Giants DE Umenyiora Ending Holdout After 1 Day
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - Two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora has ended his holdout after a day and reported to the New York Giants.
Umenyiora reported to training camp Saturday afternoon after missing the opening day of training camp at the team's headquarters.
The 29-year-old failed to report Friday. He said during the summer that he was unhappy with the team because general manager Jerry Reese failed to live up to a promise to renegotiate his contact after last season.
"I'll be there today," Umenyiora said in a email to The Associated Press around 3:20 p.m. Saturday.
Neither Umenyiora nor Reese was immediately available for comment after the player reported around 4 p.m.
Umenyiora started all 16 games last season and led the league with 10 forced fumbles. His 11 1/2 sacks tied Justin Tuck for the team lead.
Tuck hinted earlier in the day that Umenyiora might return soon.
"I think he realizes this is a business and he's doing what's best for him. You can't blame him for that," Tuck said. "A lot of people have different opinions on how to handle the situation. You might not see eye-to-eye with how he handled it. He has to do what's best for him. That's all I tell him to do. My biggest concern is that he doesn't do something that's going to hurt Osi."
Umenyiora ripped Reese in an affidavit filed by players as part of an antitrust suit against the league during the recent lockout.
Tuck felt the comments would not be a problem.
"A couple years ago Michael Strahan was in a similar situation," Tuck said. "He might've had a little bit more (leverage) being a future Hall of Famer. You've got to understand, we just got out of a tremendous business deal with just being able to come out here and play this game again. It is a business.
"I think a lot of people get caught up in the loyalty to the game and things of that nature like the Giants in this situation. We're definitely loyal to the team. But, in Osi's situation, he feels as though he needs to do this."
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