James Bradberry thought he was gone, happy to be back with Eagles
As James Bradberry settled behind a microphone for a press conference on Wednesday, one reporter commented to him that he thought Bradberry was leaving.
I thought so too, Bradberry answered.
Pretty much everyone thought that.
Bradberry joined the Eagles on a one-year contract late in the 2022 offseason and then played extremely well last season, earning second-team All-Pro honors. So it seemed like he was about to cash in on the open market and it was just hard to imagine the Eagles with their long list of pending free agents being able to keep him.
But they did. Eventually.
I had a lot of uncertainty going into free agency, Bradberry said. I wasnt sure if I was going to be back or not. But I definitely wanted to come back and Im glad it worked out this way. This is a great situation here and I love being here.
The Eagles signed Bradberry to a three-year, $38 million deal (that can basically turn into a two-year deal worth $18-20 million), keeping one of their key players from the 2022 defense for the next couple seasons.
A few things happened to allow Bradberrys return. One, his market was more tepid than expected. And, two, the Eagles werent able to reach an agreement with C.J. Gardner-Johnson, so they had some money to spend. They funneled that money to Bradberry.
And not long after, the Eagles reached a three-year deal with fellow cornerback Darius Slay to keep him around too after it looked like he was on his way to being traded or released.
I was definitely following the situation and talking to [Slay] a little bit, Bradberry said. But thats the business side of it. I know there was an opportunity for him to go on and play somewhere else. I respect him. Hes a good player and hes done enough in this league to make his own decisions based on whatever he has going on in his mind. But Im glad he came back.
While Slay and Bradberry will both be over 30 this season, which is somewhat concerning, the Eagles have one of the best cornerback duos in the NFL with Slay and Bradberry. When you add in top-notch nickel cornerback Avonte Maddox, this is a really impressive trio running it back in 2023.
Of course, the Eagles do have plenty of uncertainty at the safety position after losing both starters in free agency. But having two Pro Bowl caliber cornerbacks in the secondary should help ease some of those concerns.
When asked what makes this situation so good for him, Bradberry rattled off a few reasons: The talent on the roster, the coaches, the training room staff, the equipment staff and the cafeteria.
I love the cafe, Bradberry said. Theres always great foot in the cafe. Im a foodie.
Bradberry started all 17 games and the three postseason games for the Eagles last season. While he was snubbed from the Pro Bowl, he was acknowledged by All-Pro voters and had one of the best seasons of his career.
It didnt end the way he wanted. The Eagles lost Super Bowl LVII and the holding call on Bradberry late in the fourth quarter was devastating. But Bradberry took accountability and no one on the team blames him; it was just unfortunate.
After the loss, Bradberry said he spent time with his family to help him get the game off his mind. And with the Eagles impressive roster in 2023, theres a good chance he could end up back in the big game.
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