Giants blue. That's all Jason Pierre-Paul knows.
But the Giants' star defensive end is prepared to face a future that doesn't include the team that drafted him.
As he sees it, he made good on his one-year prove-it deal, registering seven sacks _ 5 { of which came in his final two games. And now, he's looking for a long-term contract.
"I'm not signing no one-year deal. No," Pierre-Paul said at his locker on Monday, less than 24 hours after the Giants lost to the Packers, 38-13, in an NFC wild-card game.
"I done proved it, I done showed it, there's not really a guy like me out here doing it with seven and a half fingers _ still," he added, with a laugh.
Pierre-Paul, who turned 28 on Jan. 1, insisted "I would love to return" to the Giants, adding that he and his defensive line mates developed "great chemistry" this past season. But even so, he repeatedly stressed this is "a business decision."
The Giants either could sign him to a multiyear deal or place the franchise tag on him again. But Pierre-Paul said he won't sign a franchise tag.
"At the end of the day, I have a family," he said. "I'm going to sit down and think about the process. Football is a game of business. You don't work for free. And that's basically it. It's going to be a family decision and it's definitely going to be my decision at the end of the road."
Asked about Pierre-Paul's future, Giants coach Ben McAdoo said: "Do I want him back? JPP is a heck of a defensive player. Sure."
Pierre-Paul, who admitted he fell short of his personal goal of playing a full season, underwent surgery to repair a groin muscle injury suffered in Week 13 against the Steelers. But had the Giants defeated the Packers and advanced to the divisional round, he fully expected to be suiting up. "I definitely would have been out there this week," he said.
The season didn't go as he had predicted, but he made it clear that he's done more than enough to prove to the Giants _ and every other NFL team _ that he's deserving of a long-term deal. "You've gotta know your worth, and I know my worth," he said.
For seven seasons, he's proudly worn blue and white. And the support of the team and the fan base has meant a lot to him, he said.
"The Giants have a great organization, a great fan base. The fans have been supporting me for a while. Even when they started to boo me _ did I ever get booed? I don't think I ever got booed. Maybe Eli did, but not me," he said, smiling again. "I'm always hearing 'JPP' and that's something, man. If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. That's why I play. If I made it in New York, you can make it anywhere. New York is the biggest city, biggest fan base and they don't sugarcoat nothing around here. If you [stink], you [stink]. I think I did a tremendous job here."
Pierre-Paul doesn't know what his future will hold, just yet. But he is confident about one thing.
"My future's bright, man," he said. "Lots of football to be played."
