Terrell Owens ain't letting his NFL comeback die just cause he's "Dancing With the Stars" ... telling TMZ Sports he's still gunnin' for a roster spot.
We got T.O. in the Beverly Hills right before his 'DWTS' reveal ... and the 43-year-old doubled down on his comments from last week -- when he said it's "a joke" that he's not in the league.
"Yeah (it's a joke) ... considering the shape that I'm in."
"I'm an exception to the rule in terms of people playing well beyond their 30s."
We're not sure if Terrell's gonna get that shot -- dude hasn't seen a snap in 7 years -- but the Touchdown Dance MVP's gotta be an early favorite for 'DWTS.'