49ers’ Vernon Davis: Absence from OTAs ‘in best interest of my brand’
San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis has been absent from the team’s OTAs this week, and in a radio interview on the Jay Mohr Sports radio show, he gave his explanation why.
More from NFL
- Packers training camp news: Jordan Love struggles, Bakhtiari schedule, position switch
- 3 Cowboys who won’t be on the roster after training camp
- Packers: Aaron Rodgers reached out to Jordan Love this offseason
- Damar Hamlin is a ‘full go’ at Bills training camp
- NFL rumors: Eagles RB1 hint, Bryce Young shows out, C.J. Stroud slow play
During the course of the interview, Davis alluded to the fact that despite having two years remaining on his six-year, $42.5 million contract extension (signed in 2010), he is ready to hammer out a new deal:
"“Every decision that I make is in the best interest of my brand. At the end of the day, sometimes we have to make a business decision. And my decision is to work out on my own and focus on building my brand, as well as balancing everything out. Just being able to retire as a 49er. All my life, it’s my dream to retire as a 49er. That’s the hope I have at the moment.”"
When Davis refers to his “brand”, he’s not just talking about an illusionary thing either. In April, Davis became the first athlete to sell stock tied to the value of a player’s name, signing away 10 percent of his future income through Fantex. Davis reportedly received $4 million from the IPO, which sold 421,100 shares.
Right now, the Pro Bowl tight end isn’t in dutch with the coaches, but the team’s mandatory minicamp starts on June 17 and Davis can be fined if he is a no-show for that.
Davis is the second highest paid tight end in the league in terms of average salary, trailing only the Dallas Cowboys Jason Witten.