B/R: Sam Bradford’s deal with Cards ranks among last decade’s worst
Mar 9, 2020, 7:00 AM | Updated: 9:01 am
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Sam Bradford leaves the field after their loss against the Los Angeles Rams during an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The play of Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray in his first year after being drafted No. 1 overall in 2019 may help Cardinals fans forget about the uncertain nature of the quarterback position in 2018.
After quarterback Carson Palmer retired following the 2017 season, the team was tasked with finding a new signal caller.
The Cardinals signed Sam Bradford to a two-year, $40 million deal and drafted Josh Rosen 10th overall just a few months later.
Suffice to say those moves didn’t work out.
Rosen was traded to Miami during the 2019 draft a day after the team selected Murray, but well before that, Bradford was cut with his free agent contract going down as the fourth-worst deal of the last decade, according to Bleacher Report’s Tyler Brooke.
Although the contract was a total dud, the Cardinals structured the deal with Bradford’s injury history in mind, making it slightly more palatable. Still, when you put that much money on the line for an injury-plagued quarterback, people are going to criticize the move heavily for years to come.
Sam Bradford (Cardinals), $40M, $15M gtd, $10m signing bonus, salaries $5M (gtd), $7.5M (Option year); no trade clause, $10M roster bonus third day 2019 lg yr, $312,500 per game active 2018, $156,625 per game active 2019; $1M annual Super Bowl win incentive
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) March 19, 2018
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Bradford only played in three games, all losses, with the Cardinals in 2018, tossing four interceptions to only two touchdowns and sporting a quarterback rating of 24.0.
He was benched in favor of Rosen, released that November and hasn’t seen an NFL game since.
Arizona went on to win only three of its 16 games in 2018, with Rosen posting a slightly better quarterback rating of 24.7.
The deal for Bradford was risky at first glance due to his history with injuries, including the season previous when he only played in two games with the Minnesota Vikings.
However, the talent was there if Bradford could could have regained his healthy form.
Two years prior to joining the Cardinals, Bradford played in 15 games with the Vikings and threw 20 touchdowns with 3,877 yards and only five interceptions.
Brooke deemed Brock Osweiler’s $72 million deal with the Houston Texas the worst NFL free agent contract given out in the previous decade.
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