Today In Patriots History March 7, 2001: Kraft signs Bledsoe to richest contract in NFL history

March 7, 2001:
A quarter-century ago the New England Patriots signed 29-year old QB Drew Bledsoe to a record-setting ten-year, $103 million contract, through the 2010 season.













Do the Math: Bledsoe Gets Record Deal, Pats Save Money - Washington Post





















Bledsoe here to stay -- Patriots.com

In memory of Tony Romeo, born on this date 88 years ago
Born March 7, 1938 in St Petersburg, Florida
Patriot TE, 1962-1967; uniform #86
Acquired in a trade with the Dallas Texans on March 27, 1962, in exchange for the rights to DE Bill Hull
Pats résumé: 6 seasons, 75 games (52 starts); 110 receptions, 1,724 yards (15.7 ypc), 10 touchdowns


Although Tony Romeo was primarily utilized as a blocking tight end, he was also a capable receiver. In a crucial game at Kansas City on Nov 17, 1963, Romeo had career-highs in receptions (10) and receiving yards (149), with one touchdown. The ten catches was the most in franchise history at the time, broken by Art Graham with eleven late in 1966. In addition the 149 yards receiving was the second most in team history back then, topped only by Graham's 156 yards against the Jets a few weeks earlier, on October 5. The Patriots would proceed to win their first-ever division title and playoff game that season.








Fenway Park Diaries: Tony Romeo, TE















Nole Fan - Tony Romeo bio and obituary

Happy 57th birthday to Sam Gash
Born March 7, 1969 in Hendersonville, North Carolina
Patriot FB, 1992-1997; uniform #33
Patriots 8th round (205th overall) selection of the 1992 NFL Draft, from Penn State
Pats résumé: six seasons, 88 games (36 starts); 1,117 yards from scrimmage; 8 TDs


Sam Gash was with the Patriots from the last **** MacPherson season, for all four of the Bill Parcells years, to the first season under Pete Carroll. In 1995 Sam started 12 games as the lead blocker when rookie Curtis Martin set a franchise record with 1,487 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns. A year later Sam had a career-high 33 receptions and was a Pro Bowl alternate.

Gash left as a free agent in 1998, and was named to the Pro Bowl in each of his two seasons in Buffalo, blocking for future Patriot RB Antowain Smith. Sam then joined the Ravens in 2000, and won a super bowl ring in that Trent Dilfer offense. All told, Sam Gash played in 177 regular season games over 12 NFL seasons, plus 11 postseason games. From 2006 to 2015 Sam worked as a running bacls coach for the Jets, Lions and Packers, making it to the playoffs four times. On a side note, his first NFL catch was also Drew Bledsoe's first NFL completion.


44:35 Audio Podcast:
Pats from the Past, Episode 16: Sam Gash -- Patriots.com

April 26, 2018:

Oct 25, 2022, NFL.com:

Bledsoe was my guy growing up in the 90's. Absolutely loved his cannon arm and his ability to launch a 50+ yard pass with the flick of a wrist. But as much as I was a fan, something was up starting in the 2nd half of the 1999 season. His mechanics were getting sloppy and the bizarre INT's were starting to go up. Him signing that contract in 2001 with his new mullet hairstyle was very odd.

Sam Gash is still by far my favorite FB. And his name fit his style of play. The late 90's teams had the best names.

March 7, 1989:
Unprotected free agent NT Toby Williams signs with the Green Bay Packers

The Patriots received far more back in production than could reasonably be expected for a tenth round draft pick, which is where the former Nebraska Cornhusker was selected in 1983. Toby Williams played in 81 games with 56 starts for New England from 1983 to 1988, lining up at all positions across the defensive line.






March 7, 2000:
Patriots waive CB Corey Ivy

The Pats signed Ivy as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Oklahoma on May 13, 1999. He was let go as part of final cuts after the end of training camp, and later spent part of that season on the practice squad. After a season in NFL Europe he returned to play in 122 NFL games from 2001 to 2009, despite his lack of size (5'8, 183). Ivy spent four seasons with Tampa Bay and appeared in all three 2002 postseason games when the Buc defeated the Raiders to win the super bowl, and later spent four seasons with the Ravens.





