Tight end Vernon Davis, who said he plans to attend the 49ers’ mandatory minicamp this week, has sacrificed $200,000 to make a statement with his absence from the team’s voluntary workout program.
He said he did it "in the best interest of my brand." Then, he said the reason he chose to skip the offseason program and forfeit his workout bonus was "not really about my contract."
He wrote a guest column for The MMQB on Monday morning, and he made his thoughts very clear: “It’s all about getting paid what you deserve.” In other words, it's everything about his contract.
Here is what Davis wrote about his contract situation and how he, first, has to worry about his future:
In 2010 I signed a five-year, $37 million contract extension with $23 million guaranteed. It was the biggest contract for a tight end in league history. Four years later, and I’m playing at a higher level than I was then, which brings me to why I’m holding out. It’s all about getting paid what you deserve. It’s not that complicated. I want the 49ers to win the Super Bowl, and I want to be on the field this summer working towards that goal, but I have to worry about my future first. Most of my teammates and many players in the NFL understand that. A few don’t. Behind closed doors, they’ll say they’re all about the team and would run through a brick wall for the organization. But when you look closer, they’re doing things to contradict themselves. I can’t listen to anyone but my family and my advisors, because those are the people who are going to be there when football inevitably dumps me.
Davis is under contract for two more seasons, and the 49ers appear to have no intention of signing him to a lucrative contract extension. Davis’ only leverage to get a new deal is to withhold his services. If he reports Tuesday for minicamp, he’ll sacrifice that leverage just as he did his $200,000 workout bonus.
