Guard Brian Waters, the 2009 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, has yet to report for the team’s offseason workout program, according to Adam Teicher of the Kansas City Star.
But Chiefs fans shouldn’t be alarmed. Waters has become a regular irregular at the out-of-season lifting-and-running sessions.
""I haven’t participated in the offseason program fully in five or six years,” Waters told Teicher “That’s nothing new. I would never miss out on [offseason practice] because of displeasure with the team. I’ll be participating for sure in everything mandatory. Everything else will be my prerogative to choose if I’m going to be there.”
A year ago, Waters was displeased with the team, requesting to be traded or released. After a meeting with new coach Todd Haley, the matter apparently was resolved. Now, he said that he “definitely” wants to remain in Kansas City. “Honestly, the truth is: Whether I want to play for the Chiefs or not, I want to play football and I have a contract with the Chiefs. So it really doesn’t matter what I want,” Waters said.
Though we already liked Waters because of his off-field charitable endeavors and his donation of both a Pro Bowl jersey and a signed, game-used helmet to the recent auction for Baby Mason, his comments reflect that he “gets it.” Professional football players are grown men. Grown men who sign a contract should realize that it’s a two-way commitment.
Plenty of pro football players don’t. Waters, to his credit, does.