March 7, 2005:
Pete Mangurian named tight ends coach

Mangurian was a disciple of Dan Reeves, getting his first NFL job in 1988 as the Broncos HB/TE coach, then following Reeves to the Giants and Falcons as an OL coach, culminating in a position as Atlanta's OC in 2003. He spent four seasons in New England as the tight ends coach, then two in Tampa Bay as their OL coach. Mangurian then coached at Columbia University for three years and two in the XFL before retiring in 2023.


Unrestricted free agent FB Patrick Pass re-signs

A seventh-round selection in 2000 out of Georgia, Pass played in 78 games for the Patriots from 2000 to 2006 with four touchdowns. His ratio of super bowl-winning seasons to seasons played is hard to beat. In eight NFL seasons Pass has four super bowl rings: three with the Patriots (SB 36, 38, 39), plus one for his final NFL season, 2007 with the Giants.

Pass later became an indoor football coach. In 2023 he was arrested and suspended indefinitely from the IFL for entering the stands and assaulting fans, and in 2024 he was arrested for assaulting an 82-year-old man at the Planet Fitness gym in North Providence. Yikes.






March 7, 2014
Long snapper Danny Aiken is re-signed to a one-year contract

Originally signed by Buffalo in 2011 as an undrafted rookie out of Virginia, the Patriots claimed Aiken after he was waived by the Bills at the end of camp. The Pats were in dire straits at the position with the season about to start when he became available.



Aiken played in 63 regular season games and ten postseason games with the Patriots from 2011 to 2014. He won a ring for his final game with New England, the SB 49 victory over Seattle. At the conclusion of the 2014 season Aiken was not resigned due to back surgery, as the Pats went with Joe Cardona in the 2015 draft to be the team's new long snapper.





March 7, 2016:
Former Patriot LG Logan Mankins retires after eleven seasons in the NFL

The seven-time Pro Bowler and member of the NFL's All-2010s team started in 130 regular season games for the Patriots from 2005 to 2013, plus 17 postseason games.

jmt57 said:

Click to expand...

I loved that guy. He gave us hope.

March 7, 2017:
Patriots place first round tender on restricted free agent CB Malcolm Butler


Butler had started all 16 games in each of the previous two seasons, and was a second team All Pro in 2016. Two days later the patriots signed free agent CB Stephon Gilmore, and Butler would sign his contract on April 17. Butler would sign with Tennessee as a free agent a year later, and play three seasons for the Titans.







March 7, 2018:
Patriots release TE Martellus Bennett, WR/PR Bernard Reedy and DE Caleb Kidder









March 7, 2020:
Conway Hayman passes away at the age of 71

The guard/tackle spent his rookie 1971 season on injured reserve, then most of 1972 on the Pats taxi squad. he went on to play in 77 games over six seasons with the Houston Oilers, and was their starting LG when the Oilers defeated the Patriots in the playoffs in 1978 for Chuck Fairbanks final game as New England's head coach.





March 7, 2022:
Patriots release Kyle Van Noy

A reclamation after being considered a draft bust for Detroit, Van Noy played in 67 regular season games with 53 starts over five seasons in two stints with New England. In eleven postseason games with the Pats he had 5½ sacks, 49 tackles, four forced fumbles and three pass deflections en route to two super bowl rings.


Mike Dussault's analysis at the time on Patriots.com:








March 7, 2024:
Patriots re-sign ERFA Alex Austin

The cornerback from Oregon State played in 26 games with six starts over three seasons, plus all three 2025 postseason games. He had eight pass delections and one interception. Three days ago news broke that the he will not be tendered, ending his time in New England. Given the fact that the Patriots are returning seven cornerbacks from last season - Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis, Marcus Jones, Charles Woods, Kobee Minor, Marcellas Dial, and Brandon Crossley - a change of scenery via free agency may be best for his NFL career.





March 7, 2024:
This sure did turn out to be a train wreck . . . or was it a dumpster fire?
Chuks . . . rhymes with yucks.







March 7, 2025:
Pats Fans discuss the potential implications of the news that the Titans released Harold Landry, who was a starter for Mike Vrabel in Tennessee.

