Inbound quarterback made a bid (5)
I believe the answer is:
tried
'made a bid' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are past participle verbs, I can't see how one could define the other.
I can't explain the rest of the clue.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for tried that I've seen before include "checked out" , "Essayed" , "Made an attempt" , "Attempted" , "Proven by experience" .)