So now that Patriots offensive lineman Logan Mankins has signed his tender offer and become the NFL’s last restricted free agent to report to his team, does he think he did the right thing by waiting until November to show up?
He doesn’t know.
Mankins spoke with members of the New England media today and acknowledged that he’s not sure if he’ll end up with the kind of contract he thinks he deserved all along, or if he’ll come to regret leaving money on the table and reporting for only half a season.
Asked if he regrets taking a stand by refusing to sign his tender offer, Mankins said, “Maybe. Not right now, but maybe down the road I’ll look back and wish I didn’t . . . or maybe I’ll be happy I did. We’ll find out.”
When asked if he got what he wanted, Mankins said, “Not at the moment.”
And Mankins acknowledged the possibility that staying away from the team all this time might turn out not to have been productive.
“I don’t know,” Mankins said. “We’ll find out.”
Now Mankins says all his focus is on getting ready to play, and he’s not thinking about his contract.
“I’m not too worried about that now,” Mankins said. “After the season is when that’ll come up. And if you guys want to talk about money after the season, if you can find me, I’ll talk about it.”