Eric Weddle: Sam Bradford has been paid more for nothing than any player

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Ravens safety Eric Weddle is not impressed with the Cardinals’ decision to sign quarterback Sam Bradford.

Responding to news of Bradford being slated to make $20 million this year in Arizona, Weddle wrote on Twitter that the contract was stupid.

“So dumb. Bradford has been paid more for nothing than anyone in history of NFL,” Weddle wrote.

Weddle has a point: As the first overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft, before the current rookie wage scale was implemented, Bradford got a six-year, $78 million deal. In 2016, Bradford signed a two-year, $36 million deal with the Eagles, who traded him to the Vikings six months later. And now Bradford gets another $20 million this year with the Cardinals.

That’s a lot of money for a quarterback who has never been to a Pro Bowl, never led a team to the playoffs and never had a 4,000-yard season, or a 25-touchdown season. But Bradford keeps persuading teams to pay him. Maybe some day he’ll live up to that pay.

130 responses to “Eric Weddle: Sam Bradford has been paid more for nothing than any player

  1. It is amazing that he continues to get big contracts for very little production. What didn’t I do right to miss out on paydays like this?

  2. So speaks weddle who was out there when the bengals put the bills in the playoffs

  3. He is a good QB when healthy, but that’s his problem. Not sure what Arizona was thinking on that one. Give me Cousins for 8mil a more per season anyday.

  4. He can’t be trusted to stay healthy. Five times now going back to his last year in college he couldn’t finish the season. Even when he was healthy he never reached his potential.

    Teams just don’t learn.

  5. There are plenty of guys who haven’t accomplished much who have gotten paid, besides, people pay to see quarterbacks, not safeties.

  6. That doesn’t even include the fact that 2 first rounders, a 2nd rounder, and two 4th round draft picks have been spent by teams to acquire him, haha.

  7. Didn’t Bradford set the NFL record for passing efficiency in 2016 – breaking Drew Brees record? Just saying.

  8. If he plays out this contract, he will have made $134,084,404 over his career for 34 wins in 8 seasons. NEVER had more than 7 wins in a season.

  9. maybe he actually gets through a season healthy….he definitely has the ability to play well, he did start off on fire in minny, good luck cards ur gonna need it….

  10. $134,000,000 and counting. Let’s see some stats:

    * 7 years of play (would’ve been 8 years but he missed all of 2014)
    * 80 games played
    * 238 YPG average
    * 101 TDs
    * 85.1 QBR

    I’m sure Weddle is right. Bradford must be the poster boy for all-time pay in the NFL let alone most pay for so little.

    Nice work if you can get it.

  11. @campcouch – people pay to see quarterbacks play, not stand on the sideline in street clothes with a clipboard in their hand!

  12. Maybe weddle should have been a qb if he’s jealous of bradfords money. Why hate on another man making money. Especially one that plays a different position and doesn’t effect your money at all. And also, weddle is just repeating the same thing Michael Bennett said a couple years ago.

  13. Couldn’t. Agree. More. $134 million banked for accomplishing literally nothing in his pro career other than cashing checks.

    Well played sir. Well played.

  14. Weddle is just jealous . If Weddle was smart he would have hired Bradford’s agent.

  15. Teams keep paying him simply because he was a #1 pick and they think they’re getting a bargain.

  16. Anyone who can make their money and fleece the NFL of their greedy money, I’m 100%$ behind. Good for him.

  17. From everything I’ve read, Bradford is a good teammate and fearless while playing. I agree it’s nuts that he’s made as much money as he’s made over the years, but unlike that tool Haynesworth who took Snyder’s money and ran, my impression is that Bradford hates being injured, rehabs like a madman, and is mainly a victim of very bad luck. He seems to me to be a man who wants to earn his money on the field, not off it. I wish him all success with the Cardinals and I hope he and Fitzgerald just plain tear it up winning and playing without injury the entire season.

  18. Eagles fan here.

    The problem with Bradford is…with just shorts on…he looks like Joe Montana. Strap the pads on and he turns to glass.

  19. Didn’t Bradford set the NFL record for passing efficiency in 2016 – breaking Drew Brees record? Just saying.

    ___

    He completed 70% of his passes. When its 3rd and 8 and you throw a 5 yard dump pass, you will probably complete a high percentage of passes. You won’t get many first downs, or score, or win….but dang, that completion percentage…..

