:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/44396004/usa-today-8099117.0.jpg)
Jeremy Maclin is going be a highly sought after free agent when his contract expires following the 2014 season. If the Eagles' wide receivers words are any indication, however, he may not even make it to free agency. Speaking with media on Tuesday, Maclin made it clear he wants to stay in Philadelphia. He also suggested that the feeling is mutual.
Must Reads
Must Reads
"When the time’s right, it’ll get done," said Maclin, via CSN Philly. "Both sides have made it clear that they want me to be here. They want me to be here, I want to be here. This is the place I want to be.
"As long as we can agree to something, this is where I want to be. If something else happens, that’s what happens, but I try not to get caught up in that."
It's hard to imagine that the Eagles wouldn't want to bring Maclin back. He's only 26 and he's having a career season. He's set a career high in receptions (82), yards (1,269), yards per reception (15.5), and has tied his single-season high of touchdowns scored (10). With one game left, he'll have the opportunity to boost those numbers even higher.
It's clear that Maclin made a great decision by betting on himself last offseason. The team reportedly offered Maclin a team-friendly multi-year deal but Maclin turned it down and opted for a one-year contract in order to earn a big payday following 2014. His plan clearly worked. Maclin never showed lingering effects from the season-ending ACL injury he suffered in the summer of 2013.
Even if Maclin and the Eagles can't work out a long-term contract extension, the team always has the option of retaining him by using the franchise tag designation. It might not have to come to this based on the way both sides seem eager to get a deal done.
Maclin has been with the team since he was drafted No. 19 overall in the 2009 NFL Draft. He doesn't have any intentions of leaving.
"Why wouldn’t I want to be here? This is a place that drafted me and I want to end my career here. If we can get something done here when the time is right, then that’s going to happen."