Caught in middle of the deluge of NFL signings on Wednesday afternoon was the fact that the San Diego Chargers' Eric Weddle became the highest paid (non-rookie) safety in the history of professional football. Yep, you read that right. Eric. [Expletive]. Weddle.
A four-year veteran with six career interceptions and one Pro Bowl appearance, Weddle is the official outlandish-contract posterboy in this post-NFL-lockout world. His five year, $40 million deal -- with $19 million guaranteed -- far outpaces the benchmarks set by Troy Polamalu (four years, $30.19 million) and Ed Reed (six years, $44.5 million) on a per-year basis. Even his fellow NFL brethren couldn't understand.
@SI_JimTrotter - Jim Trotter
i wish i could write what players are saying about the weddle deal. really, i do.
@SI_JimTrotter - Jim Trotter
even anonymously i can't write what is being said. too inflammatory.
So what does this have to do with the Cardinals? Well, as we've learned throughout sports history, one bad contract usually sets off a flood of increasingly worse deals. Arizona's own Pro Bowl safety, Adrian Wilson, is well aware of this. Check this tweet he sent out immediately after hearing the news.
@adrian_wilson24 - Adrian Wilson
Eric Weddle.... THANKU
In case you were wondering, A-Dub's 5-year, $36 million contract runs out after 2013. While Wilson will be 34 years old by then, it isn't unlikely to think that a physical specimen such as himself will still have a barrelful of gas left in the tank. And once again, the Cardinals may have just been priced out of the equation.
This is why we can't have nice things, NFL. Ridiculous contracts by bumbling owners. Thanks for ruining it for the rest of us San Diego.