For now Shelby Harris is focusing on family time, not free agency
Feb 18, 2021, 5:00 AM
These days, Shelby Harris says he’s dealing more in diapers and feedings than deadlines and counteroffers.
On with “Nick & Cecil” on Wednesday, the unrestricted free agent defensive end said he’s focusing on his present — his family — and not necessarily his future, whether that’s with the Denver Broncos or elsewhere.
“Whatever happens, happens. You know, you really can’t stress something you don’t have any control over at the moment,” Harris said. “So, honestly, for right now, it’s the offseason. We just had our fourth kid. So, I’ve been pretty busy already. I think you know I’ve been pretty busy with that.”
The Broncos defensive end made headlines in late December when the club flew him back on a private jet from Los Angeles after the team’s Week 16 tilt with the Chargers in order to see the birth of his son.
“I’m just taking in all the family time that I have because all the stress of free agency, that can drive you crazy,” Harris said. “So, I’m just lucky enough to have a great distraction in my family, that I can just spend time with and not actually think about free agency.”
Harris, who has spent the past two seasons on one-year deals with Denver, said he’s grateful for a “support system” to lean on during what could be a stressful offseason.
“Just with this huge family, it’s kind of a big thing for all of us because we just all keep each other busy and not focused on it,” Harris said.
Last season Harris started in just 11 games after a bout with COVID-19 that kept him on the sidelines for all of November and a knee injury that ended his season prematurely.
Harris was just part of a slew of Broncos defenders who missed much, if not all, of last season with injuries, including Von Miller and Jurrell Casey.
Had the team been healthy, however, Harris believes Broncos Country would “not necessarily surprised but impressed.”
“We always say, ‘What if everyone was healthy?’ And I get the frustration,” Harris said. “But, from going out there and being around a bunch of teams and seeing each individual guy, I know we would have done something nasty this year.”
