fbpx
Skip to main content

Jamaal Charles would have taken pay cut to remain a Chief, but it’s ‘nothing personal’

Jamaal Charles

New Denver Broncos running back Jamaal Charles is excited to be where he’s at, but he wishes he would have had a chance to stay in Kansas City. In fact, as he related on the Unmatched Sports with Cal Jones podcast, he would have taken a pay cut to remain with the Chiefs. But unfortunately for him Charles never got the chance.

“I thought maybe they would give me a grace period,” Charles said, per Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post. “But I haven’t performed the last two years. At the same time, I know it was about business. I think it would have been cool if they came and told me about a pay cut because I think I would’ve taken that pay cut, because I think I owed it to them for allowing me to be on the team. But I felt like when I got that call, it was just like, man, it was just OK, man. If it can happen to Peyton Manning it can happen to anybody.”

On that note, Charles is backtracking a bit about a statement in which he said being cut by the Chiefs was “kind of personal.” A statement that made front page news nationally.

Instead, the veteran says he understands it’s just business and insists it’s “nothing personal.” In fact, he seems to be saying the “personal” comment wasn’t about him as much as the Chiefs.

“I felt like it was more personal to the Chiefs than it was to me,” Charles said. “Them letting me go, I love this community. I did a lot. I sweat, bleed, two ACLs, meniscus, I left that all out here in Kansas City. My heart will always be in Kansas City. It’s nothing personal.”

No offense to Charles, but it sure sounds like it’s at least a little bit personal.

It’s going to be interesting to see what happens next. Charles’ contract with Denver includes absolutely no guaranteed money. This reflects what’s been a rough last two years in which he hasn’t been able to stay healthy, appearing in just eight games (three last year) after suffering an ACL injury in 2015 that never got right in 2016.

If he can stay healthy, then Charles will certainly be a boon to Denver’s offense. He’s a do-it-all running back who was once among the NFL’s elite.

Mentioned in this article:

More About: