Bashaud Breeland (born January 30, 1992) is an
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wit ...
cornerback
A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create turnove ...
who is a free agent. He played
college football at
Clemson, and was drafted by the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) ...
in the fourth round of the
2014 NFL Draft
The 2014 NFL draft was the 79th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players to the league. The draft, officially the "Player Selection Meeting", was held at Radio City Music Hall in New Y ...
. He also played for the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the th ...
,
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansio ...
, and
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The t ...
, having won
Super Bowl LIV with the latter.
Early years
Breeland attended
Allendale-Fairfax High School in
Fairfax, South Carolina
Fairfax is a town in Allendale and Hampton counties, South Carolina, United States. The population was 2,025 at the 2010 census, a decline of over one-third of its population of 3,206 from 2000.
History
The Virginia Durant Young House was add ...
, where he played
football and
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
and ran track. In football, he played
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
and
defensive back
In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...
. He was an All-state selection by
The State
A state is a centralized political organization that imposes and enforces rules over a population within a territory. There is no undisputed definition of a state. One widely used definition comes from the German sociologist Max Weber: a "stat ...
and All-Atlantic Region team member by
PrepStar. As a junior, he had 95 rushes for 789 yards with 12 touchdowns on offense, and totalled 76 tackles on defense. He led the Tigers to a 10–2 record as a senior after rushing for 1,270 yards and 15
touchdowns
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Americ ...
. He was also a starter on the basketball team.
In
track & field
Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...
, Breeland won the state title in the 400m hurdles as a sophomore and junior, and helped his team reach the state title in track as a junior. He captured two state titles at the 2010 SCHSL State Championships, winning the
110m hurdles (15.06s) and the
400m hurdles
The 400 metres hurdles is a track and field hurdling event. The event has been on the Olympic athletics programme since 1900 for men and since 1984 for women.
On a standard outdoor track, 400 metres is the length of the inside lane, once ar ...
(54.78s). He earned a tenth-place finish in the
300m hurdles at the 2010 Bob Hayes Invitational at 40.69 seconds. He was also timed at 4.41 in the
40-yard dash
The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed and acceleration of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time can have a he ...
and posted a 280-pound bench press and 450-pound squat.
Recruiting
Regarded as a three-star recruit by ''
Rivals.com'', Breeland was regarded as the No. 22 safety in the nation and No. 6 player in South Carolina by ''
Scout.com'', and the No. 56 safety in the nation by ''
ESPN.com''. He chose Clemson over
Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a public state-related land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvania. Founded in 1855 as the Farmers' High ...
,
South Carolina
)'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = "Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = G ...
,
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to ...
, and
Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also ...
.
College career
Breeland attended
Clemson University
Clemson University () is a public land-grant research university in Clemson, South Carolina. Founded in 1889, Clemson is the second-largest university in the student population in South Carolina. For the fall 2019 semester, the university enr ...
from 2010 to 2013. He finished his career with 136 tackles, three
sacks and six
interceptions
In ball-playing competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for a player of the same team ...
. He entered the
2014 NFL Draft
The 2014 NFL draft was the 79th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players to the league. The draft, officially the "Player Selection Meeting", was held at Radio City Music Hall in New Y ...
after his junior season.
Professional career
Washington Redskins
The
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) ...
selected Breeland in the fourth round with the 102nd overall pick of the
2014 NFL Draft
The 2014 NFL draft was the 79th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players to the league. The draft, officially the "Player Selection Meeting", was held at Radio City Music Hall in New Y ...
. He was the tenth cornerback drafted in 2014.
2014 season
On May 16, 2014, the Washington Redskins signed Breeland to a four-year,
$2.70 million contract that includes a
signing bonus
A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...
of $486,000.
Throughout training camp, Breeland competed for a roster spot as a backup cornerback against
Tracy Porter,
E. J. Biggers
Edjaun Sinclair "E. J." Biggers (born June 13, 1987) is a former American football cornerback that played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Western Michigan University, and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneer ...
,
Chase Minnifield, and
Richard Crawford. Head coach
Jay Gruden named Breeland the fifth cornerback on the depth chart to start the regular season, behind
DeAngelo Hall
DeAngelo Eugene Hall (born November 19, 1983) is a former American football defensive back who played 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Virginia Tech and was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons eighth ...
,
David Amerson
David Amerson (born December 8, 1991) is a former American football cornerback. He played college football at North Carolina State University and was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He was also a mem ...
, E. J. Biggers, and Tracy Porter.
