All-Pro cornerback James Bradberry is returning to Philadelphia Eagles in what sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter is a three-year deal worth $38 million, with $20 million fully guaranteed and another $6 million in incentives.
A key part of the Eagles’ league-leading defense, Bradberry, 29, was named a second-team All-Pro in 2022. He finished third in passes defended (17) and added three interceptions and two tackles for a defeat. Combined in the corner Darius Slay and safety CJ Gardner-Johnson in the defensive backfield, Philadelphia limited teams to 180 yards passing per game.
When talking about his approach to free agency, Bradberry said he wants to join a team with a quality roster capable of making a run in the playoffs, while noting that he doesn’t want to “play for cheap.”
Returning to Philly became a choice, one he said was as much about fit as it was money.
“It means a lot, really, to come back to Philadelphia,” Bradberry said The Philadelphia Inquirer. “Especially having the season that we just finished. It feels good to come back and keep trying to compete for the ultimate goal which is the Super Bowl.
“Of course, I want to go somewhere where I’m paid a lot — enough where I’m comfortable. But I also want the fit to be right. That’s important to me.”
Bradberry has the ball skills and poise to win down the field, and he can also fit as a zone defender because of his backfield vision.
He missed the first free agency wave last offseason, with the New York Giants waiting until May to release him. With big money around already spent, Bradberry signed a one-year, $7.5 million deal with the Eagles, hoping to land a lucrative contract this offseason.
Bradberry’s time in Philadelphia ended on a rocky note, as he was called for defensive holding in the final minutes of Super Bowl LVII — a violation that gave Kansas City Chiefs a new set of downs and allowed them to stop the clock before kicking the go-ahead field goal. As debate raged over whether the referee should have thrown the flag during such a crucial part of the game, Bradberry stood at his locker for 20 minutes afterward and took responsibility for the game.
He has 18 interceptions, 99 passes defensed and 424 tackles in his career, after being selected in the second round of the 2016 draft by Carolina Panthers.
ESPN’s Tim McManus contributed to this report.