  20. He isn’t lying. YOu even have delusional fans commenting here saying he would be a Hall of Famer if he never was injured. The problem with that theory is that the times when he wasn’t injured during a year, he kind of sucked too.

  21. So Bradford woke up one day and Said, Screw you guys I am going to get hurt and never live up to my potential, and collect 135 million in the process.. Stuff happens can’t control injuries.. He’s a good Dude and when healthy has ability to be elite.. He’s not giving up.. give that to him and there are teams who see the potential.. He’s 30 and his knee is not as bad as the media has advertised.. He is a great teammate.. As a Viking man, I certainly wish he could have stayed healthy.. He is now “damned if he does and damned if he don’t” in the eyes of the fan-atic. Weddle should be happy he has not had the injuries.. And don’t tell me if the situation was reversed he wouldn’t have taken the 135 million.. Just saying..

  22. “mitty113 says:
    March 13, 2018 at 8:10 pm
    Didn’t Bradford set the NFL record for passing efficiency in 2016 – breaking Drew Brees record? Just saying.”

    You have no idea what you’re talking about. Brees doesn’t/didn’t hold the record for passer rating. If you think completion percentage is the metric for passing efficiency then you’re even more clueless than I first thought.

    It’s good that you also typed “just saying” as for a second I thought you weren’t saying that.

    Whoever came up with the useless phrase “just saying” however many years ago should be beaten with a wet noodle.

  23. Matt Flynn stole money from Seattle. Cousins just did from the Vikings. Lots of 1st round busts. Always have Jamarcus Russell.

  24. Bradford was going to be the first pick in the draft in 2009…but he returned to school… proceeded to injure his throwing shoulder and couldn’t finish the season…

    Now ordinarily that would’ve ruined his draft stock and that incident alone is why the PFT Staff always encourages football players to do less and demand more money all the time….

    Not Bradford though…He was still drafted number one overall the following year…the man is immune! Immune to circumstances that normal men aren’t supposed to be immune to…must be good karma for his native American ancestry…

  25. Consider that the Cardinals “brain trust” is ready and willing to fork over a $20 Million contract to a guy with this sort of track record. Except for the “Lightning in a Bottle” years of Kurt Warner and the blow hard years of BA where the Cards were just durable to be dangerous at moments, we can now safely say, “Its the same old Cards!”

    Bring those mediocre losing seasons and losing records that just will not end. Can’t wait to see what QB they will draft in the second round, or jump up and waste their pick on Rosen the headcase or Darnold who will be another USC QB who just cannot succeed in the NFL.

  26. eagles19804 says:
    March 13, 2018 at 8:21 pm
    Haters goin’a hate.
    ————————————————————

    Please stop with that stupid saying.

  27. What a turd Weddle is for saying that, sounds like jealousy to me and what the heck has Weddle done during his career, very average player at best who also needs to shave that ugly beard.

  28. Right or wrong, isn’t this the same Eric Weddle who got run over at the goal line by Antonio Brown in the next to final game of the 2016 season, eliminating the Ravens from a possible WC spot?

  29. Just remember, Mr. Weddle, Kirk Cousins beat your team when you went to the Super Bowl. I think you need to stuff it and play ball.

  30. How in tarnation is no one on here mentioning Matt Flynn? Surely I can’t be the only one to remember how he kept continually getting signed and paid fairly ridiculous amounts of money, all to the avail of doing nothing on the field basically.

    His performance when he was in Green Bay and threw for 480 yards and 6 tds, however, is something we all need not forget. That single game performance had basically everything to do with his big pay day (and continued pay days, as I’m sure many teams were hoping he could eventually return to form).

  31. Eric Weddle can’t tackle Tyler Boyd and he’s mouthing off? Sam Bradford could have tackled Tyler Boyd on that play.

  32. Eric Weddle can’t tackle Tyler Boyd and he’s mouthing off? Sam Bradford could have tal

  33. He ain’t wrong

    Smells like desperation to me. They were worried they were going to be the team without a QB when the music stopped, so they threw enough money at Bradford that there was no chance he’d turn it down.

  34. Sounds a lot like jealousy. Fact of the matter is that Bradford, even with the injuries and Jeff Fisher, still has 101 TDs & 57 interceptions, almost a 2:1 ratio, 19k yards, & 62.5 completion percentage. With stats like those teams are going to keep paying him to play in a league where the majority of the QBs aren’t good.

