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Trae Waynes is not happy with how long it has taken for him to officially sign with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Waynes, going into his sixth year in the NFL, is experiencing free agency for the first time in his career following the expiration of his rookie deal with the Minnesota Vikings. He signed his three-year, $42 million contract with Cincinnati back in March and apparently still hasn't officially become a Bengal.
Waynes explained the situation on the Behind the Mask podcast (via James Rapien of Sports Illustrated):
Article Continues Below“That sh–‘s terrible. It's still going on for me … I signed here, but I ain't really sign here. It was cool at first and I'm thinking it'll be done and over with. Ninety percent of the league, it's done for them. I know Cincy and a couple of other teams, they still ain't pay nobody or let them take their physicals, so it's technically still going on.”
He also explained that he hasn't been training at full-speed because he doesn't want to risk injury ahead of taking his Bengals physical:
“It sucks because like I expressed to my agent, I was like, ‘yo, I'm trying to like train.' … But I don't want to train too hard because [if] I f— around and get hurt, then what? It's a struggle because you're trying figure out how to train and prepare for something that may or may not happen and you don't want to risk injury.”
The reason for the delay is also the cause of uncertainty about the start of the NFL season due to the coronavirus pandemic. The league's stance since March that they are full-steam ahead. However, the inability for team facilities to open has not allowed many free agent signees, like the Bengals' Waynes, to take their physicals, which are required before a deal is finalized.
Waynes' agent, Brian Murphy, has made his frustrations on the matter well known, advising Waynes and his other clients to stop working out to avoid injury risks until the contract is finalized.
