Nothing has changed since the season ended: London Fletcher wants to return, and the Redskins want him back. It’s still just a matter of working out a contract before another team can pursue him.
Recommended Stories
Still, Fletcher is not about to take any offer just to sign with Washington. He spoke passionately about finishing his career with the Redskins, wanting to be part of the turnaround.
But Fletcher is not a pushover. So if he wants a certain number, he will wait as long as possible to see whether he’ll get it. Fletcher is not ruled by sentimentality; he will stick up for himself. There’s a reason why he has overcome long odds to play this long in the NFL.
“Obviously it’s a business, so it’ll take some time to get done, but we both want to get a deal done,” Fletcher told Sirius XM NFL Radio. “But … if the opportunity presents itself where I do reach free agency starting March 13, I’ll look at any and all situations and kind of weigh offers that may come my way.”
Fletcher is a smart man. Clearly he wants the Redskins to know that he’ll come back on his terms. But what is the market for a soon-to-be 37-year-old linebacker? The best guess is that he’ll eventually get a three-year deal for around $6 million per season, according to one NFL source.
“I’d like to be back,” Fletcher said on Sirius XM, echoing a line he said during the season. “You know, I went to sign with Washington back in ’07, I was going into I think my 10th season, and I don’t think they thought I’d play as well as I’ve played for as long as I’ve played. Fortunately I’ve been able to continue to play at a high level playing out that contract, and I would love to go back to Washington.”
It’s not unusual for a player to try and accelerate talks by dropping warnings. But it’s still hard to see Fletcher leaving. The Redskins have no real replacement, and he’s a major leader in the locker room. They need him. What Fletcher wants to know is this: How badly?
– John Keim
