It took a little while, but Michael Crabtree is finally opening up about his time in San Francisco. In a story published yesterday by the San Francisco Chronicle, Crabtree talked about why he left the 49ers and took a gentle jab at Colin Kaepernick in the process.
“A lot of people don’t know that the Niners offered me a contract, I just didn’t take it,” Crabtree told Vic Tafur of the Chronicle. “I wanted a fresh start. It was more money too. The Niners offered me more money than anybody did, but business is business and I wanted to come to a team that really wanted and needed me.”
His developing relationship with second-year quarterback, Derek Carr, has been well-documented in the offseason and Crabtree said Carr’s presence played no small part in his decision to sign with the Raiders. “I needed new scenery. It wasn’t for me,” Crabtree said. “I needed a quarterback that can deliver the ball, and that was hungry like I was.”
No doubt, Crabtree is hoping his one-year contract in Oakland will lead to a long-term deal after the season, but he doesn’t sound like a player focused on the business of football. “I like the guys around me,” said of his new teammates, “and I would do anything for them, on or off the field. We’re going to have fun.”
All quotes are via San Francisco Chronicle; full story can be found here.
Follow on Twitter: @raidersbeat