The Saints made their first big move of the offseason, terminating the contract of star tight end Jeremy Shockey. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but you’ll remember that I predicted that this very thing would happen. My exact quote on January 12th was “I’m calling it now, Shockey will not be a Saint next year.” Well, Jeremy Shockey is reportedly no longer a member of the New Orleans Saints. Jay Glazer of FoxSports.com was the first to break the news. Shockey was solid but unspectacular in three seasons with the Saints. No doubt the emergence of rookie phenom Jimmy Graham played a big part in Shockey’s contract coming to an end. Well that, plus Shockey penchant for limping around and his massive contract. Shockey was scheduled to make $4.2 million this upcoming season, which is a lot for an aging and oft injured tight end when you’ve got Jimmy Graham waiting in the wings.
Have we officially seen the last of Shockey in a Saints uniform?
Not necessarilly. Shockey has a big ego and bridges might be burned based on the fact that the Saints are letting him go. That said, I can’t imagine at 30 years of age with all the recent injuries that he’s going to command a massive salary on the open market (which currently, by the way, doesn’t exist). We know he has a good relationship with Sean Payton and the Saints may try to bring him back at a more palatable price. Whether Shockey is open to that or not is anyone’s guess. The good news for Shockey is that he’s free to sign a deal with any team before the CBA locks everyone out because he was released prior to the CBA being opted out of. Most players’ contracts set to expire do so after the CBA locks the league out.
If this is the last we’ve seen of Shockey in a Saints’ uniform, and it very well could be, happy trails bro and best of luck to you with the rest of your career. Thanks for playing a big part in bringing the Saints their first Super Bow. I’ll miss your fire and I’ll miss your competitive spirit, but I won’t miss your mouth and I won’t miss you passing out every offseason.
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