CB Chris Harris, Jr. says he loves 'being a Bronco' but admits he's 'unhappy' on heels of 0-4 start
As he held out from the Denver Broncos' offseason training program, veteran Pro Bowler Chris Harris, Jr. postured himself as one of the NFL's true shutdown cornerbacks.
Based on his resume, I believed him and fans did, too. With the Broncos caving to his demands — giving him an unprecedented single-season $3.5 million raise in a contract year without extending the term of his deal — it's safe to say GM John Elway believed Harris could operate at that level as well.
Four games in, though, the returns on Harris' play have not backed up that No. 1 'shutdown' claim. In Week 4's 26-24 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Harris was exposed multiple times, including in the clutch.
He has not been the same physical presence in run support either, which has led some to perceive his play as being that of a mercenary making 'business decisions'. His expertise, obviously, is in coverage and if he was at least carrying his share of the water in that department, the Broncos could probably live with him being less-than-enthusiastic about run support, despite tackling being 'non-negotiable' to Vic Fangio.
But when's the last time you can remember Harris breaking up a pass when targeted in coverage? Those pickens have been slim, and so opposing quarterbacks are increasingly targeting Harris and he's been exposed more often than not — and when he is, he pops up immediately following the whistle in disbelief that the pass was completed and usually turns and looks at the closest Broncos' defensive back with arms raised in a 'where the heck were you?' type of posture.
An ugly look.
After the disappointing Week 4 loss to Jacksonville, on his way out of the locker room, Harris reportedly told the Denver Post's Mark Kiszla, "I ain't saying nothing. 13 more weeks for me."
The implications of the statement are disappointing and only bolster the notion that Harris is, in fact, making 'business decisions' of the self-preservation sort on gamedays, or at best, going through the motions.
However, after Kiszla's "13 more weeks for me" report broke, Harris took to Twitter to post what appeared to be a very curated statement about where he's at emotionally and, I guess, professionally.
There was a time I think most fans would have given Chris Harris, Jr. the benefit of the doubt here. But his play on the field and the vibe he has been putting off in the wake of the team's 0-4 start belie his "I love being a Bronco" statement and smacks too much of a veteran who's already checked out and is playing 'for next year'.
The problem with that mentality is that, at least for now, Harris won't be a Bronco next year. Again, he's in the final year of his contract, playing on a deal in which the Broncos gave him basically $3.5M in 'free' money to keep him happy and locked in for 2019.
I doubt Harris viewed that raise as 'free' money and it can absolutely be argued that he earned that raise via services rendered. But that's not how it works in the NFL typically. Teams pay for future performance not services rendered.
The Broncos aren't getting what they paid for in Harris and frankly deserve better than what he has given them through the first quarter of the season. And that's not to imply that the 0-4 start is Harris' fault. Far from it.
But he's kidding himself if he thinks his play hasn't contributed to this lackluster product on the field. I believe that, as he says, Harris is "unhappy". I believe that after making the playoffs in each of his first five seasons and winning a Super Bowl, Harris has been somewhat spoiled by the Manning era in Denver.
But if he thinks the standard he's setting out on the grass through the first quarter of the season is going to see him go out on the open free-agent market and command No. 1 cornerback money, he's got another thing coming.
Where to go from here
The NFL trade deadline is October 29 and at this rate, the Broncos might be better off putting Harris on the trading block and seeing what type of return they can get before he walks in free agency next spring. It brings me no pleasure to write this but despite Harris proclaiming his "love" for being a Bronco, his play and demeanor don't back it up.
Maybe John Elway eventually obliges him. If that's how it ends up going down, it would be a disappointing way for Harris to punctuate his nine-year career in Denver, to say the least.
There was a time when the idea of trading Chris Harris, Jr. would have been considered blasphemous in the Mile High City. But that's where we're at today. And it's not all his fault.
After all, Harris hasn't been the one making the personnel decisions and coaching hires that have led the Broncos to where they're at. He can't control such maneuverings but what he can control is his play on the field and his conduct off of it when dealing with the media.
Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.
