The Seahawks “expect” to have linebacker Bruce Irvin on the team for a long time, but they won’t be ensuring a fifth year at this point via the exercise of the automatic option that would extend his rookie deal. And while coach Pete Carroll said over the weekend that he met with Irvin to explain the situation and it “went very well,” it didn’t go as well last night on Twitter.
“Faced way tougher adversity getting outta them streets coming up!” Irvin said on Twitter, via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. “That’s sh-t is nothing! F--K THAT OPTION!”
He also declared, “I am a Seahawk!” And he expressed a desire to prove his worth.
“Worked for everything I got in my life this sh-t will b no different!” Irvin said. “I earns my keeps!”
Irvin later apologized, sort of.
“I’m a very blunt person and that won’t ever change sorry if u dislike it,” he said.
Players prefer (or at least should prefer) not to have their fifth-year option exercised, since it means they’ll have a shot at free agency a year sooner -- and a chance to gauge their value on the open market. The Seahawks apparently believe that, come 2016, Irvin won’t be worth the $7.8 million he was due to earn under the option.
On the other hand, the decision not to pick up a player’s option represents a commentary on the player’s perceived worth, which will tend to create some ruffled feathers in the short term.
The Seahawks have not formally announced that Irvin’s option won’t be exercised. Based on Irvin’s tweets following his meeting with Carroll, it apparently hasn’t been.