In a sad, small news conference Tuesday night, Jason Taylor said he had no choice but to leave the Dolphins for the New York Jets.
“This is the only offer. There is no other offer,” Taylor told the Miami media.
Taylor admitted that he had a contract extension offered to him from Bill Parcells last November and passed on the deal.
“It wasn’t the right time,” Taylor said. “If I was important enough in November, why don’t you want me now? I’m better now. My shoulder works now.”
Taylor seemed to have bitterness towards the Big Tuna. “What is a Parcells guy? I always felt like I was a Tony guy.”
There was some debate about how much the Dolphins wanted Taylor back. Dan LeBatard credited a source on 790 the Ticket that Taylor did have a contract offer this offseason. Taylor’s agent disputed that.
“If we had a contract offer from the Dolphins, Jason Taylor would have signed it. . . . I promise you, he would be a Miami Dolphin,” agent Gary Wichard said.
In theory, Wichard was on air for damage control purposes in the Miami. It was clearly a difficult decision for Taylor. But we wonder how these comments will play in in New York:
“He’s not happy like he would be if he signed with the Dolphins,” Wichard said. “But he’s going to make the most of it because he wants to play football and be very, very happy. Because that’s where he really wants to be.”