Veteran pass rusher Junior Galette spoke to FanSided about a frustrating last year away from the game and his hopes for 2019.
Give him a moment. Junior Galette needs to gather his thoughts, his feelings, his words.
For the last year, Galette has sat at home waiting for a chance to play the sport he loves most. The veteran defender had returned from an Achilles injury with a strong showing in 2017 as a rotational pass rusher for the Washington Redskins. Coming into the last offseason, Galette was confident he could land one more major payday and come back better than ever. Instead, like many experienced players, Galette was forced to wait.
“I was very committed and believed that I would find something all the way until Week 13 before I realized, ‘Wow, this isn’t happening.’ For the most part, I was training and staying ready,” says Galette. “I went to workouts in Cleveland and Indy and those workouts felt great. They said I looked great, but they just didn’t have room for whatever reason. It didn’t make sense to me, but you know, it is what it is.”
Galette wasn’t the only one waiting for a call last year. Veteran NFL players have a harder time than ever finding meaningful work in a league that values faster, cheaper players to occupy roster spots. Despite numerous initiatives by the player’s association to lengthen careers, the Associated Press released a study that found the average amount of playing experience on opening day rosters dropped from 4.6 to 4.3 years since 2005. It’s as if the NFL is mirroring its surrounding reality as the veteran middle class slowly disappears, giving way to a chasm between a well-paid class of elite athletes and those playing on slotted rookie deals.
Unfortunately, Galette’s situation was compounded by family tragedy and his own decision-making. It’s not that Galette was a once-talented player still looking for an opportunity that would never come. Instead, Galette had rejected early overtures by teams in hopes of a better deal that never came.
“I can’t even describe the feeling of being able to play and being healthy and going from two deals on the table to not playing at all,” he says. “I can’t describe that. Then on top of that, my mom was diagnosed with cancer. 2018 was just not good for me at all.”
The part that hurt the most for Galette was his inability to channel his frustration in the one healthy way he’d used for years. “All I wanted to do was just fight my battles on the field that I was dealing with off the field. I just wanted to play football and let some type of emotions out,” he said. “That’s what I love to do is play ball. When times are rough and I have football, I can go to the facility and there are people there who understand what I deal with every day.”
Galette says the lessons learned in the last year have provided a bitter pill or two to swallow. More than ever, Galette is taking ownership over his own attitude and actions.
“Not having that really affected me, but it also gave me the strength to reflect on things,” he says. “It made me realize that I was the main reason for my own situation. I was the one to blame for where I was at. I can’t blame any agent or coach. I was the reason that I had two deals on the table and didn’t end up signing. It is what it is. I’m 30-years-old and I should have made the decision to take the offer.”
Those offers came from the Washington Redskins and Oakland Raiders. Initially, Washington offered Galette a two-year, $4 million deal with further incentives. Galette refused the offer because he believed there was potential interest elsewhere, and rumors at the time pointed to teams like the Cleveland Browns and L.A. Rams as potential suitors. Washington pulled their contract offer in late March, but the Oakland Raiders soon came calling.
“I went to visit the Oakland Raiders about a week, I think, after Washington’s offer, and they offered me,” says Galette. “I flew out and saw Jon Gruden, who is a great coach, a legendary coach. I was excited to meet Jon and thought everything was going to be good. Obviously, Jon and Jay [Gruden, Washington Redskins head coach] are brothers and they talk. I thought maybe today is the day, like if we can’t pay this guy then you get him. But Jon said, ‘All we got is veteran’s minimum.’ At that time, my agent and I agreed and said, ‘We just had this other deal on the table, so why would we take the veteran’s minimum? That’s unacceptable.’ But that would have been the best call to take that deal at that point.”
From two offers to waiting all season, Galette wasn’t the only one surprised at his scenario. Mike Renner of Pro Football Focus praised Galette’s ability to return successfully from the Achilles tear and wrote, “With a thin pass-rushing crop in free agency, Galette might be the best value available.” Indeed, Galette provided a quarterback pressure on over 15% of his snaps, good for 12th overall in the league in 2017. That sort of efficiency is typically rewarded. Unfortunately, Galette missed an entire season despite being ready and willing to play for even the veteran’s minimum.
“I have no choice but to understand it. If I say that I don’t, then I’m gonna frustrate myself. Some things are just out of my control. I know how good I am and I know what I can do, what I can bring to a team right now. I’m just going to keep working hard and believe that the universe is going to reward me. I’m gonna keep working hard, being humble, and keep people around me who share the same goals and values to elevate me mentally to where I’m going. I’m in a good place right now. I’m optimistic that something’s gonna shake out in March.”