There’s no love lost between New England Patriots newcomer David Harris and his former team, the New York Jets.
In an interview Monday with SiriusXM NFL Radio, the 33-year-old linebacker said he felt disrespected by the way the Jets, his employer for the previous decade, treated him in his final days with the organization. New York released Harris on June 6, leaving him little time to land with a new team before spring workouts concluded.
“They kind of blindsided me with the whole thing, being so late in the offseason, a week before minicamp,” Harris said, via ESPN.com. “It came out of left field. It was more about the disrespect of the whole situation than anything else.
“But the Jets made their decision. I had to sit back and be patient and evaluate some things. A couple teams were inquiring about me, but then once the Patriots came into the picture, it was pretty much a done deal as soon as I found out they were interested in me.”
The Patriots, who began their mandatory minicamp the same day Harris was released, signed the 10-year NFL veteran to a two-year contract June 21. He said the decision to join the reigning Super Bowl champions was a no-brainer.
“There was a couple inquiries,” Harris, who has played against the Patriots 19 times in his career, said after his first training camp practice. “But once the Pats came, I already knew what time it was.”
Harris is competing with fellow Patriots linebackers Dont’a Hightower, Shea McClellin, Kyle Van Noy, Elandon Roberts, Jonathan Freeny and Harvey Langi for playing time and roster spots. One or more of those players could see more time on the edge following Rob Ninkovich’s retirement, which would create additional opportunities for Harris, a traditional inside linebacker.
The Jets, meanwhile, are in full rebuild mode after cutting ties with a number of high-profile veterans, including cornerback Darrelle Revis, center Nick Mangold and wide receivers Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker.
Thumbnail photo via Andrew Weber/USA TODAY Sports Images
