This isn’t the first time Charles Woodson has been available for longer than he expected to be.
In 2006, the Raiders opted not to use the franchise tag on Woodson for a third straight time. He remained on the market until late April, when the Packers signed him to a seven-year, $52 million contract.
“Oddly enough, it’s a lot like it is right now,” Woodson recently told 790 The Zone in Atlanta regarding his situation, via a Green Bay newspaper. “It was slow. I had nobody really calling. I had my agents calling a lot of people, and Green Bay was the only team that was calling us. So it was just that it was about the money, it was that was the only team that was calling. So I ended up going to Green Bay because there were no other suitors.”
This year, there appear to be no suitors, other than maybe the 49ers. And even if there were, no one will be paying him $52 million over seven years. Or at that same rate on a one-year deal. Or anything close to it.
Like so many other veteran players, Woodson has to decide whether he wants to continue doing what he has been doing for a lot less money than he has been doing it for. And that’s not an easy pill for any player to digest.
The money could improve and the interest could expand after the draft, when teams that had been hoping to address their needs via incoming players realize they still need a safety. Until then, Woodson will likely keep on waiting.