Danny Amendola wants to stay in Foxborough.
The New England Patriots wide receiver said Tuesday at a Bryant University Q&A that, at 32 years old, he definitely wants to play next year, and do so for the Pats.
"I'm a free agent this year, so let's say -- the unknown. We'll see what happens," Amendola said, per ESPN. "I definitely want to be here. To tell you the truth, I don't want to leave. But it's a business. I've learned that."
The AFC Championship Game "MVP" was instrumental down the stretch for a Super Bowl-bound New England offense with limited trustworthy receiving options.
All season, Amendola was a dutiful fill-in for the injured Julian Edelman and, while he didn't have a career year by any metric, proved indispensable in the postseason. In three playoff games, Amendola hauled in 26 catches on 33 targets for 348 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner over Jacksonville in the title game.
For the Pats to keep Amendola, the wideout might be forced to take another pay-cut, something he's been willing to do in the past to avoid playing for another less-prolific franchise. Amendola initially signed a five-year deal with the Patriots in 2013, but has negotiated restructured deals in three consecutive seasons -- each at a lower annual salary than the one previous. Last season, the receiver earned a base salary at around $1.3 million and a 1.5 million signing bonus.
With limited cap space with which to play around, can New England make room for this "good football player" again?
