Cowboys win the NFC East title in 2014 and earn their first playoff victory since 2009 as Dallas’ middle linebacker.

In 2014, McClain finished second in the voting for the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award and was a finalist for the George Halas Award, which is presented annually to the NFL player, coach or staff member who overcomes the most adversity to succeed.

In five NFL seasons, McClain played in 65 regular-season and two playoff games, with 63 starts. He recorded 407 tackles, 35 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks and four interceptions in regular-season action.

“I’m still me in every way,” McClain said. “… I’m ready for the NFL now. Like riding a bike. Football is life. I love the game.’’

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.