New England Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker, who missed voluntary workouts and has been involved in a contract dispute since being labeled with the franchise tag, said Monday that contract talks will not keep him from appearing in any regular season games.
"There are 9.5 million reasons why I wouldn't miss any regular-season games," Welker said on the "Mut & Merloni" program.
Welker had a career year in 2011, catching 122 passes for 1,529 yards and nine touchdowns. He previously said he would not attend the team's June mini-camp without a long-term deal in place, but softened his stance on Monday.
"I think we're still kind of waiting, but I'd really like to be there," Welker told hosts Mike Mutnansky and Lou Merloni. "I don't know. To say I'm going one way or another right now, I'm not going to say it's definite or anything like that, but I would definitely like to be at those minicamps for sure."
Asked if there have been discussions about a long-term contract with the Patriots since the draft, Welker said: "I think we're all on the same page and we're all trying to collectively come together and make something happen."
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