Sam Bradford Thinks The Eagles Should Pay Him $25M Per Year — Is He Worth It?


Does Sam Bradford know something that we don’t? The current Eagles starting quarterback didn’t have the best of seasons, but he just might be hoping for an unrealistic pay raise anyway. According to a report by CBS Sports (via the Big Lead), just prior to the start of the 2015-16 season, Sam Bradford was hoping to be one of the best-paid quarterbacks in the NFL. However, former Eagles coach Chip Kelly had his doubts.

ESPN’s Jim Trotter said, “One of the reasons Chip didn’t try [to] extend Sam right away, I’m told, is Tom Condon, Bradford’s agent, came in asking for $25 million a year.”

He added, “Well, that’s not going to fly in Philadelphia.”

Well, I couldn’t imagine there are many teams in the NFL at present where such an asking price would fly. To confirm this, I visited Over the Cap to see exactly how much NFL QBs are making each year. What I found was that most quarterbacks are not getting $25 million per year — despite achieving far more success with their respective teams. Tom Brady of the New England Patriots could be considered criminally underpaid.

After checking the annual income of much more consistent and successful quarterbacks, the Sam Bradford demand becomes that much more puzzling. How is it that Bradford (through his agent) believes that he should be one of the best-paid quarterbacks in the NFL?

Well, perhaps it’s because prior to this past season, Sam could afford to play up the “potential” to achieve great things for the Eagles. He was a Heisman winner, and he was voted Top Offensive Rookie in 2011.

You could say he had the same problem Colin Kaepernick does: Both quarterbacks can impress behind a solid offensive line. However, when things aren’t coming together offensively, they seem to lack the ability to make things work with just their own skills. As pointed out by CBS Sports, Sam Bradford threw “3,725 yards and only 19 touchdowns against 15 interceptions.” His overall stats just don’t stack up to the kind of money he was hoping for. His contract wasn’t extended with the Eagles, and there’s a good chance they may look elsewhere for a more stable starting quarterback.

Interestingly enough, there are rumors circulating that Kelly, who’s now the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers, wants to sub Colin out for Sam.

In order to stay put, Bradford would likely have to accept considerably less money starting next season. There are few teams that would be willing to pay up the kind of money his agent was asking demanding — even for an outstanding quarterback. Salary caps are certainly a factor, one that neither Sam nor his agent should forget when moving forward. They should also remember his performance during the regular season, as that will significantly diminish their bargaining power.

I won’t say, as the Big Lead’s Ryan Phillips did, that the $25 million asking price was “insane.” Instead, it could be said Sam Bradford’s agent, Tom Condon, was being a combination of overly ambitious and downright sneaky. With Chip Kelly acting as both head coach and general manager, perhaps Condon underestimated him, assuming he wouldn’t know paying an average to mediocre quarterback $25 million per year was such a bad thing.

Off the back of such a gamble, Tom was likely trying to secure his client — and himself — the best money possible during a precious window of time. If Condon asked during August, as multiple reports have suggested, he asked well before Sam Bradford was revealed to be far from worth that kind of money. I’m certain it could be strongly argued Bradford wasn’t worth that per year in August. However, his chances of securing that kind of payday were still much better than they are now.

In such a situation, it’s understandable that an agent would gamble on the odds of Kelly’s optimism and ignorance to secure the best deal possible for his client. Unfortunately for both Condon and Bradford, Kelly wasn’t interested in taking the bait.

Even if rumors prove true of Kelly’s interest in bringing Bradford to San Francisco to join him, it probably won’t be for $25 million per year. Let’s remember that the 49ers are likely looking to unburden themselves of Kaepernick, who’s already quite expensive to the team despite looking increasingly like an average-to-mediocre quarterback himself.

Do think it was ever reasonable for Sam Bradford to ask for $25 million? Do you think his agent will try to ask for this much money again? Share your thoughts below!

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