Nnamdi: ‘I Wanted It To Work Out So Badly’

Nnamdi Asomugha isn’t making excuses for his two down years in Philadelphia, but insists that the dip in production had nothing to do with age.

The newly-minted Niner took part in a conference call with Bay Area reporters Wednesday night, and was asked why his two seasons with the Eagles did not work out.

“I tried my hardest for it to work out. I believed all the way up until the end that it was going to work out. I wanted it to work out so badly,” said Asomugha, via CSN Bay Area. “I wanted to win in Philadelphia. I wanted to be great in Philadelphia. I wanted everything to fall into line and work out, but sometimes it doesn’t work out that way. I think the more level-headed you can be during those difficult moments is how you bounce back, and I think I’ve been pretty level-headed about it. I don’t like to sit and talk about reasons why it didn’t work out. It doesn’t feel right to me.”

Just two seasons removed from being the hottest free agent on the market and landing a five-year deal with the Eagles with $25 million guaranteed, Asomugha signed a one-year contract in San Francisco with exactly zero dollars guaranteed. The Eagles are paying him $4 million this season so he is still being well-compensated, but the modest deal he got from the Niners shows just how far his stock has fallen.

The 31-year-old addressed the doubts that he can still play at a high level at this age.

“Yeah, I know it. Like I said, I know what things went wrong and didn’t work in my favor. I know how those things are fixed. And I know the level I can play at,” he said. “So that’s where I stand with that. I don’t think it’s an age thing. I think it’s based off of not playing well during a difficult two years and being removed from that situation and that environment and just having a rejuvenated opportunity.”

Asomugha added that he has had a chip on his shoulder every year that he has played in the league, but ” it’s bigger this year because of the adversity I went through in Philadelphia.”

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