Happy 60th birthday to Jeff Feagles
Born March 7, 1966 in Anaheim, California
Patriot P, 1988-1989; uniform #6
Signed as an undrafted rookie free agent on April 30, 1988, from Miami
Pats résumé: two seasons, 32 games; 38.1 yard average on 154 punts, 33.0 yards net; 24% inside the 20


As a rookie Jeff Feagles ranked fourth in the NFL with 91 punts, sixth in total punting yards, and led the league with the longest punt (74 yards). After two seasons in Foxborough Rod Rust came in and made 30-year old Brian Hansen the Pats new punter. Meanwhile, Feagles went on to have a 22-year NFL career, also playing for the Eagles (4 seasons), Cardinals (4 seasons), Seahawks (5 seasons) and Giants (seven seasons). He played in 352 games - which ranks fourth most for a punter in NFL history - plus eleven postseason games, winning a ring while with the Giants in '07.




2008:

Happy 77th birthday to Perry Pruett
Born March 7, 1949 in Dallas
Patriot safety, 1971; uniform #38
Signed as an undrafted rookie free agent from North Texas State in 1971
Pats résumé: one season, 11 games (one start)

Pruett overcame very long odds, going from one of dozens of camp bodies to not only make the roster, but replacing Larry Carwell in the starting lineup in week two against Detroit. Looks like he was released at the end of the 1972 preseason and never played in the NFL again, other than an offseason with Kansas City. If you are wondering why the Patriots had so many kickers in their 1971 training camp (below), they were looking for somebody to replace retired Gino Cappelletti. It was either the 1971 or 1972 offseason that the Patriots, I believe in conjunction with one of the local radio stations, held a 'Superfoot' competition to find the team's next kicker. Mike Walker was the winner, but he was awful with pads on in a real game: 2-8 on FG attempts, including 0-4 from beyond the 40. There were other PR stunts too, such as having a guy jump out of a hot air balloon at halftime onto a giant inflatable air cushion on the field during halftime. Anything to distract the drunken fans from starting another inevitable brawl. . .





Happy 33rd birthday to Kenneth Farrow
Born March 7, 1993 in Irving, Texas; hometown Hurst TX
Patriot running back, 2018 practice squad; uniform #27
Signed as a free agent on August 27, 2018
Pats résumé: one season, two stints on the practice squad

Farrow was an undrafted rookie out of Houston in 2016 who played in 13 games with the Chargers before landing on IR. He spent a total of 35 days on the Pats practice squad but never gained an elevation to the active roster. farrow spent the 2019 offseason with Miami but was waived at the end of camp, and that was it for his NFL career. He then spent several seasons in the AAF and XFL before retiring after the 2023 season.







Happy 34th birthday to David Parry
Born March 7, 1992 in Carrollton, Texas; hometown Marion, Iowa
Patriot defensive tackle, 2019 offseason; uniform #75
Signed to a futures contract on january 9, 2019
Pats résumé: one full offseason, training camp and preseason

David Parry was originally a fifth round pick by Indy in 2015, from Stanford. He started all 16 games for the Colts in each of his first two seasons, but then self-inflicted trouble came. On February 25, 2017 Parry was arrested in Scottsdale, Arizona, on suspicion of robbery, auto theft, criminal damage, resisting arrest, and driving under the influence. The incident stemmed from an altercation at a bar where Parry, after consuming alcohol, allegedly assaulted the driver of a street-legal golf cart taxi, stole the vehicle, and crashed it into an apartment complex gate while attempting to evade police.

Parry was formally charged with felony robbery, felony unlawful use of means of transportation, and misdemeanor threatening or intimidating officers. On April 27, 2017 he entered a plea agreement, pleading guilty to reduced charges of disorderly conduct and attempted unlawful use of means of transportation, thereby avoiding potential jail time. Sentencing occurred on May 31, resulting in two years of supervised probation, a $300 fee, and the option to transfer probation to another state. In December he was suspended for four games by the NFL for violating the league's substance abuse and personal conduct policies stemming from the arrest.

The arrest created significant uncertainty during Parry's 2017 offseason with the Colts. Although Indy allowed the legal process to unfold without immediate action, Parry was ultimately waived on September 2, 2017, as part of final roster cuts, amid ongoing scrutiny from the incident. He signed with the Saints but spent all but one game of the 2017 season on IR, and played in only three games for the Vikings in 2018. The Patriots brought Parry in as a potential reclamation project and for depth behind Lawrence Guy and Malcolm Brown - who would depart in free agency - with a superb defense that was coming off their Super Bowl LIII victory over Rams. Parry was released after the final preseason game, unable to move up on the depth chart past Lawrence Guy, Danny Shelton, Adam Butler and rookie fifth-rounder Byron Cowart. Parry was out of the NFL for the next two years before signing with Arizona, but was again cut at the end of camp.

