Alaina Getzenberg
PITTSFORD, N.Y. — Buffalo Payments working again James Prepare dinner got here out to St. John Fisher College on Sunday afternoon however didn't take part in a compulsory follow for the primary time since in search of a contract extension this offseason.
After follow when speaking to a gaggle of three reporters, Prepare dinner was requested why he didn't take part.
“Oh, nothing. Enterprise,” he stated.
Prepare dinner was requested if it was his selection to not follow Sunday, if he was holding in and if he deliberate to follow Monday. To these questions, he stated merely, “Enterprise.”
The Payments stated “no remark” when requested about Prepare dinner, who's within the last yr of his rookie deal, not collaborating in Sunday's follow. His agent didn't return a request for remark. Prepare dinner was not included in coach Sean McDermott's record of injured gamers not collaborating forward of Sunday's follow.
Prepare dinner was on the sector for all of follow, even spending a brief interval on an train bike with injured gamers, and wore a white sweatsuit with a Payments sweatshirt and a beanie together with his quantity on it.
He was requested how sad he was with the “enterprise” proper now, to which he responded, “Simply enterprise.” He was then requested if he was involved in telling his facet of negotiations, to which Prepare dinner stated, “It ain't no facet. It is simply enterprise.”
The contract scenario has been an ongoing subject after Prepare dinner went public early within the offseason together with his need to be paid like one of many NFL's high working backs. Prepare dinner, nonetheless, had maintained at first of camp that he wished to take part in follow and be there for his teammates — and keep away from being fined. He didn't attend the workforce's voluntary offseason workforce actions however totally participated in all three days of obligatory minicamp and the primary eight practices of coaching camp.
The Payments gave contract extensions to a few different members of the 2022 draft class this offseason in extensive receiver Khalil Shakir, linebacker Terrel Bernard and cornerback Christian Benford.
Prepare dinner is the Payments' lead working again however is a part of a committee. He was on the sector for simply over 45% of offensive performs final yr, with Ty Johnson typically coming in on late downs and Ray Davis additionally getting some alternatives. Prepare dinner's 2,638 profession dashing yards are probably the most amongst gamers from the 2022 draft class. He tied a franchise file for dashing touchdowns in a season final yr (16).
“Generally you'll be able to't get on the identical web page or generally you are attempting to suit it in,” normal supervisor Brandon Beane stated at begin of the camp. “There's occasions guys have left right here that we actually wished. We simply could not make it work. However I can let you know, I am hopeful, once we're sitting right here at subsequent yr's coaching camp, that James Prepare dinner is on the market practising and nonetheless representing the crimson, white and blue.”
