Valentine Holmes has signed on to New York Jets’ practice squad despite at least five eager NRL teams calling his manager to check if he might be returning to Australia.
The Jets cut Holmes on Saturday while slashing their roster from 90 players to 53, sparking the flurry of interest from NRL clubs.
Holmes, however, is keen to keep his NFL dream alive and on Sunday agreed to join the Jets’ practice squad.
He will train with the team but not play games.
The 24-year-old’s manager Chris Orr said the time will come when Holmes will have to make a decision on whether to fully commit to the NFL or rugby league.
“At some stage he will need to make a decision about his long-term future,” Orr, director of Pacific Sports Management, told AAP.
“Is it NFL or is it NRL?
“If it’s NRL then he will have a line up of clubs chasing his signature with more then five already making contact in the past 24 hours seeking Val’s position following the news he did not make the 53.”
Holmes will earn about $US136,000 ($A202,000) on the Jets’ practice squad.
It is a significant pay cut from the five-year, $A5 million contract Cronulla offered Holmes before he left for New York and what other NRL teams would be willing to pay.
Holmes’s stellar NRL career meant he had achieved almost every milestone at the age of 22 – with a grand final win with the Sharks, State of Origin success with Queensland and representing Australia.
He does not want to live with regrets and will give the NFL his best attempt.
Holmes is also young enough to return to the NRL if his American goal is not realised.
The Jets used Holmes sparingly during their four pre-season games the past month but Holmes still exhibited his deft hands and speed with eight receptions for 85 yards, including a long of 27 on Thursday against Philadelphia Eagles.
“Witnessing Valentine compete on the NFL field recently at MetLife Stadium against the Eagles gave me confidence he could make it in the NFL long term as he didn’t look out of place at all and performed extremely well,” Orr said.
Holmes will take up the Jets’ 11th practice squad position.
NFL teams are usually restricted to 10 practice squad spots but the Jets and three other NFL teams this season are participating in the International Pathway program designed to recruit elite non-US athletes.
Regular practice squad players across the league can be signed by rival teams, but the 11th Pathway spot players are off limits.
The Jets open their regular season against the Buffalo Bills on September 8.
piru
Roar Rookie
Don't get me wrong, I applaud Holmes for his efforts, but the real Aussie NFL story we should be getting is Jordan Mailata. He's playing a much harder position, and doing a much better job of it than Holmes is
0oB
Guest
Rookies that aren't high draft picks earn tiny amounts compared to what you're thinking, for their first 4 years in the league. And RBs (the position Holmes is ostensibly trying out for, though he really should be more of a slot receiver / gadget player) generally get paid relatively little compared to other positions and rarely get big guarantees. That would certainly be the case with Holmes - even if he made it and was an absolute star, he'd be 29 by the time he got to unrestricted free agency... and 30 is generally considered the death knell for running backs. They just don't get big money (and certainly not multi-year guaranteed money) at that point. So yeah, he *might* make more overall thanks to exchange rates and income tax differences (though in NY/NJ that effect is lessened)... but probably not that much more. And that's only if he's a star and get a year or two of decent pay once he got to be a UFA - which he probably won't. This has to be about passion and/or challenge. The money aspect simply doesn't make sense from a risk/reward view.
0oB
Guest
Strange (imo) to get Hurling & Gaelic Football mixed up, lol. But then, I gew up with Irish parents. Anyway, Hayne didn't get drafted - he made a 53 man roster as a UDFA. That said, he went in without the international pathways safety net.. so the team was not incentivized to stash him on the practice squad for a year (as the Jets were with Holmes). It was pretty clear as early as the second preseason game that Holmes was never going to be considered as an option for the 53 in 2019. Holmes, by going the international pathways route, had essentially already committed himself to a 2 year stint (otherwise the only effect from going that path would be negative to him, with no positives). If certain members of the Australian (Rugby League) media understood how these systems work, they would know this (*cough* Paul Kent), but they don't.
My Little Pony
Roar Rookie
I was a bit confused because hurling has players using a stick to hit a ball. Curling is a sport that retired NRL players could excel.
steveng
Roar Rookie
I should have said "Gaelic football", its all Irish to me lol now that I though about it a bit more, it must be that? You tell us then, which is it! :happy:
John
Guest
Earning 100K+ and working 17 weeks a year isn't too bad. I'd take that deal and spend a fair bit of time travelling around the North and South American continent.
My Little Pony
Roar Rookie
Steven, can you name one player who made a successful transition from Hurling to AFL? They are very different sports.
Albo
Roar Rookie
Yep ! He has given it a go. But I can't help but think it will prove to be a waste of time for him. They obviously don't think he is good enough, at least for this season , by the little action he has been given in the trial matches. And he has not shone in those few moments he has had. Not sure their "pathways" programme is anything more than a Club marketing tool for overseas fan interest ?
Chris.P.Bacon
Guest
+1.
Supa
Roar Rookie
Honestly who the f@#k cares about the nfl
Con Scortis
Roar Guru
Also if he doesn't make it there's always the Rugby Sevens. But good on him for trying.
Steve
Guest
Hahahaha.
steveng
Roar Rookie
"I have a dream' and that is about all that Holmes has, not that the NYJ have the same dream It just baffles me why these guys ever have a go at the NFL, as they earn such great money and have such a great future in the NRL. The NFL is not just an easy transition and a comp that a gun player can just come in e.g. like with the AFL and Hurling, where there have been allot of good recruits, in the NFL (where there is huge money involved) and the draft is enormous and where millions of guys compete and start at such an early age to be drafted, Holmes has a lot of competition and results like his are very common! I know that Hayne got drafted but, he was lucky that the 49'ers were desperate and they had a much easier draft and Hayne was there at the right time at the right place, but he still got dropped to the 49'ers practice squad!
Jacko
Guest
Yeah that 200k is for 17 weeks work so pretty damn good $$ from where I sit but thats the minimum he could be on and it could be a lot more....If he lands a contract in the top side next year it will be millions a year and he would end up owning an NRL team if he wanted to......These guys get very serious cash if they do top side....
Stormy
Roar Rookie
THIS IS NOT RUGBY LEAGUE NEWS!!!!! A big weekend of games, results & injuries & this tops the list when I log onto this site I'm greeted with this - give me a break.
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
Much good it did JH38 when he got cut to the practice squad. But a dream is still a dream until you wake up!
Robzo
Guest
Not a good decision, overstaying his welcome.