Devonta Freeman Says He Won't Request Trade from Atlanta Falcons

Devonta Freeman is set to become a free agent after the 2017 season and has yet to agree to a long-term contract extension with the Atlanta Falcons, but the running back reiterated on Monday that he believes his future is still with the team.

"This is coming out of my mouth: I definitely know I'm going to be playing for the Falcons," Freeman told Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. "This is the team I want to play for. I'm almost 100 percent for sure business will be taken care of because we're all in this thing to win and have success."

Freeman further elaborated on contract talks:

"

When we talk about contract, we know it's a process. We're not rushing to get anything done or anything like that. It's something you work hard for and bust your butt for. Of course, anybody wants to get rewarded. But me and my team, we definitely understand it's a process. We understand the cap and the numbers, all the stuff that comes with it.

On our end, we're just patient. We're just waiting for the right time. God knows my heart. I'm definitely doing this all to take care of my family and help others and even just put my family in a better situation. It's nothing greedy or to be super thirsty like, 'I need this; I need that.' I don't play the game of football for the money. I play the game of football for the love. But fortunately, if you do good in football, you get rewarded very well.

"

Freeman's situation in Atlanta has become fascinating. The week before the Super Bowl, his agent, Kristin Campbell, said, "It's time for the Falcons to pay him like the elite back he is," per Michael Silver of NFL.com.

But on Monday, Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff told John Fricke and Hugh Douglas of WZGC-FM's The Morning Show in Atlanta that the team wouldn't work out an extension with Freeman during this free-agency period. He did add, however, that the team would not trade the star running back (h/t Kevin Patra of NFL.com).

The two sides find themselves in an interesting position. On one hand, Freeman deserves to be paid like one of the elite players at his position. He's totaled 3,175 yards from scrimmage over the past two years and 27 total touchdowns, establishing himself as a vital playmaker for Atlanta.

But the Falcons also have the talented Tevin Coleman in their backfield, who is under contract for two more years but likely will demand a major payday once he is eligible for free agency. So the Falcons are ultimately going to have to decide if they want to commit long-term to a pair of running backs, or if they'd be better off financially committing to just one.

And the Falcons have a limited amount of time to make that determination, as Freeman can become a free agent next summer. If he hits the open market, another team could blow him away with an offer Atlanta isn't willing to match. 

It still sounds as though both sides are interested in extending Freeman for the long term. But it's hardly guaranteed, and the longer the process is delayed, the more Freeman's future in Atlanta will be questioned.