Report: Free Agent WR Greg Jennings Wants $14 Million per Year
According to some combine chatter, Packers WR Greg Jennings is seeking a ridiculous amount of money on the free-agent market.
By Zach Kruse
The Green Bay Packers and free agent receiver Greg Jennings never appeared close to finding mutual ground on a new deal, and it has been widely believed for some time now that Jennings will bolt Green Bay for a better offer once unrestricted free agency opens on March 12.
ESPN 1500's Tom Pelissero may have found the reason why the two sides failed to even approach a deal that would keep Jennings in Green Bay.
According to Pelissero, word around the NFL Scouting Combine is that Jennings is looking for $14 million a year on the free-agent market.
Lot of opinions here about what top receiver UFAs may command. Heard Greg Jennings wants $14M/year. Tough to see that happening.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 22, 2013
A $14 million a year deal would make Jennings the NFL's third highest paid receiver, behind only Calvin Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald.
As Pelissero states, envisioning Jennings and that kind of money this offseason is difficult.
Jennings will turn 30 years old in September, and he's coming off back-to-back seasons in which he missed games to injury (11 total games missed). Also, it's worth considering that Jennings is only 5'11"—small for a No. 1 receiver—and his career numbers (425 receptions, 6,537 yards, 53 TDs) are likely inflated from playing his entire career with Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers.
If Jennings' demands are true—and we do have to take combine chatter with a grain of salt—then it is fairly easy to see why the two sides were so willing to part ways without much work done on the re-signing front. No one, especially the Packers, will be willing to pay Jennings $14 million a season.
Jennings, who caught 36 passes for 366 yards and four touchdowns in eight games last season, would be fortunate to eclipse the five-year, $55.55 million deal Vincent Jackson received from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last spring.
Zach Kruse is a 24-year-old sports writer who contributes to Cheesehead TV, Bleacher Report and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He also covers prep sports for the Dunn Co. News. You can reach him on Twitter @zachkruse2 or by email at [email protected].
Comments (36)
February 22, 2013 at 09:23 am
Report: Evan also wants $14 million per year.
February 22, 2013 at 09:27 am
Report: Jeff Query also wanted 14 million back in 90'.
February 22, 2013 at 09:43 am
Well, you can wish in one hand and poop in another. I doubt there's gonna be $14 mil in either hand though.
February 22, 2013 at 09:48 am
This is a 'ask for the Universe and settle for the World' senario.Now,we need only to figure out which 'World' that Jennings is residing on,as he surely has moved from Earth.
February 22, 2013 at 09:51 am
Ouch. I almost feel bad for the rude awakening he has coming. I'd say some team will pay him $10 - $11 million. But even that, they will probably regret. The guy needs to stop listening to yes men.
February 22, 2013 at 10:05 am
Like his real estate agent in DePere?
February 22, 2013 at 09:52 am
aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... ahahhahhahahahahaahahhahahhahahahaaahhahahahahahah!!!!!!!!!
PackerAaron
February 22, 2013 at 01:14 pm
Jennings is starting high. His suitors will start low. They will meet in the middle. Welcome to negotiations.
February 22, 2013 at 01:21 pm
That's crazy talk. Jennings, like any other free-agent, should open negotiations by stating:
"I'm in the twilight of my career with a skill-set that's likely to decline in the middle of my next contract. My injuries have become more frequent and there are three concussions as part of that history. I'm being straight with you all, I'm a second-tier free agent and deserving of exactly $6 million/year with a $7 million signing bonus. I'll take no more, no less. I don't want any of you to overpay, I'm doing this strictly for the love of football."
February 22, 2013 at 01:43 pm
To each his own, and different styles differ, but IMHO starting too high can be a negative in negotiations. IMHO, if you start too high you may scare some potential partners off because they think you're looney, and others will think you don't understand the market and they will jerk you around in negotiations to see what they can get away with. I don't ever expect to negotiate an NFL contract but "flat salary cap," + "3rd highest paid receiver in the league," + "Greg Jennings" it does not add up to me.
February 22, 2013 at 01:53 pm
The number isn't crazy, though. Look at the top-10 highest paid receivers (factor in base-salary, signing bonus, roster bonus, workout bonus and other escalators) and the market has paid roughly that amount when you annualize it. Will those receivers likely make it through the life of those contracts? No.
Do I believe Jennings will sniff that kind of money when the cap is flat from the prior year, of course not. The market has shown a willingness, so why not toss it out? I doubt GM's take it serious, dance they've done many times, just a new partner this time around.
Top 10:
http://www.numeroten.com/top-10-lists/sports/top-10-highest-paid-wide-re...
February 22, 2013 at 05:22 pm
Thanks for the info. CSS. Am I reading wrong though, or is no one making more than an average of $11M a year besides Fitzgerald?
February 22, 2013 at 09:55 am
What is: No way in hell, Alex!!!!
February 22, 2013 at 10:29 am
Delusional SOB.
