AJ Hawk will take less to stay longer with Green Bay Packers

AJ Hawk has seen other players refuse to take a pay cut and wind up elsewhere, worse off than before. So when the Green Bay Packers asked, he agreed.

AJ Hawk would rather earn less than leave the Green Bay Packers, the only NFL team he has ever played for.

AJ Hawk was not going to let his ego get in the way of staying where he felt he belonged.

The 29-year-old linebacker has seen other players refuse to take a pay cut and wind up elsewhere, worse off than before. So when the Green Bay Packers asked, he agreed.

Hawk remains one of the team's starting inside linebackers and believes his career is just starting to peak.

"[The Packers] were super respectful how they came to me and let me know that they wanted me to be a part of this team," Hawk said.

"I think it's more of an ego thing than anything that guys can't get over. They don't want to say they're taking a pay cut because it hurts their ego. I let that go a long time ago.

"I wasn't worried about that. I don't care what the outside perception is, if my grandma reads that I took a pay cut and I'm not making as much money, I could put a phone call into her and let her know that, 'It's going to be OK. We'll be fine. I have a financial adviser'."

In March, Hawk took what amounted to a three-year, US$7.25 million (Dh26.6m) pay cut off the five-year, $33.75m deal he signed in 2011. That deal paid him $10m up front, including an $8m signing bonus.

Two years later, when the Packers came to him looking to reduce his pay, Hawk agreed to a restructured deal that pays him a guaranteed $2.2m roster bonus, plus a $1.39m salary for this year; a $3.5m salary and $800,000 roster bonus next year; and a $3.6m base salary and $800,000 roster bonus in 2015.

"If you look around guys that don't accept [pay cuts], it usually doesn't go too well for you," Hawk explained. "I think any guy that plays here will tell you it's awesome, especially a guy that has gone somewhere else and came back or started somewhere else and came here. They'll let you know this is kind of the top of the heap. How they treat you, how they run the organisation, everything is the best. It's all I know in the NFL, so I wasn't in a hurry to get anywhere else."

The fifth overall pick in the 2006 draft, Hawk has always been a solid contributor and always durable, having played in 120 of a possible 122 games (including play-offs) while in Green Bay.

Last season, he was credited with 142 tackles and three sacks but did not have a turnover play.

With the release of Desmond Bishop and DJ Smith, the Packers cast their lot with Hawk and Brad Jones, who re-signed with a three-year, $11.75m deal.

With plenty of questions elsewhere, the only talk about the inside linebackers has been about the youngsters behind the two starters. Hawk has done more in recent years to take care of himself.

He said he has been seeing an acupuncturist weekly for the past year or so, and has also started getting massages and being more vigilant about his diet.

"They put a price on durability here. They love guys who can be durable," Hawk said. "The general public, my parents, my wife doesn't see 98 per cent of the things we do to stay on the field.

"I think as I've gotten older - I don't claim to be very smart, but I think I know how to take care of myself better than I did when I was young.

"I'm 29, [but] I feel better than when I was 20 in college. I definitely do physically and mentally. People may think I'm getting older, I think I'm starting to peak a little bit."

Follow us