Getty Eagles general manager Howie Roseman.
It’s been a wild week for James Bradberry who found himself at the center of a Twitter feud between the Chiefs and Eagles through no fault of his own. The All-Pro cornerback was absorbing unprovoked blows over a controversial defensive holding call in Super Bowl LVII. Blah, blah, blah.
Everyone is sick of hearing about a ticky-tack call in the biggest game of the year. It wasn’t the reason why Philadelphia lost. They blew a 10-point halftime lead. They had plenty of chances to close it out. They didn’t.
Now the calendar turns to the offseason and free agency, which boasts a boatload of unknowns for the Eagles. General manager Howie Roseman has to make a decision on several expiring contracts, including a big one on Bradberry.
The one-time Pro Bowler outplayed the one-year, $7.25 million contract he inked with the Eagles in 2022. Bradberry should have a ton of suitors on the open market, and the former second-round pick from the 2016 NFL draft expects a windfall. It doesn’t sound like he’s interested in any hometown discount as he weighs the importance of cashing in versus playing on a competitive roster.
“It’s kind of hard to put a percentage on which one is more important,” Bradberry told reporters. “It’s kind of just based on a case-by-case scenario, you know? But I do know those two things are probably the most important to me … being on a good roster, the ability to get to the playoffs and make a run in the playoffs, but also I don’t want to play for cheap, you know?”
James Bradberry said he won’t play for cheap but didn’t rule out a return to Philly, adding that neither side has discussed a deal: “I think it’ll be a combination of winning and money … I love playing here so it’s definitely a possibility that I return.” #Eagles #FlyEaglesFly
We know. And now Roseman knows. Bradberry admitted that the two sides hadn’t broached the topic of a new contract during the regular season.
“Nah, I haven’t at all,” Bradberry said when asked if he and Roseman had chatted. “I think that was kind of by choice. I don’t know what they got planning on over there, and I really didn’t want to ask about it because I wanted my mind on football. Hopefully, we’ll be in contact soon.”
#Eagles now infamous CB James Bradberry, was asked what’s most important to him in free-agency.
“I don’t want to play for cheap, you know?”
Also said he wants to be on a good roster.
Bradberry Loved His Teammates, Energy of Eagles Fans
While the final decision may come down to money, don’t count out the allure of a championship contender with the best fans in football swaying Bradberry. The 29-year-old cornerback was quick to admit that playing in arguably the best secondary in the NFL – alongside Darius Slay, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Avonte Maddox, Marcus Epps – might play a factor. That, and the opportunity to return and play in front of the rowdies in midnight green at Lincoln Financial Field.
“I just enjoyed playing here because we were winning and whatnot,” Bradberry said. “Everything was going so smoothly for us, of course we had some losses here and there, we lost the Super Bowl, but overall, I felt like we had a really good season. I loved the fan support, the energy they brought to the games. I really loved the team that we had, the back seven, we jelled well in the short time we had together.”
Eagles 2023 free agents:
Robert Quinn
Fletcher Cox
Javon Hargrave
James Bradberry
Isaac Seumalo
Andre Dillard
Kyzir White
T.J. Edwards
Boston Scott
Zach Pascal
Miles Sanders
Brett Toth
CG-Johnson
Gardner Minshew
Marcus Epps
Howie is gonna be busy. #FlyEaglesFly #Eagles
Epps and Gardner-Johnson are free agents, too, so it’ll be interesting to see how much dough the Eagles invest in the secondary. Either way, Bradberry won’t use location as a reason not to sign somewhere. The Alabama native has adjusted to the cold weather. Besides, football players are on the road a lot.
“I think it’ll be a combination of wining and money,” Bradberry said. “Location is what it is. No matter where I go, at some pint it’s going to be cold, so I’m not really worried about location for the most part.”
Refs Missed Hands-to-the-Face Penalty on Chiefs
Rewind the tape, please. The referees in Super Bowl LVII missed an illegal hands-to-the-face call against Chiefs tackle Orlando Brown. The 340-pounder can be seen shoving his hands into the facemask of Eagles defensive end Josh Sweat on the same play they flagged James Bradberry for defensive holding.
Worse yet, Brown’s infraction happened before the pass intended for JuJu Smith-Schuster even left Patrick Mahomes’ arm. So, let that sit.
Refs miss a hands to the face on the Chiefs #57 during the play James Bradberry was called for a hold t.co/KwyAT5R0u5