The writing long appeared to be on the wall for Eric Weddle and the San Diego Chargers, but now it is official. Weddle is now an ex-Charger and on his way to join the Baltimore Ravens.
Weddle agreed to a four-year contract with the Ravens on Monday in the early goings of NFL free agency. Baltimore will pay Weddle $29 million over the course of the contract, which will likely bring his career to a close.
On his way out of town, Weddle couldn’t resist taking a shot at his former team in a text to the San Diego Union-Tribune.
“I couldn’t be more excited and pumped to be a part of a championship organization who wanted me from Day One,” Weddle said via text.
Well then, he sounds excited to leave San Diego and join Baltimore.
San Diego and Weddle had stalled on contract negotiation talks last season, which did not sit well for Weddle. His agent went on a Twitter rant last December after Weddle was placed on injured reserve and informed he would not be able to join the team on the flight to an away game at Denver. The team also fined Weddle for watching his daughter perform at halftime of a game when he should have been in the locker room.
San Diego started looking for buyers for Weddle last year, but had no takers they were willing to work with. Combine the lack of interest in locking up Weddle and the team’s possible relocation this offseason, and this all led Weddle to start soaking up every last moment he could with the Chargers, the team that drafted him in 2007.
In Baltimore, Weddle will be looked to provide some veteran leadership in the defensive backfield, something the team has been searching for since losing Ed Reed to an ill-fated move to the Texans following the Ravens’ Super Bowl XLVII win. Baltimore allowed 30 passing touchdowns last season, so there is a clear need to improve the secondary. Weddle is a three-time Pro Bowler and led the NFL in interceptions in 2011. He still has some good game left in him and should be a nice boost to Baltimore’s defensive efforts in 2016.
