Early Thursday morning, Buffalo Bills safety Donte Whitner took to Twitter to convey that he'd received "not so good info" regarding his future with the team that made him the No. 8 overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft.
According to WGR 550's Joe Buscaglia, also reporting via Twitter (also here), Whitner explained to assembled media exactly what that "not so good info" entails: he and the team aren't progressing very well in contract negotiations.
#Bills safety Donte Whitner told media today that he and team are way off on terms of a new deal, and that he's likely hitting free agency.
Joe Buscaglia
JoeB_WGR
Whitner is in the final year of a five-year deal he signed in July of 2006. In 13 games this season, Whitner has already set a career high with 116 total tackles. Through his five-year career, Whitner - who has played strong safety, free safety and even a little slot cornerback in his time with the Bills - has accrued 428 tackles, five interceptions, a sack, three forced fumbles and a defensive touchdown.
Clearly, there's plenty of time for the two sides to make more progress in negotiations, but Whitner may be playing out the string on his Bills career. He's scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency in March.