On Wednesday, Chicago Bears general manager Phil Emery addressed the media concerning talks of head coach Lovie Smith receiving a two-year contract extension. Emery emphasized he would prefer to discuss contract extensions with players/GMs at the conclusion of the season.
Emery was asked specifically to shed light on a report saying the team had started negotiations with Smith toward a two-year contract extension, The Chicago Tribune reports.
“That’s an interesting word, light, because I kind of took that light-hearted when I heard it,” Emery joked. “I said, ‘Geez, even if that was true, when would we have gotten that done?
When pressed again on the issue, Emery responded with the stance he has taken since day one.
“Again, I said this at the beginning of camp: My preference is to do these things at the end of the year,” he said. “There may be a situation where it’s to the club’s advantage and the player’s advantage to do something during the season. But my preference, and most often that’s better, (is) to wait until the end of the year until you have a full evaluation. … That applies not only to our players, but to our head coach and our coaching staff.”
Lovie Smith’s current deal runs through the 2013 season.
