Has Westbrook really reached the end of his career?


We all knew that Westbrook had been dinged up for the past couple of seasons, but as it turns out he may be worse off than any of us actually know.

According to Westbrook, the Eagles didn't even approach him about the possibility of taking a pay cut in order to stay an Eagle in 2010.

I thought they would at least come to me and offer me an opportunity to come back and play with a restructured contract, maybe a pay cut,” Westbrook told 97.3 ESPN Radio, “and be able to come back and try to help the team get over that threshold, get to playoffs, and win a Super Bowl."

"Coach Reid just called and said, ‘We’re gonna release you and we’re gonna give you an opportunity to basically hit free agency early on and not wait around,’ and I guess I appreciate that.”

I'm only reading the transcript of the interview, so I didn't get to hear how Westbrook said that, but it certainly seems like he's saying he would have been interested in taking a pay cut. It seems like he wanted to stay in Philly and no longer cared about the money.

And if the Eagles aren't even willing to take some money back from him, they must feel like he's reached the end of the line and has absolutely nothing left.

We all know how much the Eagles love getting a deal, and it would seem like getting a running back of Westbrook's caliber back for a reduced price would work out for both sides. The Eagles love saving money, and Westbrook wanted to be back.

It's incredibly telling that they weren't even interested to find out if he'd take the cut.

Of course, there is the possibility that Westbrook wouldn't have taken the pay cut, but now that he's released is saying he would or feels like he would have without being put in that spot. Being asked to take a pay cut is a real slap in the face to any player, and his pride may have gotten in the way had he been asked.

It's also possible that the Eagles figured they didn't want to hit Westbrook with that slap in the face. As crazy as it sounds, simply being released it sometimes better for a player to hear than being asked to take a pay cut.

But Westbrook has been in Philly his whole football life. He played at the University of Villanova, was drafted by the Eagles in '02, and is now looking to play elsewhere for the first time in a decade.

Westbrook doesn't believe he's finished and has said that at least three teams have already contacted his agent. That may not mean they're offering deals, but it at least means there are teams thinking about it, and that means Westbrook won't be one of those guys forced to retire simply because nobody wants him.

Personally, I'm not sure how much Westbrook has left and wouldn't be surprised to see him break out another 1,000 yard season or to see him get about 30 carries all year long and really never see the field. We'll just have to wait and see.

I will, however, be rooting for him. As I'm sure most of you will, as well.