The Philadelphia Eagles gave Asante Samuel 57 million reasons to leave New England in 2008 — a move that prompted Wes Welker to accuse him of “chasing the money.”
Now, five years later, Samuel is advising Welker to do just that.
Welker is poised to hit the free agent market for a second straight year, and this time it appears the Patriots won’t be slapping the franchise tag on their best wideout. The five-time Pro Bowl receiver has a tough decision to make this offseason. So Samuel offered up some advice for his former teammate during an interview with FOX Sports on Wednesday.
“He made the comment when I left, I chased the money and not the championship,” Samuel said. “So here’s my advice to you, Welker: You better chase the money, brother.”
Welker made $9.6 million under the franchise tag in 2012, but turned down a reported offer of two-year deal worth a fully guaranteed $16 million before signing his tag tender. He may be looking for something more in the $10 million per season range this time around, which may be just a little bit out of the Patriots’ price range.
Samuel gave a bit of insight on the Patriots’ business-like approach to free agents as well, hinting that they won’t make any exceptions even for a loyal Patriot like Welker.
“I think it’s ran like a business, and the main objective in this business is to make money,” Samuel added. “So, that’s what it is about.”
Samuel obviously made out with his venture to free agency, and while the 31-year-old Welker might not see the same figures, he should still strike it rich whether it is in New England or elsewhere.
Take a listen to Samuel’s interview below. He spends some time talking about Welker, but also chats about his relationship with Bill Belichick and the Patriots organization as a whole.
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