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Today in Patriots History
Drew Bledsoe becomes a "Patriot for Life"
Signs richest contract in NFL history
Drew Bledsoe becomes a "Patriot for Life"
Signs richest contract in NFL history
March 7, 2001:
Patriots sign 29-year old QB Drew Bledsoe to a record-setting 10-year, $103 million contract, through the 2010 season.
PLUS: N.F.L.; Richest Contract Goes to Bledsoe (Published 2001)
Drew Bledsoe signs biggest contract in National Football League history, agreeing to 10-year, $103 million deal that virtually guarantees he will spend his entire career with New England Patriots (S)
www.nytimes.com
BLEDSOE’S RECORD DEAL: 10 YEARS, $103 MILLION
With Greater Boston besieged by swirling winds and heavy snow, hundreds of flights into Logan Airport were canceled or diverted earlier this week. But not Drew Bledsoe’s, which left Montana on Tuesday morning and arrived at 10:30…
www.courant.com
Not 100% true, as Drew did come off the bench in the playoff win over Pittsburgh
Do the Math: Bledsoe Gets Record Deal, Pats Save Money - Washington Post
Drew Bledsoe signed the biggest contract in NFL history yesterday, agreeing to a 10-year, $103 million deal that virtually guarantees he will spend his entire career with the same team.
The deal surpasses the reported 10-year, $100 million contract signed by Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre last Friday.
"I've expressed over and over again my desire to play my entire career with the New England Patriots," Bledsoe said. "It looks like that is a very real possibility."
The new agreement, which includes an $8 million signing bonus, allows the Patriots to save $1.3 million against next season's $67.4 million salary cap, according to the team's Web site.
Bledsoe Signs $103-Million Deal
New England Patriot quarterback Drew Bledsoe signed the biggest contract in NFL history Wednesday, agreeing to a 10-year, $103-million deal that virtually guarantees he will spend his entire career with the same team.
www.latimes.com
Patriot owner Bob Kraft said Bledsoe has a chance to be remembered in Boston like Ted Williams, Bill Russell and Larry Bird, each having played his career in the city.
Bledsoe was scheduled to make $7.6 million this season, but his contract would have counted for $9.8 million under the salary cap.
The new deal, which runs through the 2010 season, saves only about $1.5 million under this year’s cap. But, unlike some other high-profile signings, the money is spread relatively evenly over the contract--without a balloon payment that could require another restructuring in a few years.
Bledsoe gets $103-million
Drew Bledsoe signed the biggest contract in NFL history Wednesday, agreeing to a 10-year, $103-million deal that virtually guarantees he will spend his entire career with the same team.
www.tampabay.com
The sides had been talking about a deal for almost a year. But the talks accelerated when Kraft decided the deal had to get signed soon if the Patriots were to take advantage of the salary cap savings in this year's free agent market.
Although the total value of $103-million was confirmed by both sides, it is a complex contract with annual salaries that depend on bonuses and team options. Bledsoe is guaranteed about $24-million over three years, but to cut him at that point the team would take such a salary cap hit that it is extremely unlikely.
Patriots give Bledsoe lengthy contract extension - UPI Archives
In a move that had two specific purposes, veteran quarterback Drew Bledsoe of the New England Patriots Wednesday confirmed that he has signed a contract...
www.upi.com
It is believed that in the new deal, reportedly for $103 million over 10 years, Bledsoe accepted less money at the front end of the contract in order to help provide salary cap space for New England this year.
The Boston Globe reported in its Wednesday editions that the two sides were negotiating a deal that would fall between the five-year, $28 million deal just signed by Brad Johnson with Tampa Bay on Monday and the $10-year, $100 million extension signed last week by Brett Favre with Green Bay.
Bledsoe, a former No. 1 pick by the Patriots out of Washington State in 1993, was the youngest quarterback ever to throw for at least 10,000 yards when surpassed that mark before the end of his third season in 1995.
Last year, while playing behind a weak offensive line, the 28-year-old Bledsoe still was able to complete 312-of-531 passes for 3,291 yards and 17 touchdowns with 13 interceptions. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 1994, '96 and '97, and helped lead the Patriots to the Super Bowl following the 1996 season.