He made his professional regular debut and first career start in the
Washington Redskins’ season-opener at the
Houston Texans and made one solo tackle in the 17–6 loss. Breeland started the game at strong safety after
Brandon Meriweather was suspended for the first two games of the season. On September 25, 2014, Breeland started at cornerback after DeAngelo Hall sustained a ruptured Achilles the previous game and was subsequently placed on injured-reserve. He made two solo tackles as the Redskins lost 45–14 against the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisio ...
in Week 4. On October 17, 2014, Breeland recorded five solo tackles, a pass deflection, and made his first career interception during a 19–17 victory against the
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
. Breeland intercepted a pass by
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
Charlie Whitehurst, that was originally intended for tight end
Delanie Walker
Hubert Delanie Walker (born August 12, 1984) is a former American football tight end. He played college football at the Central Missouri State and was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL Draft.
After seven seas ...
, during the second quarter. He had a breakout performance in the Week 8 win against the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divis ...
. He covered starting
wide receiver Dez Bryant
Desmond Demond Bryant (born November 4, 1988) is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He played college football at Oklahoma State, where he earned All-American honors in 2008. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the f ...
, limiting him to only three receptions, forced
DeMarco Murray
DeMarco Murray (born February 12, 1988) is an American football coach and former running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. A three-time Pro Bowl selection and one-time first-team All-Pro, he was the NFL Off ...
to fumble which was recovered by safety
Brandon Meriweather, and broke up a pass on fourth down sealing the Redskins' overtime victory. In the Week 16 game against the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...
, he intercepted quarterback
Mark Sanchez
Mark Travis John Sanchez (born November 11, 1986) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons. He played college football at the University of Southern California (USC) and was dra ...
late in the fourth quarter to help seal the Redskins victory.
On December 31, 2014, the Washington Redskins announced their decision to mutually part ways with defensive coordinator
Jim Haslett. Breeland completed his rookie season with 66 combined tackles (57 solo), 14 pass deflections, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions in 16 games and 15 starts.
2015 season
Breeland entered training camp slated as a starting cornerback and competed against DeAngelo Hall to retain the role. On July 31, 2015, the NFL suspended Breeland for the first game of the
2015 NFL season
The 2015 NFL season was the 96th season in the history of the National Football League (NFL), and the 50th in the Super Bowl era. To celebrate the 50th season of the Super Bowl, a gold-plated NFL logo and other various gold-themed promotions ...
after he was cited by
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is a public research university in Richmond, Virginia. VCU was founded in 1838 as the medical department of Hampden–Sydney College, becoming the Medical College of Virginia in 1854. In 1968, the Virginia ...
police for possession of
marijuana
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in variou ...
on August 11, 2014. On exactly the same day, Breeland was injured during the second day of training camp during practice and was carted off the field. It was later announced that he sprained his
MCL
The litre (international spelling) or liter (American English spelling) (SI symbols L and l, other symbol used: ℓ) is a metric unit of volume. It is equal to 1 cubic decimetre (dm3), 1000 cubic centimetres (cm3) or 0.001 cubic metre (m ...
and was expected to recover in four to six weeks and would not be able to participate for the rest of training camp.
In Week 5, he recorded his first interception of the
season
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and po ...
against
Atlanta Falcons quarterback
Matt Ryan. In Week 6, Breeland had a solid performance against the
New York Jets, having recorded one interception, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries.
2016 season

Despite having a difficult time covering wide receiver
Antonio Brown in the Week 1 loss to the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Stee ...
, Breeland recorded his first interception of the season against
Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger Sr. (; born March 2, 1982), nicknamed "Big Ben", is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college footbal ...
. In the Week 16 win, he recorded two interceptions on
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...
quarterback
Matt Barkley
Matthew Montgomery Barkley (born September 8, 1990) is an American football quarterback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at USC, and was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth ro ...
, which made him the first Redskins player since
Fred Smoot in 2001 to start his career recording multiple interceptions in three consecutive seasons.
2017 season
Breeland recorded the first interception of the
2017 season against quarterback
Kellen Clemens
Kellen Vincent Clemens (born June 7, 1983) is a former American football quarterback who spent eleven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the New York Jets in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played coll ...
in the Week 14 game against the
Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division, and ...
, which he returned for 96 yards for a touchdown.
Following the season, Breeland became an
unrestricted free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
. On March 16, 2018, Breeland agreed terms with the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. ...
on a three-year, $24 million contract, including $11 million in guaranteed money. However, he failed his physical after a cut on his foot from a visit to the Dominican Republic became infected; the contract was therefore voided and he became a free agent again.
