Benched after a bad game against the New England Patriots and an unproductive season, New York Jets veteran safety Kerry Rhodes said he's shocked and embarrassed after being replaced by Eric Smith.
Signed to a five-year, $33.5 million contract last year, Rhodes could be traded or cut after this season since he's due a $2 million roster bonus in March.
"I don't know," Rhodes said when asked if he expects to be back next season. "I didn't expect to be in this situation, so I don't know."
Rhodes added that he feels "like a little kid in timeout."
It's no secret that Rhodes is being made an example of, but his substandard play warranted the benching.
"I'm a guy that's looked upon to do a lot of things for this team, and I'm a guy who makes a little money as well," Rhodes acknowledged.
Added Jets coach Rex Ryan: "Not everybody is going to be treated all the same, but everybody is going to be treated fairly. I just know how much this hurts him and I believe football is first to Kerry. I know he's embarrassed by this, as am I, quite honestly. I'm embarrassed because I have a guy with a lot of ability, and maybe it's just not quite there yet."
Rhodes hasn't intercepted a pass, recorded a sack, forced a fumble or recovered a fumble.
Rhodes dispelled the widely-held notion that his pursuit of an acting and modeling career have taken away his attention from football.
"If I can't have a living and do what I want to do besides football, maybe they should pay my bills," Rhodes said. "I have to think of my career outside football. Football is not forever."
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Nov 26, 2009
09:47 AM
He should be embarrassed, especially the way soft Laurence Maroney ran right over him a few times last week..... So instead of running his mouth to the media all year, he should've been in the weight room....