Osi Umenyiora’s preference is clear: He wants a new, lucrative contract with the Giants, wants to remain with the only NFL team he’s ever known.
“That would be the most ideal thing,” the defensive end told The Post on Friday. “Is that going to happen? I don’t know.’’
Umenyiora’s staying power with the Giants and his relationship with general manager Jerry Reese stormed into the headlines this week. In a sworn affidavit to be filed in federal court next month in Minnesota as part of the Brady vs. NFL antitrust lawsuit, Umenyiora all but called Reese a liar for reneging on a promise to either produce a new contract or else trade Umenyiora away. Based on his harsh language, Umenyiora sounded as if he wants out.
He doesn’t want out. But he does want more money, and if he doesn’t get it he wants to be traded.
“I’m not getting any younger, I’m 29 years old, I think I have about five very productive years left in this league,’’ Umenyiora said. “What the owners are trying to do now, maximize their revenue, it’s a business decision, and as players we also have to make a business decision for ourselves sometimes.’’
The desire for a new contract isn’t news with Umenyiora but it came to clearer light when in the affidavit he states, “Mr. Reese told me that two years from the start of the 2008 league year, if I was currently playing at a high level, we’d either renegotiate my current contract so that it would be equal to that of the top five defensive ends playing or I would be traded to a team that would do that.
“Before leaving the meeting, I asked Mr. Reese twice if he was absolutely sure that would be the case. He then told me that he was an honest and church-going man and that he would not lie, which I believed to the be the case.’’
Sounds like someone distrusting of the team and looking elsewhere.
“I never said anything crazy about Jerry Reese,’’ Umenyiora said Friday. “I think it’s been portrayed that I’m disrespecting the Giants or calling Mr. Reese a liar but that’s not what this affidavit was about. What is it, I was asked how the lockout was affecting me negatively or doing irreparable harm to me. The affidavit actually was a statement towards that. This was the time-period where my deal was supposed to be renegotiated or I would be traded, based on the conversation that I had. With the lockout for three or four months, it’s prevented that from happening because not only can’t my agent talk to the teams at all, not talk to Jerry at all, if the Giants were going to trade me they can’t talk to other teams. That’s how I’m being harmed by this lockout.
“Nothing has been done yet, no promises have been broken.’’
Late in the 2005 season, Umenyiora signed a six-year, $41 million contract extension that has two years remaining ($3.1 million in 2011, $3.97 million in 2012).
Asked if he believes he is underpaid, Umenyiora said, “By regular people’s standards, by American standards, you can never look at a guy who’s making 4 or 5 million dollars a year and call them underpaid, that’s (not smart).
“But in the same respect, you look at a guy like [Dwight] Freeney or [Julius] Peppers or [Jared] Allen, these guys are making 12, 13 in some cases 14 million dollars a year. In that case, you’re like, ‘Yes I’m underpaid as a defensive end.’ Whenever you see guys who are doing the same job you’re doing, and my numbers are comparable to theirs as far as my performance, and they’re making double and triple what you’re making … ’’
As for moving out of his New Jersey apartment and living full-time in Atlanta, Umenyiora said don’t read much into it.
“I mean I live in Atlanta,’’ he said. “That’s where I’m at, until everything gets resolved that’s where I’m going to be.’’
Umenyiora missed the entire 2008 season after suffering cartilage damage in his knee and was slow to return to form in 2009, getting demoted late in the season and clashing with defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan. He rebounded in 2010 with 11 1/2 sacks and an NFL record 10 forced fumbles, production he feels warrants a big payday.
“I think so,’’ he said. “I think given the season last year … I broke an NFL record last year! I think they would want me, but does it make sense to keep me, that’s something they’re going to have to answer. There’s a lot of guys there, a lot of guys who they have to deal with. Barry Cofield, [Mathias] Kiwanuka, who was having a very good year before he was hurt. Jason Pierre-Paul, he has to get on the field because he’s going to be a monster. They also have Justin Tuck, obviously one of the better defensive ends in football.
“There’s a lot of guys who have to get on the football field. I’m quite sure they’ll find a way to figure that out.’’
If Umenyiora wants to force the Giants to part with him, there is precedent: Jeremy Shockey after the 2007 Super Bowl season turned himself into such a distraction he was traded to the Saints.
“Some players have taken that route, that’s the last route I want to take,’’ Umenyiora said. “That’s not something I would really want to do, especially in New York. It’s been great, it’s been a fun ride, so I wouldn’t want to do anything like that. But at the end of the day from a business standpoint I’m going to have to take care of yourself, you have to.’’
As far as his health, Umenyiora said he is better than ever after offseason hip surgery to clean up a lingering problem.
“I had like a 3-inch bone that was growing out of there and they took that out so I’m able to move freely now,’’ he said. “I feel very good. I took the X-ray, the bone didn’t grow back, it’s not going to grow back, it’s done. I’m 100 percent right now. I feel like I haven’t felt in years. I’m actually able to bend without feeling that pain in my hip and I’m able to move without taking painkillers and taking shots and all those things I had to do just to stay on the football field. I’m able to go out there and do all those things without taking all that medicine so I’m happy.’’