Apparently, a little time hasn’t healed any of the deep wounds between Osi Umenyiora and the Giants.
Umenyiora yesterday issued to the team what either was an ultimatum, a threat or just some hot air: Return me to the starting lineup, or else.
“I am not going be a backup player, I’ll promise you that,” Umenyiora told WFAN. “I will stop playing football before I do that.
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“This has been the worst offseason of my entire life. I can’t think of a time when things were this bad during the offseason. I am supposed to be relaxing, but I can’t because all I can think of is all the things that took place last season. For me, it’s not something that I am going to do. And if they ask me to do that, I will just stop playing football.”
Anyone who seriously believes Umenyiora is willing to walk away from a $3.1 million contract hasn’t met him. The disgruntled defensive end, coming off knee surgery that cost him the entire 2008 season, clashed almost immediately with first-year defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan — one time walking out of a team meeting.
Things went from bad to worse following the Thanksgiving night loss in Denver. Umenyiora was yanked from his starting defensive end role and turned into a situational pass-rusher.
“It almost seemed like the writing was on the wall at that particular time,” Umenyiora said. “I felt I had worn out my welcome because for certain people, no matter what happens, they’ll never take them out of the lineup, you understand what I mean?”
Following the season Sheridan was fired, but Umenyiora displayed no outward delight.
“Me and Bill had that one problem, we talked about it, we figured it out,” Umenyiora said. “You can never blame Bill. It was his first year as a defensive coordinator ever, at any level. . . . I don’t think he did that bad of a job. Obviously, he made some bad calls, but if you have the players in place I think you can make up for that.”
And clearly there’s an issue with Tom Coughlin — who Umenyiora said was actually behind his demotion — that has to be resolved. Newly hired defensive coordinator Perry Fewell last week indicated he sees Umenyiora as a starter.
“I have a lot of love for the team,” Umenyiora said. “I’d love to stay there and I am under contract with them through 2012, so I can’t say with any degree of confidence that I am not going to be there next year.”