I don't know Brad Meester, either.
While he plays for an NFL team that's not my NFL team I will become a fan of Brad Meester from here on out.
Here's why, the veteran entering his 14th season as an offensive lineman is taking a cut in pay. Many vets are asked to do that to provide room in the salary cap so other players can be signed, but frequently they take the cut after changing teams or restructure their pay to spread the same amount of money over a longer period of time.
Well, for Meester, who played at the University of Iowa, is getting a 50% pay cut from $3 million to $1.5 million. OK, we can hold off on the bake sale for the Meester family.
But, this is why I'm becoming a fan of Meester. It's the comments he made to Peter King, who relayed them in his Monday Morning Quarterback column at SI.com.
"We've got a new coach and new general manager,'' he said from his off-season home in Iowa. "I'm going to be 36 years old. They have decisions to make. I understand that. To offer me anything was a huge compliment. My situation is a lot different than a lot of guys who are asked to take less, so I don't sit in judgment on anyone else. For me, this is a great opportunity. I grew up on a small farm in Iowa. (King wrote: In the NFL, some people make more in a year than he'd make in his lifetime working the farm.) I just think to complain about the money we make, with the economy and job market the way it is in this country, is not something I would ever do."
Applause. Applause. By the way, the NFL draft is just a month away!
Comments
Post a Comment