Hurt, Emtman Ponders His Options
Defensive lineman Steve Emtman said Friday night his contract problems with the Indianapolis Colts are a matter of respect, not dollars.
The former Cheney High School and University of Washington standout also said he was uncertain if he would rejoin the NFL club.
“The owner (Robert Irsay) doesn’t think I can play football any more,” said Emtman, the No. 1 overall pick in the 1992 draft. “I feel like I’ve given too much to this organization to be treated the way I’ve been treated.”
The Colts told Emtman on Thursday he had to accept a $1.3 million salary reduction for the upcoming season within 24 hours or be placed on waivers. The deadline was delayed until today.
“Maybe I should go on the waiver list and see if someone still thinks I can play football. And if they don’t want to pay me $2 million, I’ll be a free agent and see what I’m worth,” Emtman said.
On Friday, Bill Tobin, the team’s director of football operations, said NFL officials told the team it was not necessary to place Emtman on waivers until today to resolve the team’s salary cap situation.
“The offer is not the point at this time. If the Colts had offered me in April what they’re now offering, a contract would have been signed, sealed and delivered,” Emtman said. “But they waited until I got to training camp and I feel they have backed me into a corner.”
Tobin said Friday the Colts have been meeting with Emtman and will meet again this morning in attempt to resolve his situation. However, Emtman said Friday night that he had no plans to meet with the team but that his agent, Marv Demoff, would probably be getting back to them.
“I’ve got more money in the bank than I’ll probably ever need,” said Emtman, who has been plagued by injuries in his three NFL seasons and played in only 18 games. “It’s almost too late for me and the Colts. I’m not sure I can play for the team after what has happened. I’ll have to sleep on it and see how I feel on Saturday.”
The Colts offered Emtman $700,000, plus incentives that would count on next year’s cap.
“I don’t want to go into everything,” Emtman said. “The Colts are making what seems like a good business move for them. I respect them for doing what they believe is best for the team, but the way I’ve been treated, I’m not sure I want to play for them again. I’m deeply hurt the way this has played out.
“Steve Emtman is not money hungry. But, he’s hurt by the way he’s been treated by the Indianapolis Colts. ….. The latest offer is a realistic one, but they’ve tried to bully me. I’d play football for a dime if I was happy.”
Galloway balks
The Seahawks increased their contract offer to first-round choice Joey Galloway, to no avail.
The signing bonus jumped from $1 million to $3 million. The cap number increased from $1.050 million to $1.150 million. The contract average dropped from $1.474 million to $1.425 million.
Galloway will probably be a holdout Monday when the Seahawks stage their first official practice. A disagreement over salaries and whether the contract should be three or four years will probably keep second-round choice Christian Fauria out of camp.
The good news: fourth-round choice Jason Kyle agreed to a three-year, $627,000 contract that included a $180,000 signing bonus.