    Weddle should of been a QB if he has problems with it.

  35. Haters goin’a hate.
    ————————————————————

    Please stop with that stupid saying
    ——————————————-
    Same imbecile that came up with that, also came up with that Dilly Dilly garbage. Gotta be…….

  36. It’s close.matt Flynn signed big contracts with Seattle raiders and I think the Jets or somebody and played like 3 games total. I always said he was the greatest guy to never play

  37. It’s all about potential. He’s a top 10, maybe even top 5 QB when healthy and given a fair supporting cast. He is intelligent, has a big arm, and is as accurate as anyone in the league. But, obviously “when healthy” is the key words when it comes to Sam.

  38. Even if the going rate for good QBs is in the 20-30M $$ range, I would not give this man more than 10M $$ max. Even that contract would need heavy incentives, injury clauses etc, to max out 10.

  39. I respected Weedle until this. Perhaps he should have directed that energy to the field of play when the Ravens lost to the Bengals. He was a classy guy in San Diego. What happened?

  40. Too bad the pay scale doesn’t rate copious facial hair or esle Weddle would be richer. Instead he’s just bitter.

  41. Says Eric Weddle…the most overpaid ridiculously overly-coveted never done anything free agent signing in recent memory…couldn’t stop Antonio Brown at the goal line on what was essentially a playoff game on Christmas Day 2 years ago. Shut up jerk. Shut up.

  42. Lots of comments raking Bradford over the coals. The fingers need to be pointed at the GMs. Chipper traded for him in Philly, taking a shot at Sammy coming back healthy. Not enough due diligence, Chip. Vikes trade a 1 and a 4 – talk about a knee-jerk reaction smacking of desperation. As an Eagles fan, love it. Cardinals guaranteeing him $20 mil or so? Love to have some of what that GM is smokin’…

  43. Let the fans make that comment about your co-workers. I would imagine the Quarterback position comes with a lot more responsiblity and work then Safety, just like a normal job theres more expectations from Bradford for his team then you.

  44. What has Weddle accomplished in his career? He won’t even be a footnote in any team’s history. No effect whatsoever on NFL history. Like he was never there.

  45. He’s not a top 10 and certainly not a top 5 QB anyway you cut it. The guy is an injury prone top 5 loser who has never had a winning season which is how you judge a QB. NEVER!!!

  46. Says the guy with the most fundamentally unsound tackling technique in the NFL. The guy gets run over more than a pothole in Philly.

  47. Elite QB’s are scarce, so a team will be willing to pay for an elite QB, even if he’s probably going to get hurt. I see pitchers in baseball signing for $100 million and then never producing because of injuries. But there was a reason those teams paid all that money. Big time pitchers and big time QB’s bring world championships. It’s a risk worth taking. There aren’t 5 QB’s in the NFL that are better than a healthy Sam Bradford. Weddle should be worrying about himself. Chances are he’s just trying to get a media gig after retirement, so he’s playing the clown. He’s doing a good job of it. probably won’t require the makeup artist either.

  48. .
    Injury prone players dont suddenly stay healthy and cant be counted on to be healthy.
    fred taylor, danny amendola etc etc

  49. He’s right. Don’t forget Bradford had the incredibly good fortune to be in the last draft class before the rookie salary cap. Sam never had to work again after year one of his Rams rookie contract.

  50. Hey Weddle..WHAT HAVE YOU DONE LATELY?? Yea Weddle, nothing but get injured. Jerk

  51. 4allintensivepurposes says:
    March 13, 2018 at 8:03 pm
    Lieutenant Dan has more mobility than Bradford.

    283 8 Rate This

    This is one of the funniest things I have ever read in this site. You sir, win the internet.

  52. You’re only worth what someone is willing to pay you. Apparently those teams felt he was worth it. That’s not his fault.

    Still ridiculous though.

  53. Bradford might have been pretty good if he wasn’t always injured. As bad as he has been, he was easily the Vikings best QB when healthy, and actually really good at times.

  54. As a Seattle fan, I was kind of bummed when he got traded out of the division. He alone kept the Rams mediocre for years.

    Glad to see him back!

