During his time with the Washington Redskins, former NFL cornerback Champ Bailey won several accolades under his belt. From four Pro Bowl selections to making a franchise record for the most career pass breakups (81), Bailey was impressive. And with that, multiple offers from other franchises came his way, with the Denver Broncos making the final cut. However, the stipulation involved during Bailey’s move to Denver left him with an important life lesson.

“I was in much control of where I went and when I went,” said Bailey on The Pivot Podcast. “And there were two teams on the table, the Jets and the Broncos. They both looked at our deal. I think the Jets wanted to do six years. The Broncos wanted to do seven. So, I was like, ‘Okay, cool. Let me sign this tag so I get the hell on.’ But then I found out that they traded for Clinton Portis. And the second round pick went with me. I was like, damn…

“I was a little mad at the Broncos because they had to get rid of Clinton. But it definitely told me that everything is about relationships. Like everything, and I’m learning that even more now that I’m retired. But when people take over an organization, they want their own people. Regardless of how good you are, you’re just never going to be one of theirs. And they’ll find a reason to get rid of you.”

The Denver Broncos agreed on a trade deal with the Washington Redskins for CB Champ Bailey and a second-round pick in the 2004 NFL draft in exchange for RB Clinton Portis. Before this arrangement between the two franchises, Portis had already spent two seasons with the Broncos. And those two years didn’t seem like a college graduate taking his time adjusting to the leading football league.

In 29 games, the running back racked up 3,099 yards in 563 attempts, along with 29 touchdowns. Clinton’s performance in his rookie year with the Denver Broncos also earned him the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

Yet, the Broncos traded the promising talent away for Champ Bailey. The decision seemingly influenced the legendary cornerback at that time and showed how fragile the relationship between a franchise and its players is. Take Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers, for example. Despite winning four MVPs in Green Bay, the relationship seemingly fractured when the front office drafted quarterback Jordan Love in 2020 without consulting Rodgers.

However, in Champ Bailey’s case, he moved on with his career. The retired NFL cornerback spent 10 seasons in Denver. In 135 games, Bailey recorded 648 tackles and 356 interception yards for the franchise. Meanwhile, Clinton Portis also had a decent seven-season stint with the Redskins before retiring in 2012. Over those seven seasons, Portis accumulated 6,824 rushing yards and 46 touchdowns in 84 games.

While Bailey seemed upset with how the Broncos treated Clinton, the CB also credited the franchise for playing a crucial role in his career.

“The best thing in my career happened in 2004,” Bailey said in his Hall of Fame speech in 2019. “I was traded to the Denver Broncos. Once I began to learn about Mr. Bowlen and the Denver Broncos, I was sold.”