When the
Eagles traded for quarterback
Sam Bradford last offseason, they did so without extending him, a move many felt was risky.
Well, now we might know why.
According to
ESPN's Jim Trotter,
Bradford's agent Tom Condon asked the Eagles for $25 million a year last offseason when the two sides were discussing a contract extension.
It wasn't reported how many years Bradford's agent was seeking.
Trotter mentions that then-head coach
Chip Kelly, who also controlled the personnel department, wasn't willing to pay Bradford that amount, which is why the two sides never struck a deal.
And given the pay structure of NFL quarterbacks, it's understandable. Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers draws the highest average annual salary at $22 million, with the likes of Seahawks' Russell Wilson, Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger and Giants' Eli Manning -- who have all earned Super Bowl titles, by the way -- falling in behind that.
(Patriots' Tom Brady isn't among the top-paid quarterbacks only because of his generosity.)
Bradford's first season was average at best, as he finished with 19 touchdowns in 14 games to go with 3,725 yards and 14 interceptions. The Eagles finished 7-9 and missed the playoffs, which led the firing of Kelly.
Bradford's new head coach, Doug Pederson, sounded open to the idea of bringing the quarterback back.
"I think Sam is a top-notch quarterback,'' Pederson said. "He would fit perfectly in the system we're going to bring here.''