  55. I get why it irks Weddle, but I won’t begrudge a man for getting paid. And getting paid. And getting paid. And getting paid. Weddle is a pro player who is understandably upset about the system that allows a guy to get paid for next to nothing and he has to really work for it. But Sam Bradford is doing what the NFL allows him, so why not make your family generational money?

  56. Eric I’m sure you already got a call from the players association. Guys like you and Joe Thomas should be supporting your fellow union members. You can’t blame Sammy for coming in before the wage scale. Blame the teams who continue to overpay and over inflate the market. Based off his years of service his minimum base salary would be $915,000 per the CBA. Stop counting other peoples money!!!

    Then you wonder why guys like Mathieu won’t take a pay cut. It’s not his fault the organization overpaid.

  57. “Don’t hate the player, hate the game.”

    Good for Bradford and the next several generations of Bradfords.

    Talk about maximizing your value/market.

  58. Should’ve been a QB then Weddle.
    I’m no bradford fan but I wouldn’t complain about another man’s success, there’s a market and he/his agent have exploited it. Good on them and they get the return from it, I can criticise Bradford because I sure as heck wouldnt turn it down given the same opportunity

  59. Sam Bradford is THE most underrated bust in NFL history. More than Jamarcus, more than “the incredible bulk”, more than the guy chosen after Manning.

  60. C’mon Weddle is better than that.. Bradford isn’t the kinda guy who got paid and got complacent, he wasn’t a Jamarcus Russell by any means.. He’s just been cursed with the injury bug and bad knees.. Pretty sure most coaches and talent evaluator’s would list Bradford as a dam good QB. His stats lately have showed that. He put up amazing stats 2 years ago with that injury riddled Viking team.

    71% Completion percentage?? 5 ints?? Put him on the right team, and he remains injury free he could lead someone deep into the playoffs. He’s not on social media at all boasting about anything, he keeps to himself and plays ball and there’s little doubt that wants to play the game. It just hasn’t worked out so far for him.

    Weddle should back off, he’s better than that..

  61. The contract is for 15 mil if he gets hurt, 20 mil if he finishes the season. He actually turned down two other deals for more money because he liked the situation in AZ better. So it’s not that crazy. Especially if AZ drafts a qb high, Bradford would be a great mentor and bridge.

  62. Per Bill Parcells, “the greatest ability is availability”, and Bradford has spent 1/3 of his career sidelined with injuries. I don’t blame Bradford. I’m just curious as to why a team would pay him $20 million for a season when the chances of him playing that fill season are slim to none.

  63. Bradford can’t be faulted for his big rookie contract – that’s the way the system worked in those days and he was a high draft pick. I will also add that he had four different OCs in his first four years with the Rams – learning a new offense each year isn’t a recipe for success for a young QB learning to play in the NFL. That was the fault of the team, not Bradford.

    Sure – he gets hurt, but in some cases that’s the fault of a bad O-line. And why does anyone care what a pro athlete gets paid? Bradford has shown that he’s a respectable starting QB when he’s healthy. QBs are expensive.

    Do you complain about what actors or musicians or TV personalities make? Go do what they do and you will be in that salary market. Otherwise it’s stupid to just gripe and whine about what guys get paid in a multi-billion dollar industry.

    They get paid what they do because the NFL brings it tons of money.

  64. Weddle sounds a little jealous, and I imagine he had the opportunity to utilize the same agent that Bradford has successfully used.

    Considering how these players are treated like disposable pawns in the billionaire owner’s ‘games’, I say congratulations to Bradford; well done, very, very well done.

  65. He’s spot on. Bradford has been a bust of epic proportions but keeps getting new huge contracts. So nice of the Cardinals to screw Larry Fitzgerald once again. Why he has stayed with that abortion of a team after they continue to do him dirty is beyond me.

  66. “Maybe some day he’ll live up to that pay”

    Or maybe someday teams will wise up and stop paying him ridiculous amounts of money.

  67. Bradford got most of that on his rookie deal…and what’s he supposed to do, turn down the money when it’s offered? The money the last 3 years is actually below average for a starting qb.

    Besides…that doesn’t mean a lot coming from PFF #24 ranked safety. Weddle made $6.5m for his slightly above average play last year.

  68. joker65: Its a miss-leading stat, Bradford hasn’t played a full season … throwing fewer passes … what he played 2 games last season? silvernblacksabbath: So the Cardinals have a better OL …

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