Written by Frank Schwab at YahooSports.com
Percy Harvin wants to play again, and there are reportedly teams interested in him. On one hand that makes sense: He’s a dynamic talent and when he’s right, he is a great difference maker. On the other hand, it makes no sense at all why a team would be eager to bring him into their locker room.
And that pretty much sums up Harvin’s NFL career.
This journey for Harvin has been weird. Because he has bounced around so much lately it’s worth taking a step back and looking at his various stops, as he could be heading to his fifth team in five seasons:
Minnesota Vikings: As a first-round pick, the big story early in Harvin’s career was recurring migraines. He was great when he played though, and a little more durable than he’s given credit for (only three missed games his first three seasons). He also had publicized fights with coaches Brad Childress and Leslie Frazier. Harvin screamed at Frazier, known as one of the calmest coaches in the NFL, on the sideline in a game against Seattle, and another reported verbal altercation may or may not have led to Harvin landing on IR at the end of the 2012 season. Either way, that was it for Harvin there.
Seattle Seahawks: What a crazy legacy Harvin will have in Seattle. He can be on any list of “worst NFL trades ever” and “worst NFL contracts ever,” all from his Seattle stint. The Seahawks traded a first-, third- and seventh-round pick for Harvin. They gave him a six-year, $67 million deal. Yikes. And over two regular seasons, Harvin had 23 catches, 150 yards, no receiving touchdowns and one rushing touchdown. He had more reported fistfights with teammates (Doug Baldwin, Golden Tate) than regular-season touchdowns with the Seahawks.
However — and this is a big however — Harvin was great in the Seahawks’ first-ever Super Bowl win at the end of the 2013 season. He had two rushes for 45 yards, and his 87-yard kickoff return touchdown to start the second half basically ended the game. If you want to say that alone made the crazy trade, crazy contract and all the locker-room drama worth it, I’d have a hard time arguing. That championship banner will fly forever.
Then the Seahawks abruptly traded Harvin during the 2014 season to the New York Jets for a conditional pick that turned out to be a sixth-rounder. That’s right, 19 months after trading a first, third and seventh for Harvin and giving him an enormous contract, the Seahawks dumped him for a sixth-round pick.
To continue reading this article, click here.
