Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker said both sides gave an honest effort toward getting him a long-term contract this offseason, but the lack of one won’t impact the way he approaches the season.
Welker talked to reporters for the first time Thursday since he and the Pats missed the July 16 deadline for a long-term deal. Now, he’ll play out the season under his guaranteed $9.5 million tender, and wait to see what happens next.
“Everyone tried,” Welker told reporters, via Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. “I tried. They tried. It just didn’t work out. It’s in the past, and we’ve moved on to this season, which we expect to be a good one. We’re working toward it and working hard to have a great season this year.”
It’s nice of Welker to say both sides worked, but throughout the process, it sounded like he wanted the deal more than the Patriots wanted to provide one.
And with the team stacking up veteran wide receivers and tight ends in free agency like cord wood, they didn’t exactly give much reason to believe they intended to.
To tag Welker again next year would cost them $11.4 million. That’s not happening for a receiver heading into his 32-year-old season, and he knows it.
“That’s a great situation, so I’m not too worried about that,” he replied when asked about the possibility.
So while it might be frustrating to not get the long-term security he was seeking, it’s good to know Welker’s calm about it.
We’d hate if he got so upset he started pulling his hair out.