San Francisco 49ers safety Dashon Goldson ready to play under franchise tag, hopes for a long-term deal
San Francisco 49ers safety Dashon Goldson has not yet signed his franchise tender, but even if he does not receive a long-term deal by the deadline of July 16, he is ready to play the 2012 season under the tag.
Goldson has showed willingness to play under the tag while hoping that he will receive job security in form of a multiyear deal.
Goldson has been playing for the 49ers since starting his professional National Football League (NFL) career in 2007.
In the 2009 season, he gained the status of their regular starter and posted 94 tackles in that season. In the 2010 season, he once again started all games of the season and made a total of 80 tackles.
He became an unrestricted free agent after that season and reportedly attracted interest from the New England Patriots. However, he decided to return to the 49ers on a one-year deal.
After the season in which he was also named for the Pro Bowl squad, Goldson received the franchise tag valuing a little over $6 million.
He has not yet signed the tender, but he will do so within a few days. The team can also give him a new long-term deal, which will also please the safety, but no progress has been reported in this regard.
Talking to the SiriusXM NFL Radio, Goldson said that he needs a long-term contract, but also maintained that he is ready to play the next season under the tag.
He said:
"I’m hoping something long term will happen. I’m not taking anything personally. I look at it as a business move on (San Francisco’s) part. That’s just the business.”
He added:
"If I have to play for the tag, I’ll play for the tag. But any guy would love long-term security."
He maintained that even if he does not get the desired long-term deal, he will continue to play as per his potential. Goldson commented:
“All these one-year/one-year (contracts) is not what any player would want. We know what we put our bodies through and what we do for our teams. But it’s all good. There’s no love lost or anything like that. I just hope something will get done. If not, I’ll still be a 49er.”
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