Sam Bradford has earned over $100 million in his career, and let’s count up his Super Bowl wins.
One … two … three … oh wait, it’s zero!
Zero Super Bowls. Zero playoff wins. Zero playoff appearances. Zero winning seasons. Zero Pro Bowls.
And now his feelings are hurt because he’s being asked to compete for the job that he’s getting paid $1 million a week to do? Not even compete. He’s being handed the job and he still doesn’t want it?
Despite an uneven career, despite his injuries, despite the fact that he turns 29 in the middle of next season, the Eagles gave Bradford a two-year contract worth $35 million last month. He’s already pocketed $5½ million of that. That money is his to spend, invest, do what he pleases.
Not only did the Eagles give Bradford a ton of money, but executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman also emphasized that despite the team’s trade up to No. 2 to draft a young quarterback, Bradford will remain the team’s starting quarterback.
Seems like a pretty good deal for Bradford. He remains the starter, he makes a ton of money, he gets to show the world how gifted he is.
But on Monday we learned, via a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter quoting unnamed sources, that the contract, all the guaranteed money and the promise of a starting job just aren’t enough.
Roseman, asked Monday about the report, did not deny it and reiterated his desire for Bradford to remain the Eagles' starting quarterback.
Nonetheless, Bradford now plans to boycott the rest of the team’s voluntary offseason activities and wants to be traded because the Eagles plan to draft a QB with the second pick in the draft.
So apparently Bradford not only wants to be wealthy beyond any of our comprehension and not only wants to be named the starter but also wants to make sure there’s no young stud quarterback on the roster to actually push him. To actually provide competition. To actually make the team better.
I want a quarterback that embraces competition. That relishes it. Not one that runs from it.
All Bradford has to do to guarantee that Carson Wentz or Jared Goff — whoever the Eagles take at No. 2 — doesn’t set foot on the field in the near future is play lights out. Go out and win a bunch of football games. Lead this team. Take it deep into the playoffs. Prove you can be that elite guy.
Earn that massive contract. Play like a No. 1 overall pick.
The Eagles already handed Bradford $5½ million, the first installment of his $11 million signing bonus. Which doesn’t include the $7 million in base salary he’ll earn this year along with another $2 million for a playoff victory.
Imagine walking into your boss a few weeks after pocketing a check for $5½ million and saying you don’t feel like coming to work anymore?
Bradford knew all along the Eagles were in the market for a young quarterback.
It was hardly a secret.
Heck, coach Doug Pederson told me in an interview in mid-February, just before the NFL Scouting Combine — a few weeks before Bradford re-signed here — that he coveted a young, potential franchise quarterback.
“As a coach you want that opportunity to be able to coach one of these guys,” Pederson said. “To teach him and help him grow and develop.”
We all knew what the plan was.
If Bradford didn’t want to quarterback the Eagles in a situation where there was a young QB also on the roster, why sign here? Why take the Eagles’ money? Why cash their checks?
But this is disturbing on a deeper level.
Did Donovan McNabb demand a trade when the Eagles drafted Kevin Kolb? No. Same with Kolb when the Eagles acquired Michael Vick. And same with Vick when Nick Foles began pushing him.
They didn’t run and hide. They used the challenge as motivation. McNabb reached an NFC Championship Game a few weeks after getting benched for Kolb in Baltimore. Vick had a Pro Bowl season after competing with Kolb. Foles had a Pro Bowl season after competing with Vick.
Go battle for the team paying you $17½ million a year. Go fight. You think your team doesn’t believe in you? Do what athletes have been doing forever. Prove the doubters wrong.
Out-play the kid. If Bradford performs like he did the last seven weeks of last year, he’s not leaving the field.
And if Bradford plays like a true No. 1 pick and takes the Eagles on a deep playoff run or two over the next two years, he’d be due for a historically massive contract after the 2017 season. Either here or somewhere else.
Now, keep in mind that just before Schefter’s report appeared, Yahoo’s Charles Robinson — again quoting unnamed sources — reported that Bradford actually was not planning to ask for a trade.
But the fact that Bradford began skipping voluntary practices on Monday and Roseman didn’t deny the Schefter report when given the opportunity speaks volumes.
I like Bradford. I was awfully encouraged by his play the second half of the season, when he completed 68 percent of his passes, had 10 TDs and just four interceptions and recorded a beefy 97.0 passer rating.
But I don’t want a guy who runs at the first sign of a challenge. Who even when a truckload of money and a starting job are promised to him, still wants out.
It’s time to move on.
It’s time to trade Bradford to the highest bidder and recoup a draft pick or two. Does that mean welcome to the Chase Daniel Era? For a year, yeah, it has to. But heck, Bradford hasn’t accomplished anything Daniel hasn’t. And at least he won’t run and hide at the first sign of a hot-shot rookie out to take his job.
If Bradford doesn’t want to be here, let’s give the football to someone who does.