Take A Pay Cut Or Get Cut

Take a pay cut or get cut. That doesn’t sound like something most athletes want, especially when that athlete is a future Hall of Famer. But that’s exactly what happened to Marvin Harrison today. The Colts simply couldn’t afford to keep Harrison with the amount of money he was making. So instead of working out a deal, Marvin Harrison will test free agency, making it the first time he will be in a different uniform throughout his entire NFL career.

Harrison was one of Manning’s favorite targets for many years, but injuries to the veteran sidelined him for most of the 2007 season and affected his play in the 2008 season. With wide out Anthony Gonzalez entering his third year in the league, the Colts were happy with their situation at receiver. That’s not saying they wouldn’t like to have Harrison back, but they seemed to do just fine with him hurt over the last two years.

While the Colts won’t be the same dynasty they have been over the past few years, (Harrison gone and Tony Dungy’s retirement) they still seem to be in a good shape with Manning, receiver Reggie Wayne, and running back Joseph Addai returning to a balanced offense. So while Colts fans will mourn the loss of a Hall of Famer, the Colts will move on and try to win another Super Bowl.

That’s life as a professional athlete though—players getting bounced around from team to team through trades, free agency, and salary limitations. It all leads to difficulties in trying to keep a player on the same team for his entire career. So while seeing another Hall of Famer in a different uniform might hurt devoted fans, (see: Brett Favre) that’s just how the NFL works.