Bledsoe here to stay -- Patriots.com
It's been more than three weeks since Drew Bledsoe officially found out he would be the Patriots quarterback likely for the remainder of his career. While that news hardly came as a shock to the eight-year veteran, it was a welcome occurrence just the same.
. . .
Bledsoe continued saying, "1986", signifying the Celtics last championship, and the last title of any kind in Boston. He knows that no matter how many passes he completes or yards he throws for or touchdowns he tosses, people around these parts judge you based on titles won.
Now he has something else to make things difficult in his title quest. Actually, it's more like 103 million additional things. Bledsoe's contract extension is a 10-year, $103 million pact that has him among the highest paid players in the game. His production over the last two seasons frankly doesn't rate him in that echelon, causing his critics to rear their heads once again.
Those critics feel Bledsoe is limited. They say he's as good a passer as there is in the game, but only under ideal circumstances. Bledsoe feels the fans "have been appreciative and supportive for the most part" saying it's all part of the job.
As for the contract, Bledsoe seems almost embarrassed by it, admitting, "the numbers are silly, really." But the deal isn't all that bad for both sides. The team has several options to release themselves from it and "only" roughly $32 million is guaranteed, meaning if Bledsoe doesn't produce, the Patriots won't be stuck with the bill.
For a laid back kid from a rural background with schoolteachers for parents, the millions of dollars are almost surreal. Bledsoe retells a story from his rookie season of 1993 when he received his first paycheck and called to check on his bank account.
"I was used to hearing, 'Your balance is $1.15,' Bledsoe explained. "They deposited my check in my existing college bank account and I called and heard, 'Your balance is $1,604,000.' I still shake my head just thinking about that, and that happened eight years ago."
Patriot Missiles
With lightning strikes from special teams and laser-guided passes from a resurgent Drew Bledsoe, surprising New England punched a ticket to New Orleans
vault.si.com
Coming off a 5-11 season in 2000, Belichick's first as their coach, the Patriots were involved in more drama than Mariah Carey. There was tragedy too. In training camp 45-year-old quarterbacks coach **** Rehbein dropped dead from a heart attack. After the season began, players chafed at the disruptive antics of mercurial wideout Terry Glenn, whom Belichick suspended for the postseason. New England started the year 0-2, losing Bledsoe in the second game with what turned out to be a sheared blood vessel in his chest caused by a straight-on shot from New York Jets linebacker Mo Lewis. Teammates still shudder at the memory of Bledsoe, 20 pounds lighter after a four-day hospital stay, returning to the team looking, as Huard said, "practically ghostlike."
The Patriots were 1-3 when Brady, a sixth-round pick out of Michigan in the 2000 draft, rallied them from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the San Diego Chargers in overtime. That turned around New England's season, which ended with the Patriots' (13-5) winning their first AFC East title since 1997 and Belichick proving he is much more than one of the game's preeminent defensive strategists.
What Happened to Drew Bledsoe? Former $103 Million QB's Path in the NFL
Drew Bledsoe was replaced by Tom Brady after nine seasons with the New England Patriots and needed to find a new city to call home.
www.profootballnetwork.com
After the season, New England traded Bledsoe to the Buffalo Bills for a first-round pick. In his first season with Buffalo, he passed for 4,359 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. As a result, Bledsoe was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year and named to his fourth and final career Pro Bowl.
The Bills started the next season with two wins, including a 31-0 home win against the Patriots in Week 1. Yet, that was the highlight of what ended as a 6–10 season. Bledsoe finished the year with 2,860 passing yards and 11 touchdowns in 16 games, career lows in both categories in seasons in which he played 6+ games.
Buffalo started 0-4 the next season and appeared headed for another season without a playoff berth. The Bills made a strong playoff push with a six-game winning streak heading into Week 17 but were eliminated when they lost to the Steelers.
After being released by Buffalo, Bledsoe reunited with Parcells to play for the Dallas Cowboys. In 2004, his first season with the Cowboys, he passed for 3,639 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions. Yet, Dallas lost four of its last six games to miss the playoffs.
