Denver Broncos legend Champ Bailey, who will be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August, made an appearance on 104.3 The Fan on Monday and he came to the defense of cornerback Chris Harris once again.
Harris is entering the final season of a five-year, $42.5 million contract and he wants an extension — and raise. Harris earns an average salary of $8.5 million per year, well below the market value for a cornerback of his caliber.
After pointing out that Harris has been underpaid for a few years now, Bailey indicated that it seems to be only a matter of time before the four-time Pro Bowler will get a new contract.
“Every time I look at the tape, nothing changes about his game,” Bailey said. “He just balls, and I don’t know what else he has to do to get his due. I got a feeling he’ll get paid, whether it’s with Denver or somewhere else.
“Hopefully it’s with Denver. They’ll come to their senses and pay him. But we all know John Elway doesn’t pay until he has to. When that time comes, I’m sure he’ll pull the trigger.”
Harris has been skipping the team’s offseason program in protest of his contract situation. Broncos general manager John Elway said last week that he would talk with the cornerback about an extension after the draft.