Green Bay Packers
2018 season
On September 25, 2018, the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the th ...
signed Breeland to a one-year, $880,000 contract that includes a signing bonus of $90,000. The Packers signed Breeland after
Davon House
Davon Thomas House (born July 10, 1989) is a former American football cornerback. He played college football at New Mexico State, and was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He has also played for the J ...
sustained a shoulder injury and was subsequently placed on injured-reserve. Head coach
Mike McCarthy
Michael John McCarthy (born November 10, 1963) is an American football coach who is the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). From 2006 to 2018, he was the head coach of the Green Bay Packers. In 2011, he led ...
named Breeland the fifth cornerback on the depth chart, behind
Tramon Williams
Tramon Vernell Williams Sr. (born March 16, 1983) is a former American football cornerback who played 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Louisiana Tech, and was signed by the Houston Texans as an ...
,
Kevin King,
Josh Jackson, and
Jaire Alexander
Jaire Zakar Alexander (born February 9, 1997) is an American football cornerback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Louisville, and was selected by the Packers in the first round of the ...
.
Breeland's first game as a Packer was a 17–31 loss to the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
in Week 9, after missing several weeks to learn the playbook. In Week 10, against the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pl ...
, Breeland recorded his first interception of the season off
Brock Osweiler
Brock Alan Osweiler (born November 22, 1990) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played college football at Arizona State and was selected by the Denver Broncos in the ...
. He injured his groin in Week 11 against the
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 a ...
and missed the next two games. Breeland returned in the Week 14 game against the
Atlanta Falcons, where he recorded a 22-yard interception return touchdown off Falcons quarterback
Matt Ryan, while also having a fumble recovery in the same game that helped seal a 34–20 win for the Packers.
Kansas City Chiefs
2019 season
On March 18, 2019, the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The t ...
signed Breeland to a one-year, $2-million contract that includes a signing bonus of $1.15 million. Head coach
Andy Reid
Andrew Walter Reid (born March 19, 1958) is an American football coach who is the head coach for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). Reid was previously head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles from 1999 to 2012. From 200 ...
named Breeland a starting cornerback to begin the regular season, alongside
Kendall Fuller.
In Week 2 against the
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Ra ...
, Breeland intercepted
Derek Carr in the endzone as the Chiefs won 28–10. In Week 4 against the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at For ...
, Breeland recovered a fumble by running back
Kerryon Johnson
Kerryon Johnson (born June 30, 1997) is an American football running back who is a free agent. He played college football at Auburn and was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Early years
Johnson attended ...
in the endzone and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown in the 34–30 win. Additionally, in Week 14, Breeland made the game-winning pass deflection against the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
on fourth down in a defining victory, while seizing control of the AFC West. In
Super Bowl LIV against the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
, Breeland recorded a team-high seven tackles and intercepted a pass by
Jimmy Garoppolo during the 31–20 win.
2020 season
On April 14, 2020, the Kansas City Chiefs signed Breeland to a one-year, $3 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $1.50 million. He was suspended the first four games of the 2020 season for violating the league's policy on substance abuse, and was placed on the reserve/suspended list on September 5, 2020. He was reinstated from suspension on October 6 and activated to the roster on October 10. Overall, he finished the 2020 season with 38 total tackles, two interceptions, nine passes defended, and one forced fumble.
Minnesota Vikings
Breeland signed with the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansio ...
on June 8, 2021. He entered the 2021 season as a starting cornerback alongside
Patrick Peterson. In Week 14, Breeland had eight tackles and intercepted
Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger Sr. (; born March 2, 1982), nicknamed "Big Ben", is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college footbal ...
in a 36–28 win over the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Stee ...
. On December 18, 2021, Breeland was waived by the Vikings after getting into a verbal altercation with coaches and teammates at practice on the same day.
Arizona Cardinals
On January 4, 2022, Breeland was signed to the
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division, an ...
practice squad. His contract expired when the team's season ended on January 17, 2022.
NFL career statistics
Personal life
Breeland was arrested on April 28, 2020, for multiple charges, including resisting arrest, having alcohol in a motor vehicle with the seal broken, having an open container of beer or wine in a motor vehicle, possession of 28 grams or less of marijuana or 10 grams of hash, and driving without a license. The police officer who detained Breeland alleged that Breeland threw a “large blunt” into his car and he pushed the deputy out of the way and attempted to flee the officer before he was detained. Police found marijuana in the car as well as open bottles of beer and tequila. The morning after the arrest, he posted to his Twitter that the marijuana was thrown into his car, but quickly deleted the tweets. The arresting officer said that Breeland informed him that he was a “marijuana enthusiast”. Breeland was already facing a suspension for a failed drug test prior to the arrest. He pleaded guilty on October 2, 2020, and received a 30-day suspended jail sentence and $100 fine for each charge.
References
External links
Kansas City Chiefs bioClemson Tigers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Breeland, Bashaud
1992 births
Living people
People from Allendale, South Carolina
Players of American football from South Carolina
American football cornerbacks
Clemson Tigers football players
Washington Redskins players
Green Bay Packers players
Kansas City Chiefs players
Minnesota Vikings players
Arizona Cardinals players