Osi Umenyiora says Super Bowl XLVI may have been his last game in a Giants uniform, and he’s OK with that.
Umenyiora, who was extremely unhappy with his contract last year but managed to put that aside to have another solid season with the Giants, said on ESPN’s Mike and Mike in the Morning today that he wouldn’t be surprised if he and the Giants go their separate ways this offseason.
“We’re just going to have to wait and see,” Umenyiora said. “I can see it going either way. I can see where they would keep me, I can see where they would trade me, because it makes sense both ways. So hopefully things will work out in my interest. I know the team is going to do what’s best for them. They’ve always made the right decisions for that organization. Whether that’s keeping me or trading me, I’d love to stay, but at the end of the day I understand it’s a business and hopefully things will work out.”
Last year Umenyiora briefly held out of training camp and was reportedly so angry that the Giants wouldn’t re-do his contract that he said he’d never talk to G.M. Jerry Reese again. But with time to reflect, Umenyiora has a more respectful view of Reese and Giants owners John Mara and Steve Tisch.
“Me and Jerry Reese, me and the owners, Mr. Mara and Mr. Tisch, we’re all cool,” Umenyiora said. “Even when all that stuff was going on, it wasn’t really as contentious as people would have thought. We just sat down and had a lot of conversations. We went back and forth as to what was going on. They understand it’s a business just like I understand it’s a business. If anything happens, in the event that I am traded or released, it’s not going to be bad. They would probably be doing it for my own good, in actuality, so I’ll be happy with anything that happens.”
Umenyiora has one year remaining on his current contract, with a very affordable salary of $3.975 million, so releasing him would make no sense at all for the Giants. Trading him might make sense if the right offer comes, but the most likely option is that the Giants keep him right where he is, as one of their starting defensive ends.