Malcolm Jenkins has been painfully open about his desire for a new contract, as evidenced by his public remarks to the press and on social media. He doesn’t want to be the highest-paid player at his position. He just wants fair market value. No argument here.
Former Eagles wide receiver Bryce Treggs seemed to have a different opinion. In reactionary comments to Philip Rivers taking issue with Melvin Gordon, Treggs explained how when he was a part of the Eagles’ organization no one ever talked about their contract situation. It didn’t matter if they were content or upset because the front office, specifically head coach Doug Pederson, stressed the importance of keeping that stuff in-house. Hence, contract disputes were hushed.
Treggs suggested that other NFL teams should follow Pederson’s lead because “NOTHING good that can come from talking about the contract situation of a teammate.” He was spilling the beans on how the Eagles’ front office works, while indirectly telling the Chargers to shut their players up.
Treggs, who spent one season with the Eagles and made three catches for 80 yards, was commenting on Rivers’ comments about the Chargers having a “deep” group at running back, seeming to imply that he didn’t support the fact Gordon was holding out for a better contract.
“They’re going to get a lot of work,” Rivers said of the other backs, via the Los Angeles Times. “It certainly is a deep position for us, and those guys all love to play and work hard. We love Melvin, but we’re going to go with what we’ve got. It’s a pretty dang good group.”
Interestingly, the words came around the same time Treggs’ former teammate in Philadelphia was making noise about his own contract demands rather publicly. Jenkins has been pandering for an update to the four-year, $35 million contract he signed in 2016. While the starting safety has done nothing to disrupt the team — and reportedly talked to Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie — the issue has been hanging over Eagles training camp.
Chris Long Sounds Off on Josh Sweat
Meanwhile, another former Eagle was causing a ruckus on social media while making it clear he had no intention of returning. Chris Long started a small Twitter beef when he responded to a story about second-year defensive end Josh Sweat saying he was coming for Long’s playing time. Long, of course, decided to retire after feeling underappreciated in Philadelphia. He specifically cited a lack of snaps as the main reason for leaving. For the record, the number of snaps was nine.
When pressed further and asked if he would ever consider a comeback with the Eagles, Long countered with the ultimate shade bomb: “I mean maybe but that’s like asking your ex to be on call if your wife kicks the bucket… exes move on, player.”
In the end, Long redeemed himself. He will walk together forever, to quote the late-great Fred Shero, with the Super Bowl heroes on that 2017 team. The defensive end did a lengthy Q&A and got brownie points among Eagles fans with the answer to the loaded question of what he liked best about playing in the City of Brotherly Love.
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Former NFL Player Reveals Secrets of Philadelphia Eagles Front Office