Derrick Mason would like you to know it's not his fault the Jets are a mess.
New York signed the 37-year-old wideout in August, believing he'd be a solid complement to Santonio Holmes and Plaxico Burress. But Mason struggled to produce and quickly was unloaded to the Texans after reports surfaced of griping about offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer's play-calling.
Mason wants it made clear that he never had issues with the Jets' coaching staff.
"I never complained to Rex Ryan or Mike Tannenbaum, and I hope that one day it come out who actually did it, but I doubt it," Mason said in a report published Monday by Scout.com. "I never went to Rex or Mike to complain about Brian's play-calling.
"I went to Brian and told him I'm sorry about all this stuff that's going on, but I'm not a part of it. We had a great conversation, Brian and I. We can talk as men. I respect Coach Schottenheimer as a coach. Whenever I've had a problem, I go to the individual and we talk as men."
Mason believes the Jets' continued dysfunction after he was traded is evidence that he was used as a scapegoat.
"They were a mess," Mason said. "It was a cluster you-know-what.
"You don't see stuff like this, it's not the norm. Before I left, you could see it materializing. Things heated up. If I was the problem, it would have stopped. If I was the guy complaining, it would have stopped. I wasn't the cancer in the locker room."
Cancer or not, Mason's days populating NFL locker rooms have come to an end, at least as a player. Mason told Scout.com he's retiring after 15 seasons in the league.
Mason finishes his career with 943 receptions for 12,061 yards and 66 touchdowns, not bad for a fourth-round draft pick out of Michigan State.
