| |  | |
| Bledsoe |
BOSTON – 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.
The deal surpasses the reported 10-year, $100 million contract
signed by Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre only last Friday. It
also gives Bledsoe a chance to do something Favre and most other
athletes never could: stay with one team for their careers.
"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."
Patriots 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 entire career in the city.
"I remember feeling sad when Bobby Orr left," Kraft said of
the NHL Hall of Famer who left Boston for Chicago near the end of
his career. "I saw this as an opportunity to sign one of the great
Patriots for the rest of his career."
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.
"I know a lot of our fans would like us to jump out into the
free agent market and do something splashy," Kraft said. "But if
it doesn't make football sense, we're not going to do it."
Coach Bill Belichick was noncommittal when asked what he would
do with the savings. But he said it was beneficial to know that he
won't have to worry about a quarterback for a long time.
"We have a lot of needs," said Belichick, who took over last
year and went 5-11 in his first season. "We'll just try to spend
the money wisely."
The two 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.
Kraft called Bledsoe at his Montana home last weekend, and they
agreed it was time to sign.
"He tracked me down, and that's not an easy thing to do at this
point in my year," Bledsoe said. "I simultaneously got messages
from about eight different sources."
Said Kraft: "It wasn't subtle."
Neither is the contract.
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.
"It's clear to me that if Drew had waited, and he had wanted to
test free agency, he probably could have gotten a lot more money
than he is getting from us," Kraft said. "He is committed to this
team, and he is committed to winning."
Bledsoe was one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL early in his
career. In his second season in 1994, he threw an NFL-record 691
passes. He completed 400 for 4,555 yards. In 1995, he was the
youngest quarterback to reach 10,000 yards.
He signed a seven-year, $42 million contract in 1995 and led the
Patriots to the 1997 Super Bowl.
Last season he threw for 3,291 yards with 17 touchdowns and 13
interceptions. In his career, he has thrown for 29,257 yards and
164 touchdowns, with 136 interceptions and a completion percentage
of 56.2 percent.
 Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories
| |
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Drew Bledsoe was confident that he could get a lifetime deal done with the Patriots.
wav: 169 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
|
