Linebacker Anthony Barr had agreed to sign with the New York Jets during the NFL's tampering period, but because he did not actually sign any actual papers, he legally had the opportunity to back out, and that is exactly what he did.
Barr opted to spurn the Jets to return to the Minnesota Vikings on a multi-year deal, and his decision to come back made Vikings safety Harrison Smith emotional when discussing it on Tuesday:
“He’s one of my best friends. Honestly, I wanted him to go get as much money as he could make,” Smith said, according to Anthony Broome of 247 Sports. “In pro sports, that’s how things happen. I obviously wanted him here as well so I wasn’t going to be upset one way or the other. It’s an emotional game when you make friendships and you make plays together and you’re pumped for the guy next to you. It’s why I play.”
Barr's deal has the potential to pay him $67.5 million over five years, which was actually slightly less than what he would have received from New York.
But, sometimes, it's not all about the money, which Smith made very clear on Tuesday.
Barr is coming off of a 2018 campaign in which he played 13 games and finished with 55 tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble en route to his fourth straight Pro Bowl appearance.
The 27-year-old, who played his collegiate football at UCLA, was originally selected by the Vikings with the ninth overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft.
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