Sam Bradford during his stint with the Arizona Cardinals
Another year calls for another NFL team getting nothing out of Sam Bradford. Once upon a time, the former Oklahoma Sooner was at the top of his game as he was drafted No. 1 overall, and won Offensive Rookie of the Year. Now, his skillset is not much better than any other backup, but his salary has been ridiculously overrated for the past few years.
Somehow, the Arizona Cardinals thought it would be a great idea to sign Bradford to a $40 million contract for two year’s, according to Over The Cap. After an abysmal start to the season, Bradford was sent to the bench mid-game for rookie quarterback, Josh Rosen. Then, the Cardinals held on to Bradford, as they kept him inactive for weeks to save money.
When the trade deadline came and went without a deal coming in for Bradford, the Cardinals decided that enough was enough. And on Saturday afternoon, they finally got rid of Bradford. Now, he will have to go through waiver claims to see if any team will pick him up. While there are teams that could use a quarterback, Bradford comes with a steep price to pay.
How Much Is Bradford Worth?
Former Cardinals’ QB Sam Bradford now goes on waivers. If a team claimed him, it would inherit his Cardinals’ contract – $2.5 million in base salary, $2.5 million in roster bonuses and a $20 million salary for 2019.
Seeing as though Bradford would come with a ridiculous contract that includes $20 million for next season makes it very tough to imagine that the veteran quarterback will find another team this season. After all, though, this is Sam Bradford that we are talking about. The same guy that cost the Minnesota Vikings a first-round pick just a few seasons ago.
Some teams could use a quarterback right now. The Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants, Buffalo Bills, heck, even the Oakland Raiders could use one. But will any team be willing to bring on Bradford? Specifically the Jags or the Giants, who could be decent teams that are at a roadblock because of their poor quarterback play.
Who Is/Isn’t Interested?
Automatically, Bradford was linked to the New York Giants as he has had ties with some of their staff. For instance, Bradford’s offensive coordinator during his tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles was Giants head coach, Pat Shurmur. Seeing as though the situation with Eli Manning has gone sour over in New York, Bradford could potentially bring a different spark to the offense.
It doesn’t look like he will, though. According to ESPN’s Dianna Russini, the Giants have “No Interest” in bringing Bradford to New York. As for the Jaguars, it’s unknown as to whether they have any plans to make Bradford Blake Bortles replacement in 2018. Many speculate, and are open to the fact that Bradford and the Jags could a good match, but would it be worth it for them at this point?
The Jaguars are currently 3-5 on the season, sitting at the bottom of their division. And although Bortles has been wildly underwhelming, the Jaguars issues are more than just the quarterback position. Bringing on a contract like that should only be for teams that are in the position to make a second-half run. We’ll see what happens on Monday, as teams will have the opportunity to claim Bradford from waivers.