Percy Harvin, who wants to play again, has had one weird career
Percy Harvin wants to play again, and there are reportedly teams interested in him. On one hand that makes sense: He’s a dynamic talent and when he’s right, he is a great difference maker. On the other hand, it makes no sense at all why a team would be eager to bring him into their locker room.
And that pretty much sums up Harvin’s NFL career.
This journey for Harvin has been weird. Because he has bounced around so much lately it’s worth taking a step back and looking at his various stops, as he could be heading to his fifth team in five seasons:
Minnesota Vikings: As a first-round pick, the big story early in Harvin’s career was recurring migraines. He was great when he played though, and a little more durable than he’s given credit for (only three missed games his first three seasons). He also had publicized fights with coaches Brad Childress and Leslie Frazier. Harvin screamed at Frazier, known as one of the calmest coaches in the NFL, on the sideline in a game against Seattle, and another reported verbal altercation may or may not have led to Harvin landing on IR at the end of the 2012 season. Either way, that was it for Harvin there.
Seattle Seahawks: What a crazy legacy Harvin will have in Seattle. He can be on any list of “worst NFL trades ever” and “worst NFL contracts ever,” all from his Seattle stint. The Seahawks traded a first-, third- and seventh-round pick for Harvin. They gave him a six-year, $67 million deal. Yikes. And over two regular seasons, Harvin had 23 catches, 150 yards, no receiving touchdowns and one rushing touchdown. He had more reported fistfights with teammates (Doug Baldwin, Golden Tate) than regular-season touchdowns with the Seahawks.
However — and this is a big however — Harvin was great in the Seahawks’ first-ever Super Bowl win at the end of the 2013 season. He had two rushes for 45 yards, and his 87-yard kickoff return touchdown to start the second half basically ended the game. If you want to say that alone made the crazy trade, crazy contract and all the locker-room drama worth it, I’d have a hard time arguing. That championship banner will fly forever.
Then the Seahawks abruptly traded Harvin during the 2014 season to the New York Jets for a conditional pick that turned out to be a sixth-rounder. That’s right, 19 months after trading a first, third and seventh for Harvin and giving him an enormous contract, the Seahawks dumped him for a sixth-round pick.
New York Jets: I barely remember Harvin on the Jets, though I do remember the trade making no sense for New York. His career there: eight games, 350 yards, one touchdown. This is the quietest of Harvin’s stays, which was probably needed after being traded by a team with which he reportedly punched two of his fellow receivers.
Buffalo Bills: Harvin followed Rex Ryan to Buffalo after his release, and things got weird there too. Harvin didn’t make a trip to London for a game, Ryan awkwardly tried covering for him, Harvin was said to be considering retirement because of a hip injury, but then other reports said he wasn’t going to retire. Harvin ended up on injured reserve. His Bills career: Five games, 19 catches, 218 yards, one touchdown.
Now Harvin wants to play again, and some teams are apparently interested. These mystery teams must be able to see beyond what Harvin has actually done on the field the past few years and just recall Harvin at his best, darting through defenses. They need to have faith in that and not what Harvin has produced over three seasons, because that’s shockingly thin: 71 catches, 718 yards, two receiving touchdowns, one rushing touchdown, and countless headaches. He’s also now 27 years old with a bad hip.
The Bills reportedly would take him back. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said that at least three teams contacted Harvin’s representatives, though many agents for many players have leaked that transparent scam through the years. In Harvin’s case it could be true. He has tremendous talent. He’s also equally problematic and it has been a long, long time since we’ve seen him be consistently productive.
But a really unusual career appears to be ready to continue on.
– – – – – – –
Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
