Pat Tillman played his entire four-year career with the Arizona Cardinals, but the St. Louis Rams tried to pry him from their NFC West rivals back in 2001. As detailed in a feature by Howard Balzer of Cards Wire, the Rams made Tillman a substantial offer that offseason, but he remained loyal to the Cardinals – the team that believed in him as a seventh-round pick in 1998.
Balzer spoke to former Cardinals head coach Dave McGinnis, who shared the story of Tillman turning down a five-year, $9 million offer from the Rams as a restricted free agent 23 years ago. At the time, Tillman was a restricted free agent and was given the lowest tender, which was worth $500,000.
Rather than taking a big payday from St. Louis, Tillman chose not to sign the offer sheet and stayed with the Cardinals for far less money.
“I knew we wouldn’t match the Rams offer,” McGinnis told Balzer. “Three days later, I see him on the treadmill. I tell him to turn it off and I say, ‘Everything is cool. You’ve earned it. I hate to lose you, but I’m happy for you.’
“He says, ‘What are you talking about? You were the only ones that believed in me. To leave for just money, that would be (expletive).’”
After that 2001 season, Tillman left the NFL to enlist in the Army. McGinnis said the Cardinals were prepared to pay Tillman during the 2002 offseason after he had 94 tackles in 12 games the prior year, but the standout safety chose to serve his country after the 9/11 attacks, never playing football again.
Tillman was killed in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004.