According to the web, these days Parry works in technology and AI, as a tech sales professional at Palo Alto CA software company Augment Code. Parry has also volunteered as a defensive line coach at Archbishop Riordan High School in San Francisco from June 2023 to January 2025.





Happy 29th birthday to Lorenz Metz
Born March 7, 1997 in Neuotting, Bavaria
Patriot offensive lineman, 2025-present; uniform #72
Signed to the practice squad on January 13, 2026
Pats résumé: 2025 postseason on the practice squad; still currently on the roster

Lorenz Metz was raised in Neuötting, a small town in southeastern Bavaria located about an hour east of Munich near the Germany-Austria border. Following high school graduation, Metz completed a three-year apprenticeship as a chemical technician at Clariant, a multinational specialty chemicals company based in Germany. He contributed to the production of technical products such as aircraft deicers and brake fluids, driven by his longstanding interest in chemistry and technical pursuits. He earned certification as a chemical technician upon finishing the apprenticeship shortly before his 18th birthday. Just before turning 18, a friend invited him to join a local American football team, sparking his initial interest despite his complete lack of experience. The reason his friend wanted Metz on his team, you may ask? Metz is 6'9 and weighs 310 pounds. (He has since bulked up to 330.)

In 2017 a scout who works with a recruiting agency specializing in placing European football talent with American colleges saw Metz play, and ultimately Metz received scholarship offers from from Georgia Tech, UMass, UConn, and Michigan. From there he visited other campuses and eventually chose the University of Cincinnati. He was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted rookie in 2023, and spent all of 2024 on Tampa Bay's practice squad. Due to the NFL's International Pathway Program, a team that has a player such as Metz on their practice squad receives a roster exemption, allowing them to have an additional player on their roster.



Will Grant, 72 (March 7, 1954)
Born in Milton; Thayer Academy, Braintree; Milford (CT) Academy
Center played from 1978-87, almost all with the Buffalo Bills.


Jerry Bell, 67 (March 7, 1959)
Born in Derby CT
Tight end was a third round pick by Tampa in 1982, and played for the Bucs from 1982-86.
After retiring from the NFL at age 27 due to injuries, Bell transitioned into a career in information technology sales, beginning full-time with IBM where he had already worked during off-seasons as a sales representative. His roles later extended to General Electric and Oracle, including senior positions at Forsythe as of 2010, spanning over 35 years in the IT sector, during which he advanced to positions such as senior account manager for Fortune 1000 companies. Today, Bell operates as an independent consultant in IT.


Jim Fitzgerald (1907-1978)
Born and raised in Waltham; Westbrook Seminary, Westbrook Maine; Holy Cross
Center for the Staten Island Stapletons in the early thirties. Mr. Fitzgerald later returned to the Boston area where he lived for the rest of his life. He joined the faculty at Angel Guardian High School in Jamaica Plain in the fall of 1932, and was appointed head coach of the football team at the school.


Hal Cherne (1907-1983)
Old defunct New England football teams
Lineman for the 1933 Boston Redskins

Franco Harris (March 7, 1950 - Dec 20, 2022)
Steelers Hall of Fame RB rushed for over 1,000 yards eight times, was named to nine Pro Bowls and won four Super Bowls while scoring 100 touchdowns and compiling 14,234 yards from scrimmage. The Italian Stallion was the 1974 super bowl MVP, and also scored 17 touchdowns on 2,060 yards from scrimmage in 19 postseason games.







Lynn Swann, 74 (March 7, 1952)
Steelers Hall of Fame WR led the NFL with 577 yards in punt returns in 1974, then led the league with 11 receiving touchdowns a year later. Another four-time super bowl winner, he had a good career - 5,462 yards receiving, 52 TD - but whenever I see his name, I can't help but think 'how do Hall of Fame voters rationalize that Lynn Swann's bust is in Canton, but Stanley Morgan's is not'?





