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Joey Porter is "not happy" with his role on the Miami Dolphins and suggests that they should play him or trade him.
Bothered by injuries last season, Porter, 32, played in only 12 games, but he still had nine sacks and was unhappy with Miami's youth movement.
"They want to play younger guys," Porter said on ESPN's Jim Rose is Burning from Miami on Monday. "They want me to be a rotation guy. I got a lot of football left in me to be a rotation guy. I don't get paid like a rotation guy. I'm not ready to take that role. I'm not ready to be a role player. I'm still a starter. I still play at a high level. I feel like I can start for any team in the NFL. With me feeling like that, no, I'm not happy."
In 2008, Porter had 17½ sacks and the Dolphins went 11-5 to win the AFC East. Miami slipped to 7-9 last season, and Porter's time on the field diminished.
"First you start off with coming out when I'm tired to keep me fresh for the rest of the season," he said. "Then it's I play a series, he plays a series, I play a series, that's different."
He was told by the team that they didn't want the 11-year veteran to stand in the way of the development of younger players. The four-time Pro Bowler doesn't see why the team wants to keep him if that's the case.
"When you're winning all of this stuff is swept away," Porter said. "Asking me going in this year seeing how last season went, asking me to come in and play that role again, I can honestly say I won't come back and do that."
Does that mean he wants to be traded?
"Why pay all that money and make me a role player," he said. "You make me a role player you're really saying you don't want me."
Joey Porter is "not happy" with his role on the Miami Dolphins and suggests that they should play him or trade him.
Bothered by injuries last season, Porter, 32, played in only 12 games, but he still had nine sacks and was unhappy with Miami's youth movement.
"They want to play younger guys," Porter said on ESPN's Jim Rose is Burning from Miami on Monday. "They want me to be a rotation guy. I got a lot of football left in me to be a rotation guy. I don't get paid like a rotation guy. I'm not ready to take that role. I'm not ready to be a role player. I'm still a starter. I still play at a high level. I feel like I can start for any team in the NFL. With me feeling like that, no, I'm not happy."
In 2008, Porter had 17½ sacks and the Dolphins went 11-5 to win the AFC East. Miami slipped to 7-9 last season, and Porter's time on the field diminished.
"First you start off with coming out when I'm tired to keep me fresh for the rest of the season," he said. "Then it's I play a series, he plays a series, I play a series, that's different."
He was told by the team that they didn't want the 11-year veteran to stand in the way of the development of younger players. The four-time Pro Bowler doesn't see why the team wants to keep him if that's the case.
"When you're winning all of this stuff is swept away," Porter said. "Asking me going in this year seeing how last season went, asking me to come in and play that role again, I can honestly say I won't come back and do that."
Does that mean he wants to be traded?
"Why pay all that money and make me a role player," he said. "You make me a role player you're really saying you don't want me."
