Green Bay Defensive end Cullen Jenkins is becoming more fed up by the day with team management of the Green Bay Packers and its refusal even to discuss a new contract with him.
"It's almost like maybe a slap in the face," Jenkins said Friday. "I'm not the type of player that causes a big scene or goes out and displays his unhappiness. You just kind of feel like you're not in the plans, like they just don't see you as a valuable enough player."
Jenkins will become an unrestricted free agent in the next signing period, whenever owners and players decide it will be. The four-year, $15.84 million ($4 million signing bonus) deal that he signed on the eve of restricted free agency in February 2007 expires after the season.
Although Jenkins will turn 30 in January, he has demonstrated the ability to play right end in a 3-4, end or three-technique tackle in a 4-3 and either tackle on passing downs. His versatility would make him attractive to all 32 teams, not to mention the fact he has the interior pass-rushing ability that all teams covet.
The Packers have spoken highly of Jenkins through the years, understandably so. Other than Aaron Rodgers, Clay Matthews, Jermichael Finley and Charles Woodson, Jenkins probably is the most indispensable player on the roster.
"Well, you'd like to have every good player," defensive coordinator Dom Capers said Friday. "I like Cullen. He gives us a lot of flexibility."
So far, Jenkins indicated club management has had almost no conversation with his representative, let alone make him an offer.
In the last two months, the Packers signed Donald Driver and Woodson to two-year contract extensions. Those were the latest moves in a busy nine months in which Brandon Chillar, Chad Clifton, Ryan Pickett, Mark Tauscher and Nick Collins all received lucrative new contracts.
According to National Football League contract figures, the Packers presently rank sixth in the NFL in team salary at $138.5 million. One prominent agent said that the Packers might not have the cash to re-sign Jenkins.
"That could be an issue, too, with all the players that they've retained," said Jenkins. "They just may not have the room for me. It could be why they picked up the new D-linemen. They might want to go young now, young and cheaper."
Any offer by the Packers to lock up Jenkins and thereby prevent him from reaching free agency probably would require a substantial signing bonus. The 30% rule prevents them from increasing his current base salary of $3.2 million by more than 30% next year and in succeeding years.
In September, Arizona gave defensive tackle Darnell Dockett a four-year extension even though he had two years left on his contract. The deal included $30 million guaranteed and reportedly was worth $48 million in new money.
"I look at some of the things that have been going on," said Jenkins. "I even looked at Darnell Dockett. We've been playing the same amount of years. I think he has one more sack than I do over our careers."
Actually, Dockett has two more sacks than Jenkins, 27 to 25. They are the same age, almost the same height and weight and with a shared experience of having played in 4-3 and 3-4 fronts. Dockett was selected to the Pro Bowl for the first time last year.
A friend of Jenkins described him as angry and upset about the team not recognizing his worth and failing to make him a genuine offer months ago. For his part, Jenkins said he was "close" to feeling disrespected by management.
As mild-mannered as Jenkins almost always is, his temper can be volcanic. He has been called "totally Jekyll and Hyde" by a friend.
On the night of Aug. 3, Jenkins lost it during practice and started screaming obscenities at the top of his lungs. The next day, during a meeting with coach Mike McCarthy, Jenkins expressed his frustrations about the contract.
"They called me up to talk," said Jenkins. "I made him aware that I would like to get a deal done. But I guess he's not the one that. . .
"I'm at the point now where I'm not bringing up anything and I'm not pressing anything. I don't care to talk about it anymore. Obviously, it's something that I'm going to think about. I mean, that's your future."
According to Jenkins, he has never discussed his contract with general manager Ted Thompson, Vice President Russ Ball or President Mark Murphy.
Jenkins could put a deadline on potential bargaining with the Packers in the coming months but doesn't think that would relieve his stress. Asked if he'd be amenable to a possible overture from the Packers two months from now, Jenkins replied, "We'll see."
Making matters worse for Jenkins was the broken hand that he suffered on the second play of the opener. Shortly thereafter he was back playing with a club on his left hand, and despite the handicap is off to strong start with three sacks.
Jenkins, whose career-high sack total was a modest 6 in 2006, admitted that his individual goal was 10 sacks. Besides sacks, he seems to be feeling pressure about his hand, his playing time and off-field issues of which he offered little elaboration.
"I'm struggling through a lot of stuff in my personal life right now," he said. "Just some decisions that I need to make better personally. Husband and father. I've just really tried to focus on stuff like that. Just get better as a person.
"My temper is a little unsteady right now. Dealing with stuff off the field. When you add stuff on the field to it, it's not a good combination."