2020 is the second to last year of the current contract for New York Giants tight end Evan Engram. So far, the team hasn’t gotten what they drafted him for, after a rookie season where Engram was one of the league’s most promising offensive players. Injury troubles have befallen the tight end and some have questioned Engram’s effort on the field too, citing problems such as making catches.
However, Engram has other things on his mind than a new contract, despite being somewhat on the hot seat. A better performance this year would be a big start in securing a huge deal like the five year one that George Kittle signed recently. But the fundamentals come first, or at least, Engram claims he’s thinking of those instead of a contract.
Evan Engram explains what he’s focusing on
It looks like Engram will imitate the contributions that Kittle and Travis Kelce have made to their teams – rather than chase after their big deals.
“I think it’s awesome for those guys. They’ve worked their butts off, they’re very talented guys and leaders of their team,” Engram told reporters. “That’s kind of my motivation right now, is to just come in and continue to get better with my talents and to continue to push my team. I’m not going to worry about the numbers and the contracts. My focus right now is just becoming a better leader and a better teammate and a better football player.”
And that could involve stepping up in multiple areas of the game. Not just the passing game, where Engram’s talents are most known.
“I’m basically just going to come in and do what I’m asked every day. That’s being a complete football player. That’s being physical in the run game, that’s being dynamic and flexible in the pass game. We have a lot of talent on our team. I just need to come in and do my part, continue to work as a unit and to be successful on Sundays,” he continued.
While it’s easy to say this is just typical player speak and that no one would openly admit to focusing on money first, Engram does have a good reason to focus on the fundamentals and making an impact for his team. He played in a career low 8 games last season and had a career low in yards, too.
He’s a player of the previous coaching regime, and if he doesn’t perform, he may quickly find himself in the dog house this season.
The Giants still have some hope for Engram and they showed that by not moving on from him and sending him to some other team that’s willing to bet on his potential. Hopefully, this year, their trust is repaid with good performance on the field.