Perhaps Hakeem Nicks was feeling a bit jealous with all the attention Victor Cruz was getting, or maybe he’s positioning himself for a holdout until the Giants restructure his deal, either way, New York’s No. 1 wide out has found himself in the wrong shade of the spotlight.
After missing the Giants first “voluntary” OTA session on Wednesday, Yahoo! Sports’ Jason Cole reported Nicks was protesting his contract situation. Since, Y! Sports has backed off those allegations after Nicks agent, Peter Schaffer, said one thing had nothing to do with the other.
So what’s the deal?
We know that Tuesday night Nicks attended the 20th annual Gridiron Gala in New York, so he couldn’t have been far the following day. Could the giant star have partied a little too hard the night before and decided to skip the workout?
Possible, but not likely.
While Y! Sports may have reported erroneously, or perhaps prematurely, I don’t believe they are too far off base.
Nicks is entering the final season of his five-year contract, and while it’s obvious he will get some attention next off season, his health may be a concern for not only his suitors, but for Nicks as well.
Since coming into the league in 2009, Nicks has yet to play a full season, and has been plagued by injuries his whole career. Last season he missed three games thanks to a knee injury which lead to a down year of only 53 catches for 692 yards.
With the Victor Cruz negotiation carrying on, he can’t possibly expect the Giants to be worrying about a contract that isn’t even expired yet, but by holding out, even if just for a day, he’s planted a seed.
After major backlash from not only the media, but Tom Coughlin as well, it’s wise his agent acted quickly to squash the chatter, as the New York rumor mill can turn perception into reality overnight. If Nicks has plans to holdout in the future, he’s done a good job of preparing the world for what’s about to happen next.
Twitter: @Kyle_McMorrow