From the outside, all the signs of a disgruntled football player in search of a new long-term deal were there.
But it wasn’t until Tuesday that Starks admitted he wanted the security and money that such a deal would provide.
After getting the franchise tag, skipping spring workouts, being benched and not raising a ruckus, flipping the bird to the bench after a sack and generally playing his tail off, Starks finally said what seems apparent.
Though teammate Mike Pouncey was nearby pleading “Don’t answer it, Starks,” the veteran defensive tackle acknowledged the role of money in the proceedings.
“I’m motivated,” Starks said, via Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. “Just like everybody else, I want that long-term contract. . . .
“I know what’s at stake, but at the same time, our team being successful and our defense being successful season can also help my value.”
Starks was still polite about things, but he’s playing at a level that should serve him well in the marketplace. Though he’s older for a big deal, the 10th-year tackle is excelling as part of a rotation in the middle for the Dolphins, getting consistent pressure up the middle while playing fewer snaps.
He went on to talk about not worrying about the contract, but at the end of the day, when you couple his actions of the offseason and his coincidental hot streak of play, it seems like it almost doesn’t need to be said.