Bills safety Jairus Byrd spoke to reporters Monday for the first time since signing his franchise tender and he sounded less than thrilled to be back in Buffalo on a one-year deal.
Byrd said he was disappointed about being tagged in the first place, but thought there would be a resolution that involved a long-term contract with the Bills. When asked if he was hurt by the way the team handled contract talks, Byrd said he feels “how anyone else would feel if you’re in my position” and that acknowledging that it is a business decision doesn’t stop you from taking it personally when a deal doesn’t materialize. Byrd also struggled to answer a question about whether he’d be going out to prove his worth to the Bills management this season.
“Do I want to prove to them anything?” Byrd said, via Tim Graham of the Buffalo News. “I guess in four years if I didn’t, I don’t know what I can do, you know what I’m saying? Their mindset is what it is. I just have to go out there and focus on football and just help this team in any way possible.”
Byrd said he didn’t want to comment on “business” matters when he was asked if he requested a trade, but the rest of his comments did more than enough to express his feelings about the current state of affairs.