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Reggie Wayne Invokes “The Decision” Even Though His Will Be Made For Him
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↵Reggie Wayne continues to aggravate the tensions surrounding his demands for a long-term contract, one that almost assuredly won’t come this offseason. The Colts have made getting Peyton Manning a new extension their top priority and even that seems unlikely. On top of that, Colts president Bill Polian has said that the current standoff with the player’s union, coupled with unspecified Colts budget issues, means that the team isn’t focusing on negotiations with either Wayne or Robert Mathis. That leaves the possibility that Reggie Wayne will get anything worked out, despite his protestations, as essentially nonexistent.↵
↵Of course, that isn't going to stop Wayne from manufacturing some added drama by making public his ambivalence about attending Colts training camp if a new deal isn't in place by the time it starts on August 1. During his celebrity basketball tournament, the receiver joked that his decision whether he would attend training camp would have to come during "The Decision, Part II." Wayne already skipped voluntary OTAs and mandatory minicamp so far this offseason, so it's not as if there's nothing to his saber-rattling on the contract issue. By the same token, he's made it clear that he won't actually hold out during the regular season, which means he's either going to have to cave at some point between now and September or risk joining the team somewhat out of synch with the rest of the receiving corps.↵
↵↵Besides, there’s little sympathy for Wayne the way there is for someone like Chris Johnson, who is one of the elite players at his position, but still being paid according to his rookie contract. Wayne still has two years remaining on a six-year, $39.5 million deal. Then there’s the matter that some Colts fans, fairly or unfairly, have placed blame on him for running a poor route on the pick-six that clinched the Super Bowl for the Saints. So in a way it might be fitting that Wayne is referencing LeBron James public self-aggrandizement, as Wayne could be on the way to making himself as disliked among his home fans. ↵
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This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.
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