Terry once he finishes his contract this season would make about 82 million. Not bad start leading into contract #3.
I get that Evans has played more, was arguably in his younger years the more marquee WR compared to Terry, and naturally earned more. So maybe he deserves no special props for doing it. I get the thought. But for me he gets props for three reasons.
A. like I said in other posts, its not just these players doing it. But them talking about it. Talking about loving it in Tampa and wanting to win there -- and not in a vacuum but specific to their contract.
B. their actions have consequences that help the team, regardless of how much money they've made in the past.
C. The example it sets for other players. Lets take Tampa for example. L. David took less money and talked about it first. Then Evans. Then Godwin. It's part of the culture there that's set by their leaders. We are getting paid a ton already, lets keep this together and win a SB.
Does that have a ripple effect for the rest of the team? I'd guess with at least some players. Contrast that with Terry, who is telling the world how this FO is disrespecting him. Terry talked about talking to other players on the team about his plight and how they sympathize. lol, I doubt Terry is presenting a balanced view of this FO to his teammates. I'd put money that Terry is giving opposite vibes to his teammates that the Tampa players are -- hey Peters might be a nice guy but he will treat you unfairly when your contract is up. So guys don't budge an inch. Don't buy the BS that your contract effects keeping other players -- they can figure it out. On and on.
Would love to hear that a little from Terry just once, look I want to win, and I want a contract that I think helps us do that and pays me my fair share -- or whatever. Terry's rhetoric is IMO as ego centric as his demands are. And again, most players are the same way. I get it. But if we are going to make the case that Terry is different -- he's special as to loving it here and wanting to win or whatever -- I don't think so anymore. I don't think he's worse than the typical player but not special as for wanting to be here and wanting to win.
So yeah I'd give Mike Evans or even dudes like Josh Allen props for discussing it -- regardless of how much money they've made previously. As leaders on the team, making a point that they care about keeping the team intact to win, etc -- to me is meaningful. Speaking about their money in the context of the team overall -- I like that.
But if we are running with earnings so far. Maybe Godwin, at 80 million career earnings, based on those parameters deserves more props for turning down 30 million from NE. The way Terry's acting do we think think Terry in FA no less would turn down 30 million for 22? He comes off like a dude who wouldn't turn down 30 million elsewhere even if this team offered him 29.
Cortland Sutton, with almost identical numbers to Terry last season, granted not as good a career, making about the same (slightly less) in career earnings, said he took less. And again talked about winning. Denver might be in a SB window, too. For me I keep props for the action but equal props for discussing it. That IMO is a much better example for the rest of the team.
If I am thinking for example about Jayden's next contract which clearly will be crazy big. We got Terry likely in Jayden's ear telling him already not to trust this FO. What a difference between that and Godwin and Sutton, etc.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin revealed he turned down $30 million per year from the New England Patriots in free agency.
sports.yahoo.com
He would have been a great signing for the Patriots, and at just 29 years old, would have been a nice long-term complement to Drake Maye. But Godwin turned down more money from the Patriots, instead returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a three-year, $66 million deal, which averages $22 million per year.
"If I ended up going to New England," Godwin said. "It would have been solely based off money because everything else was telling me to stay here."
The Patriots had the best offer on the table for Godwin, based solely on money. If Godwin was looking to strictly cash in, the Patriots were the destination. Godwin's agent, Tory Dandy, mentioned that Godwin left "generational money" on the table by passing up on the Patriots' offer.
But, he looked for a place where he and his wife would be most happy, which was staying in Tampa Bay with the Buccaneers. The Patriots pulled out all the stops for Godwin, but he decided to stay where he was drafted for his family, an understandable decision, even if it meant leaving significantly more money on the table.