There is ”no chance” for the United States Football League`s New Jersey Generals to buy out defensive end Richard Dent`s contract for 1986 with the Bears, according to Bears` general manager Jerry Vainisi.
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According to the Generals, they don`t even want to do that.
Generals` president Jerry Argovitz said his team was unaware that Dent is obligated to the Bears for the 1986 option year of his contract until Dent`s agent, Everett Glenn, showed up in New York for a press conference Friday.
”Once I found out he`s got an option year, it changed the entire scenario,” said Argovitz. ”I`m not interested in signing him to a future contract.”
Glenn denied he was using the USFL for leverage in negotiations with the Bears. ”I don`t have time for publicity stunts,” Glenn said.
Dent had no time for the Generals. He missed his plane to New York.
The Bears have offered him a three-year contract for $1.8 million. Glenn praised the Bears` offer a week ago and indicated Dent was close to signing.
”It would take an unbelievably high dollar amount to buy him out,” said Vainisi. ”At this point, there is no chance.”
Dent played last year for $90,000. Under National Football League rules, the Bears are obligated to offer only a 10 percent raise to keep him for 1986. Dent has said he wouldn`t play without a new contract, but if he doesn`t reach an agreement, the Bears could keep him out of football.