Breshad Perriman is a free agent this offseason, but the 27-year-old wide receiver has a strong desire to stay in New York – and he wasn’t shy about expressing his desire to return to New York if the offer was there when he joined the Zach Gelb Show on CBS Sports Radio Thursday night to talk about the upcoming Super Bowl (featuring his former team in the Buccaneers).
“The energy and the time I had playing with those guys on the team right now, there’s no way I could say no to that,” Perriman said. “So hell yeah.”
Perriman said that last offseason, a return to Tampa Bay was a possibility prior to signing a one-year deal with the Jets, but even after watching Tom Brady lead the Bucs to a Super Bowl appearance while New York limped through a 2-14 season, he doesn’t feel any regret for how this past season unfolded.
“Everything happens for a reason,” Perriman said. “I really loved my time in New York with the players in the locker room and the coaches, so I don’t regret it at all.”
From the outside, much of the Jets’ season had the looks of a disaster, with departures of star players like Jamal Adams and Le’Veon Bell preceding 13 straight losses to open the season. Some players expressed their frustration with the team, including linebacker Avery Williamson, who voiced his anger regarding lackluster team practices on Joe & Evan during the season. But Perriman saw things differently on the practice field.
“I don’t know what he meant by that,” Perriman said. “Whatever team you’re on, there’s going to be some bad practices. That’s just being in the NFL. That comes with it. I don’t know exactly what he meant, but that’s my take on it.”
Perriman took it a step further, saying the culture around the team and inside the locker room was one that suggested anything but the look of a two-win team on the verge of firing its head coach.
“The guys in the locker room made it easy to come to practice every day,” Perriman said. “Of course we didn’t have the season we wanted to, and of course we were pissed that we weren’t getting the wins we wanted, but coming to practice was really cool. The energy was still high. It almost felt like we had multiple wins on our belt or we were undefeated. We were still having fun and giving it our all.”
The sword of Damocles hanging over the Jets this offseason will hang over the quarterback spot, which Sam Darnold currently occupies. If Perriman, who had 505 receiving yards and three touchdowns this season, were to return, he would love to see Darnold get another shot at running the offense.
“I feel like Sam can do it all,” Perriman said. “He can be mobile if he needs to. He has a crazy arm and can drop balls on a dime. He doesn’t’ cate about anything, he just wants to win. That’s what I love about him the most. He’s so calm and poised, you can feel his calmness when pressure builds up. He was very good at keeping his cool. Personally, it helped me out and a lot of other players on the team.
I have huge respect for Sam.”
Of course, many Jets fans hope to see a change at quarterback, particularly in the form of a blockbuster trade bringing superstar Deshaun Watson to New York. For Perriman, regardless of who is taking snaps for the Jets next season, he wants to be a part of it.
“You know me, no matter who is there, I’m just going out there to do my job,” Perriman said. “Everyone knows Deshaun is an absolutely great player and can do it all, and Sam will get there as well. I have the same confidence in him. He has as much ability and potential as Deshaun Watson. So I feel like either way, its’ a win/win situation.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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