Chris Harris Jr. has waited a long time to get a crack at free agency. After signing a team-friendly contract in 2016 and re-working the last year of that deal in 2019, Harris is looking to cash in on the open market this offseason.
Harris is one of the last members of the 2015 Broncos championship team and has been one of the best cornerbacks in the game over the previous five seasons.
At 30 years old Harris is at the back end of his career and is looking to secure a big payday after earning four Pro Bowl nods.
NFL free agency begins in one month, and Harris intends on taking a look at the field before choosing a team to sign with.
“I think everybody deserves to see what they’re worth, and I deserve it at this point,” Harris told Nicki Jhabvala of The Atheltic. “I think I worked my tail off for nine years, I gave the city every ounce of effort that I could give and, shoot, it’s time to see what everybody else thinks about me.”
Harris has enjoyed his time as a Bronco for the most part. While the last few seasons have been rough, he is open to staying in Denver so long as the dollar figure is right.
“That’s not a question for me, though,” Harris said. “You gotta ask John Elway that. People put it on me. It’s not me. You know? It’s not on me. They make the decisions of what they want to do. If they want me back, then I’ll be back.”
That said, Harris will command roughly $11 million per season, and the Broncos don’t appear to be keen on the idea of paying a player over 30 that type of money.
The Broncos and Harris appear to be on different ends of the spectrum. After struggling for a few seasons, the Broncos are a young, developing team. Denver needs secondary help but could look towards younger options such as Byron Jones or Darius Slay.
Harris is at the end of his prime and is best suited for a team looking to win a title in the next couple of years.
While money is a priority, playing for a winning team is also a factor, Harris will take into account when making a decision.
“Of course you want to be put in a great situation,” Harris said. “If you follow my situation, it was not a great situation for me, and it showed in my play. When I am in a great situation next year, and I feel like the people really want me and they want me there, and they believe in me, and what I can do on the field, and they put me in the right situation, that’s definitely a place I’m looking at.”
There is still plenty of time before free agency starts, so the two sides could end up coming to an agreement. However, looking ahead, it appears as if Harris could be playing elsewhere next season.