Bob Boyd (March 7, 1928 - May 14, 2009
All Pro end and safety for the Rams led the NFL with 22.8 yards per catch in 1953, then led the league with 1,212 yards receiving the following season.





Kent Hill, 69 (March 7, 1957)
Five-time Pro Bowl left guard for the Rams played from 1979 to 1987.





Billy Joe DuPree, 76 (March 7, 1950)
Three-time Pro Bowl tight end known for his blocking skills never missed a game playing for Dallas from 1973 to 1983.





Hoyle Granger, 82 (March 7, 1944)
Fullback was a two-time AFL All-Star with the Houston Oilers, leading the league with 1,494 yards from scrimmage and finishing second with 1,194 yards rushing in 1967 (in a 14-game season), then followed that up with 1,209 yards the following year. Granger was never the same after a 1970 knee injury at the age of 26, however.






Ricky Proehl, 58 (March 7, 1968)
Wide receiver played in 244 games over 17 seasons, with 8,878 yards receiving and 54 touchdowns. The two-time super bowl winner is most well known for his infamous words in Super Bowl 36 when the Rams WR proclaimed that 'tonight a dynasty is born'.






Tommy Kramer, 71 (March 7, 1955)
Vikings journeyman QB won Comeback Player of the Year in 1986 when he threw 24 TD versus 10 INT, leading the league with a 92.6 passer rating. One of only two quarterbacks in college football history to earn consensus All-America honors for a sub-.500 team.





Steve Beuerlein, 61 (March 7, 1965)
After ten years of not doing much in the NFL, the QB led the NFL with a 63% completion rate in 1998 at age 33 for Carolina, and was named to the Pro Bowl a year later when the thre 36 TDs and led the NFL with 4,436 passing yards.





Pete Beathard, 84 (March 7, 1942)
Selected 2nd overall by the Chiefs in the 1964 AFL draft and 5th overall by the Lions in the NFL draft, Beathard has to be considered to be a major draft bust. The QB from USC was 18-16-1 from 1964 to 1973 for the Chiefs, Oilers and Rams. His brother Bobby Beathard never played in the NFL, but did win apair of super bowl titles as GM for Washington and San Diego from 1978 to 2000.





Flipper Anderson, 61 (March 7, 1965)
Willie Lee Anderson really should have been a Miami Dolphin, given his name. The wide receiver led the NFL with 26.0 yards per catch in 1989, and 21.5 ypc in 1990.






Jeff Criswell, 62 (March 7, 1964)
Left tackle played in 171 games with the Jets and Chiefs from 1987 to 1998. Not too shabby for an undrafted guy from NAIA Graceland College in Lamoni, Iowa.





March 7, 2016:
Peyton Manning retires from the NFL in order to devote more time to broadcasting and commercials.

He gave us what we exactly needed in that moment
I remember well two games against Miami and Buffalo with epic wins

Obviously I have a soft spot for Drew. But man, talk about a cursed moment in his career. Within one year, he went from Patriot for life to being traded to a division rival.

jmt57 said:

Click to expand...

We couldn't have asked more from Drew than he gave us. He won games all by himself, and given all that he accomplished in the regular season, it's understandable how Perkins & Parcells thought he could do it in the Super Bowl. He truly cared and did his best, which was exceptional.

jmt57 said:

Today in Patriots History
Drew Bledsoe becomes a "Patriot for Life"
Signs richest contract in NFL history​

March 7, 2001:
A quarter-century ago the New England Patriots signed 29-year old QB Drew Bledsoe to a record-setting ten-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

Sloppy reporting by Darren Rovell below.
Apparently he forgot about the AFCCG when Drew
came off the bench in the 24-17 win at Pittsburgh.
Same game Bill Cowher told his players to make sure
their bags were already packed for the Super Bowl.
​

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.​

Click to expand...

Drew had been in steady decline for two seasons, but Bob took the initiative to do this primarily to bring some attention to his team. And, he loves Drew. But the Patriots were languishing in obscurity almost as badly as they were a decade earlier until he got hurt. This team would have repeated what their 1988 predecessors did, namely get eliminated, had Belichick put him back in there, as Berry put Eason back in. Good that Drew came back and was effective for the Bills and Cowboys.

And, the contract gave Tom a little bit more to fight against. Tom loves challenges.