Following the unexpected, career-altering knee injury suffered by Teddy Bridgewater with less than two weeks before the start of the 2016 regular season, the Minnesota Vikings made a decision to make a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles for veteran quarterback Sam Bradford on September 3rd, 2016.
In order to complete the deal for Bradford, the Vikings sent a 2017 first-round draft pick and a conditional 2018 fourth-round draft selection over to the Eagles in exchange for the quarterback.
After winning the NFC North in 2015, Minnesota felt that Bradford could step right in and help the team reach the playoffs for the second season in a row.
Following Bradford's first four starts in a purple and gold jersey, the trade looked like a great decision for the Vikings, as the team entered a Week 7 matchup in Philadelphia with a 5-0 record, thanks in part to their starting quarterback. But that's when things started to go downhill for Bradford and Minnesota.
Against the Eagles, Bradford was sacked six times, and the Vikings wound up losing the matchup by a final score of 21-10. Minnesota and their new quarterback followed up their performance in Philadelphia the very next week by losing to a one-win Chicago Bears team.
The Vikings went on to lose eight of their final 11 games with Bradford starting under center in 2016. Minnesota finished the season with an 8-8 record for the season and they failed to qualify for the playoffs.
Bradford remained the Vikings' starting quarterback in 2017 and he began his second year with the franchise by putting on one of the most impressive performances of his NFL career. Minnesota was able to open up the 2017 season with a 29-19 win over the New Orleans Saints, thanks in part to the veteran quarterback throwing for 346 yards and three touchdowns.
Unfortunately, any excitement after this performance was short-lived, as that contest turned out to be the last time Bradford would ever play a full game in a Vikings uniform. The veteran signal-caller dealt with knee issues for most of the 2017 season and Minnesota moved on from him when he became a free agent in 2018.
Despite appearing in less than two games in 2017, Bradford still managed to land a one-year contract from the Arizona Cardinals that was worth $20 million. His career with the Cardinals lasted for three games and Week 3 of the 2018 season is the last time we saw him attempt a pass in a meaningful NFL matchup.