By PAUL SCHWARTZ
Brandon Jacobs never said he had to break the bank on his new contract. He always insisted he wanted what was coming to him. After signing a four-year, $25 million deal that includes $13 million in guaranteed money, Jacobs admitted what most athletes can’t bring themselves to say publicly:
I probably could have held out for more, but I got enough and I’m happy.
“I’d been wanting to get something done for a long time so I was kind of excited to finally get it done,” Jacobs said today on a conference call. “I’m satisfied with everything I got, a fair deal, I feel good about the whole thing.”
If Jacobs wanted more, he could have turned down the offer and played for $6.6 million this season, which is the franchise tag salary for running backs, and then tried his luck again following the 2009 season.
“I just wanted to get it over with,” Jacobs admitted. “I didn’t miss out on that much, though. I kind of got everything I wanted guaranteed. I didn’t really miss out on that much on the back end, a couple of dollars here and there but it was fine.”
Next up is Derrick Ward, who will hit the free agent market at 12:01 a.m. and will almost definitely receive offers that dwarf what the Giants are willing to pay to keep him around as the second half of a formidable 1-2 punch. Ward called Jacobs Wednesday night to offer congratulations. The two friends know their time as teammates is nearing an end.
“He was so happy for me,” Jacobs said. “We’ve been talking a long time about money and it’s finally happened for me. His time is coming soon I feel. Make sure you got some good people working for you and make sure you get every dollar you deserve.
“With the nature of the business I don’t expect to see him back. I think they’re going to take a crack at it, I think they’re going to give it a shot. It all depends what he’s asking for. If they can’t do it they can’t do it.”
Jacobs said he wants to play at least six more years.
On his way to boarding a flight to Orlando with his family for a Disneyworld vacation, Jacobs said on the eve of NFL free agency that the only thing the Giants have to do is get Plaxico Burress back. Jacobs is in constant communication with Burress and insists that the wayward receiver wants to return to the Giants. That sentiment contradicts an e-mail message his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, sent to every NFL team listing Burress as desiring a trade.
“That issue never came up,” Jacobs said. “We got a championship team and he’s a big part of it. I think he wants to [come back], he never said to me that didn’t and he could if he had to. We’re close enough that he could tell me what’s on his mind but he never mentioned any of that.”