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Sam Bradford Doubling Down On Philadelphia Eagles Bid

By Erik Lambert

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Jun 17, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford (7) walks onto the field during minicamp at The NovaCare Complex. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Some may forget this, but not too long ago quarterback Sam Bradford was in a bad place mentally.  He was coming off the second-straight injury to the ACL in the same knee.  His faith that he could stay on the field was shaken so much to the point that he considered retiring at age 26.

Then the Philadelphia Eagles came calling, trading Nick Foles and a package of draft picks to the St. Louis Rams in order to get him.  It was a surprising leap of faith for an organization that feels it’s a quarterback away from contending.  They feel the system implemented by head coach Chip Kelly was suited well to Bradford as it would take advantage of his arm and release while helping limit the number of hits he’d take from defenses.

It’s a gamble on their part, and Bradford knows it.  That may explain why he’s decided to forgo talking contract extensions until the season ends.  He sits in the last year of his rookie contract and knows this could be the final opportunity he gets to start.  This decision smell of a player who knows he’s got nothing to lose.

Why not go for double the points?  If he gets hurt or doesn’t play well, he’ll already have made tens of millions from his rookie deal and can retire if he wants.  On the other hand, if he comes through healthy and plays well enough, he could enter NFL free agency in high demand or sign a more lucrative extension with Philadelphia than they may be offering at present.

It may seem desperate, but there is a certain level of logic behind the decision.  If Bradford can’t come through with this, then he’ll know the NFL may just not be for him.

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