When the New York Jets declined to pick up a fifth-year option on Dee Milliner earlier this year, the former Alabama cornerback decided to turn it into motivation.
“I ain’t played, so they can’t [pick up the option] out of nothing,” Milliner told The New York Post after Saturday’s practice. “I can’t cry about it. It’s just part of the process. I wasn’t angry, because I haven’t put too much on paper. I’ve been injured and haven’t played too much, so I pretty much knew it was going to happen.”
It’s well-documented across all sports that “contract years” appear to bring out the best in athletes. Looming negotiations have a way of making players give an extra push in hopes of generating the most lucrative deal possible.
Milliner appears to be in the right mindset to prove himself on the field.
“It’s just a year that I’ve got to go out there and play,” Milliner said. “I can’t be injured. I can’t be on the sidelines. I’ve got to go out there and compete for a job, and if I do get the opportunity, I need to make the best of it.”
A big part of Milliner proving himself will be staying healthy. He had five surgeries in college, and missed significant time in 2014 with an injury to achilles tendon.
When he’s healthy, he’s able to impress the team.
“Right now, like everybody else, he’s playing fast,” Jets coach Todd Bowles said. “He’s healthy, he’s running around out there, and we’re just looking forward to him improving. If he can continue to stay healthy and get better, we’ll see what happens.”
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
