Big paydays arrived for Jennings, Decker, but there's a catch

Free agency for an NFL receiver is unlike free agency for players at any other position. Sure, the grass is greener. But sometimes the quarterbacks are, too.

"It's tough," Vikings receiver Greg Jennings said. "It's the one position where you're 100 percent dependent on somebody else."

To test this theory, let's create a case study using the two most recent first days of December for former Gophers standout Eric Decker. Pay attention, class.

On Dec. 1, 2013, Decker caught eight passes for 174 yards and four touchdowns as the Broncos improved to 10-2 with a 35-28 victory at Kansas City.

On Dec. 1, 2014, Decker caught two passes for 18 yards and no touchdowns as the Jets fell to 2-10 in a 16-13 loss to the Dolphins.

He's the same 6-3, 217-pound receiver with the shifty moves, red-zone value and savvy study habits. But his quarterback situations couldn't be more different.

Last year, Decker was catching passes from Peyton Manning, an active legend, en route to a Super Bowl. Monday, the Jets introduced 12 offensive players before the game and left out starting quarterback Geno Smith. On purpose.

Smith said he just wanted to blend in with teammates. Everyone else raised an eyebrow and wondered if the Jets weren't trying to spare the youngster a healthy dose of hometown boos in his return from a three-game benching.

The Jets had 277 yards rushing but only 13 points as Smith went 7-for-13 for 65 yards with an interception to end the game.

"I would have bet everything I have that we wouldn't be in this situation," Decker said. "It's been tough. But I never regret the decisions I make. I look forward to working every day and turning this ship around."

Sunday, Decker returns to TCF Bank Stadium, where he played his senior season for the Gophers in 2009. It'll be his first trip home in two years, but he's more focused on the Vikings than rounding up tickets for friends and his family in Cold Spring, Minn.

"I made them go to StubHub," Decker said. "I bought zero. StubHub it up."

Meanwhile, on the opposite sideline is another receiver who knows what it's like to leave a future Hall of Fame quarterback for the uncertainty of free agency.

Unlike Decker, who said he didn't receive any offer from the Broncos despite instructing his agent to ask for one, Jennings did have an offer for less money to return to Green Bay and Aaron Rodgers last season.

"In my case, I was seven years into the league and in the second half of my career, so I was thinking more about what's best for my family," Jennings said. "Typically, for a receiver, at the top of your mind in free agency is going to be quarterback. Where can I go that has a legitimate quarterback that I know I can get the ball?"

Jennings called the Packers' offer "unselfish" because they had plenty of younger receivers ready to go without him.

"And knowing what Aaron brings to the table, too, it's unmatched," Jennings said. "I was not going to top it. The odds of me ending up with Peyton? No. Odds of me ending up with Tom Brady? No.

"But I'm a man of faith. Every time I went into prayer, the one thing I heard was 'change.' Money wasn't a concern. I honestly believe in my heart that if they had offered me more money and God told me to 'change,' I have to be obedient."

While Manning and Rodgers sit atop their divisions, Decker and Jennings are at the bottom of their divisions, ranking 44th and 58th in receptions, respectively.

Jennings and Decker also rank 10th and 17th in terms of their contract values. Of course, that comes with a cost.

"You'd really have to do a recruiting spiel if you're trying to say that your quarterback is as good as Peyton Manning is," Jets coach Rex Ryan said. "I was a decent recruiter, but I'm not that good."