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Nigel Bradham (born September 4, 1989) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida State Seminoles. He was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL draft, and played for the Philadelphia Eagles from 2016 to 2019.
Bradham was named to All-American teams by Parade magazine, SuperPrep, and USA Today, among others. He was a finalist for the Hall Trophy and recorded four tackles in the 2008 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Considered a five-star recruit and the ranked first among outside linebacker prospects by Rivals.com, Bradham had numerous scholarship offers but decided to attend Florida State University early in April 2007. He was the highest rated prospect of the Seminoles' 2008 recruiting class.
In his sophomore year, Bradham had 12 starts and led the Seminoles with 93 tackles (62 unassisted). He also recorded 5.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, one interception and finished second on the team with two fumble recoveries. Bradham earned honorable mention Sophomore All-American honors from College Football News.
Starting all 14 games at weakside linebacker, Bradham led the Seminoles in tackling for a second consecutive season, totalling 98 tackles (54 solos), including 5.5 tackles for loss. He also added five sacks, which ranked third on FSU's nation-leading sack unit behind Brandon Jenkins and Markus White, as well as a single-season high five passes defended, to go along with a forced fumble. Bradham recorded a season-high of ten tackles twice, against Boston College and North Carolina, with six solo stops in each game.
As a senior, Bradham was named team captain. He registered 86 tackles, which led the Seminoles for the third consecutive season, and earned All-ACC honorable mention. FSU ranked as the No. 4 defense nationally. Bradham finished his career with 39 starts, including his last 37 games.
On May 10, 2012, the Bills signed Bradham to a four-year, $2.56 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $462,551.
Bradham began training camp competing for a roster spot as a linebacker against Arthur Moats, Chris White, Tank Carder, Bryan Scott, and Danny Batten. He performed well enough during camp to earn an opportunity to compete against Arthur Moats for the job as the starting strongside linebacker. Head coach Chan Gailey named Bradham the backup strongside linebacker to begin the regular season, behind Arthur Moats.
He made his professional regular season debut in the Buffalo Bills' season-opening 48–28 loss at the New York Jets. The following week, he collected three combined tackles in the Bills' 35–17 victory against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2. Bradham made his first career tackle on Javier Arenas during Arenas' 23-yard punt return in the third quarter. In Week 6, Bradham earned his first career start after he surpassed Arthur Moats on the depth chart and became the starting strongside linebacker. He finished the Bills' 19–16 victory at the Arizona Cardinals with three combined tackles. On December 30, 2012, Bradham recorded a season-high 11 combined tackles (five solo) during a 28–9 victory against the New York Jets in Week 17. On December 31, 2012, it was announced that the Buffalo Bills decided to fire head coach Chan Gailey after they did not qualify for the playoffs and finished with a 6–10 record. Bradham finished his rookie season in with 57 combined tackles (37 solo) and a pass deflection in 16 games and 11 starts.
On December 8, 2013, Bradham earned his first start of the season and recorded six combined tackles during a 27–6 loss at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 14. He reverted to his role as a backup behind Arthur Moats the following week. In Week 17, Bradham collected a season-high ten combined tackles (four solo) during a 34–20 loss at the New England Patriots. He finished the season with 51 combined tackles (29 solo) and a pass deflection in 16 games and two starts.
On September 21, 2014, Bradham collected a season-high 12 combined tackles (four solo) during a 22–10 loss to the San Diego Chargers in Week 3. In Week 4, he recorded four combined tackles, a pass deflection, made his first career interception, and 1.5 sacks in the Bills' 23–17 loss at the Houston Texans. Bradham made his first career sack on former teammate Ryan Fitzpatrick for a three-yard loss in the first quarter and intercepted a pass originally intended for running back Arian Foster by Ryan Fitzpatrick in the third quarter. He injured his knee while making the interception in the third quarter and missed the remainder of the game. The injury sidelined Bradham for the Bills' Week 5 victory at the Detroit Lions. In Week 13, Bradham recorded a season-high ten solo tackles and assisted on a tackle during a 43–23 victory at the New York Jets. On November 30, 2014, he tied his season-high of 12 combined tackles (nine solo), deflected a pass, and recorded a sack in the Bills' 26–10 win against the Cleveland Browns in Week 13. Bradham finished the season with a career-high 104 combined tackles (66 solo), six pass deflections, 2.5 sacks, and an interception in 14 games and 14 starts.
He started in the Buffalo Bills' season-opener against the Indianapolis Colts and recorded a season-high eight combined tackles and sacked quarterback Andrew Luck in their 27–14 victory. On October 4, 2015, Bradham tied his season-high of eight combined tackles and broke up a pass during a 24–10 loss to the New York Giants in Week 4. On November 29, 2015, he recorded four solo tackles before exiting the Bills' 30–22 loss at the Kansas City Chiefs due to an ankle injury. He was diagnosed with a high ankle sprain and was sidelined for the last five games of the season (Weeks 13–17). Bradham finished the season with 59 combined tackles (42 solo), three pass deflections, and a sack in 11 games and 11 starts. He received an overall grade of 39.2 from Pro Football Focus, which was the 79th best overall grade among all qualifying linebackers in 2015.
Bradham became an unrestricted free agent after 2015 and received interest from multiple teams, including the Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, and Jacksonville Jaguars. He stated he hoped to return to Buffalo and continue his career where he started. Bradham also claimed he would accept a one-year "prove it" deal if that was the only option. Bradham and the Buffalo Bills were ultimately unable to come to an agreement with the Bills ending contract talks.
Bradham entered training camp slated as the starting strongside linebacker. Head coach Doug Pederson officially named Bradham the starting strongside linebacker to begin the regular season, along with weakside linebacker Mychal Kendricks and middle linebacker Jordan Hicks.
In Week 2, Bradham made one tackle, a pass deflection, and intercepted a pass by Jay Cutler during a 29–14 victory at the Chicago Bears. The interception marked his second pick of his career. On October 23, 2016, he made seven combined tackles, broke up a pass, and sacked quarterback Sam Bradford in the Eagles' 21–10 win against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 7. It marked his first sack as a member as the Philadelphia Eagles. On December 22, 2016, Bradham collected a season-high 14 combined tackles (ten solo) during a 24–19 win against the New York Giants in Week 16. He finished his first season with the Eagles with 102 combined tackles (69 solo), five pass deflections, two sacks, two forced fumbles, and an interception in 16 games and 16 starts. Pro Football Focus gave Bradham an overall grade of 86.5, which ranked ninth among all qualifying linebackers in 2016.
The Philadelphia Eagles finished the season atop the NFC East with a 13–3 record, clinching home-field advantage and a first round bye. On January 13, 2018, Bradham started in his first career playoff game and recorded four combined tackles, a pass deflection, and sacked quarterback Matt Ryan during a 15–10 victory against the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Divisional Round. The Philadelphia Eagles reached Super Bowl LII after defeating the Minnesota Vikings 38–7 in the NFC Championship Game. On February 4, 2018, Bradham started in Super Bowl LII and recorded seven combined tackles in the Eagles' 41–33 victory over the New England Patriots.
On February 18, 2020, the Eagles declined the option on Bradham's contract, and released him the next day.
On October 10, 2024, Bradham was arrested in Tallahassee after it was discovered he was driving with a suspended license. The arrest occurred after he was pulled over for speeding. Bradham was charged with one felony count of driving while license suspended or revoked, but he was later released from prison. In addition, an arrest warrant against Bradham in Leon County, Florida on a controlled substance charge was discovered.
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