Former NFL General Manager, Color Analyst for Alabama Football, Executive Director for the Senior Bowl and General Manager for the AAF’s Arizona Hotshots Phil Savage joined Jon Chuckery and Randy McMichael.
Savage, “It’s been a wild ride the last 11 months.”
Savage on the AAF folding, “I think you have to go back to when it all was starting up. All of the GM’s and coaches were told that this league had the financial backing for this league to last at least three years. Then you had the issue in February with a new investor in Tom Dundon but we were reassured that we would be ok. Then you fast-forward to last week and Dundon decided to shut things down for good on Tuesday. We were informed by Bill Polian.”
Savage on the plan for this league, “There was supposed to be a three year plan. Obviously, Tom Dundon had a different idea. The truth is that the USA Today article saying that the NFLPA didn’t cooperate wasn’t exactly true. We had players turning down NFL futures contracts to sign with the AAF.”
Savage went on to talk about what happened with players from a financial standpoint, “There were certain teams that put players out right away but our club (Arizona Hotshots) certainly did not do that.”
Savage then went on to talk about Tom Dundon’s role.
Savage on the impact of other AAF employees outside of the players, “We had people behind the scenes, camera people, operations people that moved here and bought homes and now at the end of the month they aren’t going to have jobs or health insurance.”
Savage on his next move, “I’m not sure yet. I jumped back in the saddle with a Sirius XM show yesterday. I have had an incredible journey the last 10 years but I am going to collect my thoughts with my family over the next few weeks and go from there.”
Savage, “I’m open to anything.”