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Golden Tate wants to go to a team that can win now

Golden Tate isn’t sure what will happen in free agency, but he wants to play for a contender.

By Jeremy Reisman
Washington Redskins v Philadelphia Eagles Photo by Elsa/Getty Images

Now that the Philadelphia Eagles’ season is over, it’s officially the offseason for former Detroit Lions receiver Golden Tate. A big decision for Tate is on the horizon, as the 30-year-old receiver is due to hit free agency in March with a chance to possibly score his last, big NFL contract.

For the past two seasons, Tate has made numerous comments on the rising salaries for receivers, and it seemed like Tate was heading for a big payday himself in 2019. He reportedly turned down an offer from the Lions in 2018, and was subsequently traded to the Eagles midseason.

Now that his postseason run is over, Tate is turning his attention to that upcoming decision, and he made one thing clear about his future team: they need to be contenders.

“I want to go to a team that has a chance—if I don’t stay here. Of course I would love to stay here (in Philadelphia),” Tate said on Monday. “My years are limited. I don’t have time to go someone who is trying to rebuild. I need to go somewhere where they believe they can win now, they have solid pieces, and that’s what I want to do.”

Some fans have fantasized about Tate coming back to Detroit, and in a lot of ways it makes sense. If the team truly offered Tate an extension, it means they do value the veteran receiver—and they probably value him even more after seeing what happened without Tate in the lineup. Tate, too, likely saw the value in staying with Detroit, seeing as the Eagles didn’t get nearly as much use out of Tate as the Lions did.

But does Tate view the Lions as immediate contenders? No team wants to admit they’re in full rebuild, but the Lions will be sporting a brand new offensive coordinator in 2019, and they, by no means, look like an immediate contender after a lackluster 6-10 season. Of course, Tate knows this team better than any other right now, so he probably has a pretty good handle on what he thinks the future of the franchise will look like.

Will Tate be a part of that future? It seems unlikely, but never say never.

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