Washington GM Mayhew says Scherff declined record contract originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
The Washington Football Team’s All-Pro guard Brandon Scherff has played out each of the last two seasons on the franchise tag. It’s earned him hefty salaries relative to his position but his future has been in flux as the two sides have attempted to work out a long-term deal.
According to Washington GM Martin Mayhew, the team hasn’t balked at the notion of a record-setting deal. Mayhew joined head coach Ron Rivera for an end-of-season press conference Tuesday and talked about the state of negotiations with Scherff and his agent.
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“Brandon is an outstanding player,” Mayhew said. “Seven years here, five Pro Bowls. You can’t replace that kind of production. Very, very respected in the locker room and it’s been great getting to know him. It’s my first year here, being around him and seeing his work ethic.
“But I think our fans should know, we’ve made every effort to get something done. We’ll continue to work on that. Last year we made him an offer to be the highest-paid offensive guard in the history of the National Football League. We’ll keep that dialogue going and we’ll see where things go.”
Scherff, 30, was drafted by Washington with the fifth overall pick in 2015. He’s since been a staple on the team’s offensive line, though injuries have forced him to miss time each of the last five seasons. Scherff was named First Team All-Pro for his play over 13 games in 2020 and will be one of two players representing Washington in the Pro Bowl next month.
During his own exit interview Monday, Scherff expressed an interest in returning to Washington and shared his optimism for the franchise’s future.
“I'd love to be here and I hope I can end my career here,” Scherff said. “I said that the last couple times, and that's always the goal for me is to kind of finish where you started. I think we got something good building here. [Sunday's win vs. New York] was just a good stepping stone of where we can go.”
However, when asked why a deal hadn’t been reached in the past, he didn’t offer much.
“Honestly, I couldn't tell you,” Scherff said. “It's between my agent and here, so I'm just worried about playing football and doing what I can to help this team win.”
