At one time, Percy Harvin was one of the most unique talents in the NFL. He earned AP Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2009, and he was an all-purpose force for most of four seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. But an ankle injury ended his 2012 season early, Harvin was traded to the Seattle Seahawks the following offseason and he has played just 19 of 48 possible regular season games over the last three seasons.
Harvin played just five games for the Buffalo Bills in 2015, before knee and hip issues eventually sidelined him for the season. Even speculation about him considering retirement surfaced. The Bills exercised their right to void Harvin’s contract back in February, but head coach Rex Ryan more recently said he wanted Harvin back next season.
Pro Football Talk reported last week that Harvin was “definitely” going to play in 2016, but Peter Schrager of Fox Sports offered the opposite sentiment on Friday.
Though teams have inquired the last few weeks, sources tell me it’s “unlikely” Percy Harvin will be playing football next season. @NFLonFOX
— Peter Schrager (@PSchrags) April 8, 2016
Harvin seems to be waffling back and forth on whether he wants to play football, and given his recent injury history that’s understandable to some degree. But it also fits with his unpredictable personality, which has at times been toxic in the locker room, and if the right team wanted to sign him, Harvin’s tune would probably change again.
Harvin could of course let it out that he’s absolutely ready and willing to play next season at some point, which would theoretically reignite prior interest in him. The inherent risk for teams, apart from obvious durability concerns, would include a flimsy assumption that Harvin will remain committed to playing and that he can fit in without turning on teammates and coaches. That’s an awful lot of question marks attached to a player who hasn’t been useful lately, so Harvin could simply be forced to retire as he nears 28 years old in May.
