Running back Leon Washington, a restricted free agent recovering from a severely broken right leg, will sign his tender contract offer with the New York Jets, two people familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Wednesday night.
Washington, a fourth-round pick in 2006, received a second-round tender last month worth $1.759 million.
The former Pro Bowl kick returner suffered a compound fracture of the tibia and fibula at Oakland on Oct. 25, and missed the rest of the season. He has been training at the Athletes' Performance-Andrews Institute in Pensacola, Fla., for the past five weeks.
When healthy, Washington has been one of the league's more dynamic players, serving a dual role as a kick returner and running back. He took his time after being tendered, exploring his options before deciding to sign with the Jets.
Washington, 27, was injured on his first carry against the Raiders when Oakland's Tommy Kelly rolled up on his leg after a 6-yard run in the first quarter of the Jets' 38-0 win. It was a gruesome injury, which required a rod to be inserted into the tibia, and many speculated about whether he'd be able to fully recover or even play again.
Washington said in January that doctors told him he was way ahead of the normal recovery rate. He is beginning to run, and will continue his rehabilitation at the Jets' team facility in Florham Park, N.J. Jets coach Rex Ryan recently said he was disappointed that Washington was staying away from the team's voluntary workouts, choosing to rehabilitate closer to home after he was tendered. Washington was the only player not at voluntary workouts at the time.
"He may have reasons for not being here or whatever, but the rest of the team volunteered to be here," Ryan said last month. "We would love to get Leon back."
Ryan has also said he envisioned the versatile Washington more as a kick returner and third-down back, behind Shonn Greene and recently signed LaDainian Tomlinson, than an every down ball carrier.
"Let's see where he's at," Ryan said. "I'm not just going to give him the ball 20 times a game coming off of that. He has to be ready to take that kind of role. If he's ready to take an expanded role, then obviously we could see that."
Before the injury, Washington had hoped to get a long-term deal from the Jets after being selected as an All-Pro as a kick returner for the 2008 season.
Washington made $535,000 in the final year of his rookie deal, and was believed to have been looking for something in the range of $5 million to $6 million a year. He sat out the first three weeks of organized team activities last offseason before returning in minicamp "in good faith." He was a no-show when the rest of the team checked in for training camp last summer, but was with the team the next day.
Washington said he was unhappy with the situation and wasn't optimistic a new deal would get done, but never let it visibly affect him on the field or in the locker room.
General manager Mike Tannenbaum has repeatedly said he wanted Washington back, but one of the major stumbling blocks in getting a long-term deal done was the uncertainty of the league's collective bargaining agreement. He said that without an extension of the CBA - which has not happened - the Jets would be able to retain Washington's rights as a restricted free agent for far less than what he was seeking.
Washington has run for 1,782 career yards and 13 touchdowns and caught 123 passes for 969 yards and two scores since coming out of Florida State in 2006. He has also returned four kickoffs for touchdowns, including three in 2007.
It's a good thing Washington finally decided to sign his tender with the team because if he can return to form then he will bring a dynamic aspect to the Jets offense that, at times, was missing last season.
As stated before, he is as dynamic a player as there are in the NFL when he is healthy and the return game also was lacking severely in his absence.
As stated before, he is as dynamic a player as there are in the NFL when he is healthy and the return game also was lacking severely in his absence.
Now there is rumors that the Jets may trade him, but let's be honest here. Can the Jets really afford to trade him? I don't think so because the likelihood of him returning to form is higher than him not doing so, and the Jets can least afford to have him be the Leon of old in another uniform.
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