GBP 4 LIFE
February 22, 2013 at 10:33 am
don't worry- the market will let him know that he's not worth 14 million
February 22, 2013 at 11:10 am
Please Vikings give him his 14M/yr. It will destroy them!
February 22, 2013 at 12:16 pm
yes
February 22, 2013 at 11:40 am
Make that Pesos, and it's a deal!
February 22, 2013 at 12:18 pm
Can't be true. I know he believes in himsmelf, but he's got to know he's not getting Megatron money. Not at 30.
February 22, 2013 at 12:25 pm
I cannot blame Greg Jennings for asking for as much as he can. It is his life and his career. If anyone gives it to him that is another story. Jennings has always been a class act in Green Bay and I wish him the best next year if he is with the Pack or not. Go Pack Go
February 22, 2013 at 02:15 pm
Well said. He has a superbowl ring already so his goal should be to amass as much wealth as he can, before an injury blind-sides his career. In reality, Jennings is not Boldin or a Steve Smith who can out-muscle tall physical corners and "go get the ball". He needs a pin point passer who can locate him in traffic and get the ball consistently. Problem is, those passers are hard to find in the league
February 22, 2013 at 12:27 pm
This is why it seemed like the packers didn't try to bring him back. Great reciever, but if they offered him more than 8 i'd be suprised. His agent probably mention that as the starting point and tt said thanks for your service, best of luck with your new team
February 22, 2013 at 01:01 pm
I don't know, his sister thinks he's worth more. We should franchise him just to piss him off.
February 22, 2013 at 02:27 pm
To be fair, he's a top 25 receiver, but not top 10. so to ask for that kind of money is logical, but not Megatron like money. Either he's crazy, or this report is totally made up.
February 22, 2013 at 02:39 pm
He was the 14th highest paid WR last year at $6.7 million. I think that's just about right. I can't see him getting more than $8-9 mil a year.
February 22, 2013 at 04:18 pm
I was going to use Boldin as a solid comparison. I see both guys around the same level skill-wise. Jennings maybe slightly better, as Boldin's a little older. But still close. I think Evan is right on with the $8-9 million guess.
February 22, 2013 at 06:21 pm
I think TT may have left the key to the door under the mat. Jennings is smart enough to know that if the market isn't there, he would be better off coming back. He surely won't want to tarnish his image and lose any ad deals.
February 22, 2013 at 07:09 pm
F.U. Jennings,ungrateful bastard
February 22, 2013 at 07:15 pm
Why is he ungrateful? The Packers never even disussed a contract extension w/ Jennings. He's going into FA and he is one of the best WR available. He should ask for as much as he can. I think 14M is too high, I would start at 12.5M if I were him. He's not going to get that much, but I don't begrudge him asking for the moon. He'll probably get bout 10M w/ some incentives.
February 22, 2013 at 07:45 pm
"The Packers never even disussed a contract extension w/ Jennings."
Is that fact? Not being a smart ass, serious question.
February 22, 2013 at 08:46 pm
Not that I'm aware of. Seems to me that Jennings and his agent have mentioned, and I'm sure I read on JSO or GBPG that there were never any contract negotiations. Can't be absolutely certain, but it seems the Packers made the choice to move on w/o Jennings about a year ago. If they wanted to keep him, they would have tried to negotiate a contract extension last year. When they want a player alot they generally get him locked up a year before his contract ends. I've never read (or don't remember reading) that there were negotiations at any point for the last year or more.
February 23, 2013 at 02:50 am
Me neither, but, just because VanderDouche or Demovsky don't have a write-up about it, doesn't mean there wasn't at least exploratory talks. It's quite possible that happened and the GBP quickly realized, they were on different wavelengths as far as $$$, Who knows...
February 23, 2013 at 10:51 am
You can dislike those writers all you want, but they are very well connected and if there had been any contract talks w/ Jennings I'm sure they would have heard about it. Not to mention that Jennings has said that there was never any contract extension talks, makes it pretty clear the Packers decided quite awhile ago that they were moving on w/o him. I think once Jordy had his breakout year last year they already decided that paying a soon to be 30 yr old WR top dollar wasn't going to happen. Seeing Jones and Cobb breakout this year just clinched it.
February 24, 2013 at 02:29 am
I like Demovsky. VanderDouche... Not so much. I agree they appear to be very well connected, but I bet there is plenty of behind the scene stuff that they have no clue about... Until the GBP are ready for them to have a clue. That said, I know enough to know that I know nothing about the inner workings of the GBP.
February 22, 2013 at 08:23 pm
I wouldn't call Jennings's stats inflated, as he has never been a high-catch guy. He has two big TD years but I think the league has an accurate idea of his skillset.
February 23, 2013 at 07:14 am
I'm only 46, have never had a concussion, never missed a single game due to injury, never dropped a pass in college or the NFL. I would take a "home team discount" and be willing to accept as little as 12 million to play for GB. Take that, negotiators! There is STILL some common sense out there.