Former Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles joined a podcast to talk about his exit from Kansas City as well as signing with the Denver Broncos.
After listening to the podcast, I do believe it stung Jamaal a little bit that Chiefs fans took his comments the way that they did. I also believe he was hurt that the Chiefs cut him. He said it wasn’t personal but it sure sounds like it was personal. Jamaal pointed out he didn’t ask for a trade, it was the Chiefs decision to cut him.
He even said he would’ve taken a pay cut ... had the Chiefs offered it. That’s what will anger some Chiefs fans who saw CJ Spiller get essentially the same deal that Denver gave Jamaal. There’s a report that the Chiefs doctors wanted him to retire and now they didn’t even offer him a pay cut. To me, that sounds like the Chiefs think he’s done. (I would also point out no guaranteed money from Denver)
There’s one way to find out whether he’s done and that will come in September. This story line will continue with Jamaal’s 2017 season.
Listen to the podcast here. A few quotes below (questions are paraphrased).
What did it feel like to get the call from the Chiefs they were going to cut you?
Jamaal: “I thought maybe they would give me a grace period. But I hadn’t performed the last two years. At the same time, I knew it was about business. I think it was cool if they came to me about a pay cut because I think I would’ve taken that pay cut because I think I owed it to them for allowing me to be on the team. When I got that call, it was like, man, it was just one of those things like, OK, man. If it can happen to Peyton Manning it came happen to anybody.”
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How did you take the reality that you didn’t have a job anymore?
Jamaal: “I felt like I was free. I ain’t gonna lie. I felt like I was free. I felt like I was a free person. That’s when reality started kicking in about me not having a team as well.”
What was life like without football?
Jamaal: “It was hard when your kids are talking to you like when are you going to work. They fell in love with the Chiefs too so it hit them that I wasn’t with the Chiefs anymore.”
On the reports that he was at odds with the Chiefs:
Jamaal: “It wasn’t personal to me because I did a lot for the city. I’ve been here nine years. It’s not personal to me. I felt like it was more personal to the Chiefs than to me. Them letting me go, I love this community. I did a lot. I sweat, bleed, two ACLs, meniscus, I left that all out in Kansas City. My heart will always be in Kansas City. It’s nothing personal. I’m excited for the next chapter. I had no choice. It’s not like I asked for a trade. They let me go. At the end of the day, I will always love the Hunt family and the organization. They’re first class.”