MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Reggie Bush’s future is a much-debated topic in South Florida. But there’s no controversy from Bush’s end.
Bush wants to return to the Miami Dolphins next season after he becomes a free agent.
“I would love to be back here,’’ the running back said in an interview with FOX Sports Florida after carrying 14 times for 87 yards in Miami’s 24-21 win over Seattle on Sunday at Sun Life Stadium. “I don’t want to keep bouncing around from city to city. I would love to be here.’’
Bush, making $4.5 million this season, expects the conversation to begin soon with his agent, Joel Segal, about how contract talks will be conducted with Miami. Bush believes the Dolphins have a legitimate shot to win the Super Bowl this decade, and he wants to be part of it.
“I love Miami,’’ Bush said. “I love the city. I love the football team. I really enjoying playing here in this city, and I really enjoy building something special. I want to bring a Super Bowl to Miami and kind of restore some of that greatness about the Miami Dolphins. So I look forward to it.
“It’s like a project almost. You kind of want to build something from scratch. That’s the same thing we did in New Orleans; we built that team from scratch. I look forward to doing the same thing (with the Dolphins).’’
Bush joined the Saints in 2006 after they had gone 3-13 the previous season. They eventually won the Super Bowl after the 2009 season.
Bush was traded to Miami prior to last season. The Dolphins went 6-10 in 2011 and are now 5-6.
Bush was able to break out of a slump Sunday, rushing for his second-best total of the season after having gained just 82 yards in the previous three games. Bush was asked if he believes a strong finish to this season is important in determining whether the Dolphins, who have young running backs Daniel Thomas and Lamar Miller, will want to re-sign him.
“Honestly, I don’t know,’’ said Bush, who last season ran for a career-best 1,086 yards and this season has 662 yards with five games remaining. “Business is business. You never know in this league. It’s a cutthroat league. I would love to be back, but it’s not my decision. It’s kind of up to the general manager (Jeff Ireland) and the coaches, if they like what they see.’’
With this year’s Heisman Trophy winner soon to be announced, Bush also was asked Sunday whether he has any thoughts about what should happen with the 2005 Heisman he won at USC but was forced to give up due to having accepted illegal benefits. While the Downtown Athletic Club has stated there will be no Heisman winner for that year, there is still clamoring that quarterback Vince Young, the 2005 runner-up from Texas, should get the trophy.
“I haven’t really put any thought in it, and I don’t really care to revisit that,’’ Bush said. “Whatever they do, it really doesn’t matter to me …. That was a time in my life that was very tough for me and my family to go through, so I’ve moved on from that.’’
But Bush doesn’t want to move on from the Dolphins.
Chris Tomasson can be reached at christomasson@hotmail.com or on Twitter @christomasson
