Denver Broncos cornerback Chris Harris Jr. is preparing to test the free-agent market when the new league year opens on March 18.
The corner told 104.3 The Fan on Monday he hasn't heard from Denver regarding contract talks since the team parted ways with former director of football operations Mike Sullivan nearly a month ago. Harris believes if he hits the open market, he'll be playing for a new franchise for the first time in his career.
"But I don't know. I think that's the direction right now," Harris said, via Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic. "I think everybody deserves to see what they're worth, and I deserve it at this point. I think I worked my tail off for nine years, I gave the city every ounce of effort that I could give and, shoot, it's time to see what everybody else thinks about me."
Harris was given a pay bump last season in lieu of a long-term contract. The 30-year-old was the subject of trade rumors near the deadline, but John Elway elected to keep the corner, which could set up a potential compensatory pick down the road instead of getting a selection earlier.
Harris said he'd like to stay in Denver if they want him, but Elway was evasive when asked about keeping the corner at his end-of-season press conference.
"That's not a question for me, though," Harris said. "You gotta ask John Elway that. People put it on me. It's not me. You know? It's not on me. They make the decisions of what they want to do.
"If they want me back, then I'll be back."
Still one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL, Harris is a slot maven who takes on the difficult task of locking down some of the shiftiest receivers in the league.
If he moves on from Denver after nine seasons, Harris noted that scheme and usage would play a big role in his next destination.
"I would follow in base, and that's big personnel -- for people listening, that's two-tight end sets and two-receiver sets -- but then when we went to three-receiver sets, we always put me in the slot just because we can do more within the defense," he said.
If Denver doesn't re-sign Harris before free agency, he could be one of the hottest non-quarterbacks on a market that could be wild this offseason.
