Wes Welker, former Denver Broncos and New England Patriot wide receiver, has recently signed a one-year contract with the St. Louis Rams. He will be replacing Stedman Bailey who got suspended due to substance abuse.
Welker has been out of the game for a while after the Denver Broncos did not re-sign his contract which expired this past off-season. His career with the Denver Broncos sank after a series of concussions in 2013 and 2014. His last appearance was in the game against the Oakland Raiders where he got two catches for 42 yards in Week 17, as reported by NFL News.
Despite Welker's concussions, the St. Louis Rams have not forgotten how productive he was during his six outstanding campaigns with the New England Patriots. He achieved a record of 49 catches for 464 yards in 14 games in 2014.
According to ABC 7, Welker worked out for the St. Louis Rams together with the team's veteran receivers Vincent Brown and Hakeem Nicks on Nov. 9, Monday. They evaluated Welker's health, including his concussions history, and came to an agreement signing him to a one-year deal with incentives.
"We've done physicals, we've done everything," Coach Jeff Fisher said, while adding, "I think he'll eventually move some chains for us."
Welker is going to earn up to $700,000 in incentives along with his base salary of $456, 470, based on his catches and playing time.
Meanwhile, Bailey's suspension is effective immediately and comes without pay. He will be back to the active roster on Dec. 7. Fisher made it clear that another strike against Bailey means the end of his time with the team.
"We're very, very disappointed in his choices," Fisher stated. "He understands that this is his last go-around. If he wants to flourish in this league, have a career in this league, he's going to have to change his lifestyle."
