NFL veteran Chris Harris is taking the blatant approach to ring-chasing.
Chris Harris Jr. has spent 12 years in the NFL, including four Pro Bowl appearances at cornerback. He spent 10 games with the New Orleans Saints last season, registering four starts after beginning his stint on the practice squad.
Now, Harris is ready to compete for that elusive second championship. The 33-year-old won a Super Bowl with Denver in 2015 as part of the Broncos' vaunted defense. Now, he wants another one.
Harris is being very open about his goals, too. He is not plagued with illusions of grandeur; he abides by no strict honor code. He's here to win the championship, and he's willing to take a shortcut to get there.
Former Saints CB Chris Harris wants to win the Super Bowl
"[Teams] pretty much know I'm not planning on doing any training camp or anything like that. I'll do the same thing I did last year. I'm not doing training camp and all that OTAs and stuff like that anymore… I want to wait and see what team has a great chance to win a Super Bowl and then try to hop on with them." — Chris Harris via The Denver Gazette (h/t NFL.com)
Honesty is an admirable quality. There are plenty of veterans who would talk themselves in circles trying to justify the exact same decision-making process as Harris. With over a decade of NFL football under his belt, he has no interest in putting unnecessary stress on his body with OTAs or training camp reps. He has no interest, frankly, in playing meaningless football for a subpar team in the twilight of his career.
Harris isn't the first NFL player to ring-chase and he won't be the last. Not everyone is so open about their intentions, but it shouldn't harm Harris' chances of landing on a roster when the opportunity arises. He made sure to clarify to the Gazette that he's in good shape and ready to contribute. He even mentioned a potential position change: "I haven't even got a chance to play safety or anything like that. I've been playing corner for 12 years. I definitely still got a lot left."
Teams who want a veteran presence in the locker room or who find themselves with a need in the defensive backfield could give Harris a ring. If one of those teams is primed to compete for the Super Bowl, expect him to eagerly pick up the phone.
