Injuries and ineffectiveness kept Hakeem Nicks from cashing in with the Giants.
And last year’s attempt to re-establish his market with the Colts didn’t work out quite as he had hoped.
Now, Nicks is hoping someone will give him another chance to prove himself.
“I’m nowhere near finished, man, and I want to prove that to the world and everybody,” Nicks told Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports. “That’s definitely my mentality, but I don’t even want to talk about it. I feel like I got into that situation last year talking about it. I’m about to just go out there and prove it.
“I can’t even describe the feeling to you. It’s like a burning sensation inside of me. I just want to be the best. I know I have to work hard at it; it’s something that’s in me. It’s just in me and takes over me.”
It’s been hard to see lately, as Nicks had just 38 catches and four touchdowns for the Colts, a place where a wide receiver has a chance to shine.
He said he’s finally well after dealing with foot and ankle injuries since his time with the Giants, but admitted he didn’t handle his contract situation the way he’d hoped.
“I think that’s a fair judgment,” he said. “I won a Super Bowl at 23. The business side of things, I didn’t handle things the right way on my end. I can say that much. Being young and not having the proper understanding of things, that’s what I needed to go through to get to that understanding.
“I feel like I’m at a better place. I understand the game, I understand the business, and I’m a better person overall because of it.”
But the 27-year-old Nicks is a month into free agency, and hasn’t found much of a market. Nicks has visited the 49ers, and his agent said he has more visits lined up. His hometown Panthers are a perpetual possibility, as they’re still looking for options in the passing game (Greg Jennings was in for a visit recently).
But so far, Nicks is just waiting for someone to give him another chance.