Jason Pierre-Paul: 'I think I'm worth a lot of money'

Jason Pierre-Paul has said that he wants to be a Giant for the rest of his career.

But he also wants to be paid.

"I'm only 26 at the beginning of the year, I'm entering my prime and there is much more football to be played at a very high [level]," the potential free agent said Friday. "I think I'm worth a lot of money."

What the Giants think about that will determine where he suits up next season, because Pierre-Paul hinted that there will be no hometown discount for the only team he has ever known.

"It's business and everybody knows that," he said. "Even the fans know that, family members know it. I will make the best decision to better me and my family."

Pierre-Paul has heard others say what he has said about being a Giant for Life, about wanting to stick around.

"Look at [Justin] Tuck, look at Osi [Umenyiora], look at Brandon Jacobs," he said. "It don't matter."

What matters is how the Giants feel. So Sunday could be Pierre-Paul's final game with the team.

Others are in similar situations. Coach Tom Coughlin seems safe to return in 2015, but nothing has been announced publicly to take him off the hot seat. Asked if that thought enters his mind as he prepares for the final game of the regular season, he said simply: "No, it doesn't."

Defensive coordinator Perry Fewell had roughly the same reaction when asked about what could be his final game with the Giants. Fewell could find his job one of the casualties of the disappointing season, the second straight with a losing record.

The Giants could find that as much as half of the players on the field for them Sunday will not be with the team in 2015.

Which half will Pierre-Paul be in?

"I don't know," he said. "Everybody asks me that question and I really can't answer that question truthfully. I don't know what my future holds. Who knows if I am going to be in a Giant uniform, who knows where I am going to be in the offseason. Like I said, now, the numbers are there, I had a great season, and everybody sees it. There really is nothing else to say, just negotiations and it's coming."

The most significant number to Pierre-Paul is 16, as in the number of games he will play this year. After working through back and shoulder problems last year, he's been able to stay on the field for just about the entire season. He leads the team with 10 1/2 sacks, including 7.0 in the last four games, and has been a strong defender against the run.

"I wasn't completely healthy but I made it through," he said. "This year, my main goal was no matter what injury occurred to me, I got to go out there and keep fighting and fighting. And it all paid off because I played great this season."

How much he thinks it should pay off in dollars will go a long way in determining where he plays next year.

By Tom Rock

tom.rock@newsday.com@TomRock_Newsday

Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.