5 starting quarterbacks facing do-or-die seasons
Sam Bradford, Philadelphia Eagles
Since being drafted by the St. Louis Rams with the No. 1 pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, Sam Bradford has been an enigma. No one doubts his talent, but the injury-prone 27-year-old has never put it all together and shown what he can do. Now at the helm of Chip Kelly’s high-powered offense in Philadelphia, Bradford needs to prove that he’s more than just a talented guy who happens to wind up on the injured list every week.
Bradford missed six starts in 2011 thanks to a high ankle sprain, then missed nine in 2013 after tearing his left ACL in the middle of the season. He then re-tore the same ligament during the 2014 preseason and missed the entire year. Seriously, the guy has had worse luck than Dr. Richard Kimble. The Rams had enough after his last ACL injury and traded him to the Eagles in March of this year.
Entering this season, Bradford had played in 49 games (all starts), owned a dismal record of 18-30-1, and completed 58.6 percent of the passes thrown in his career for 11,065 yards, with 59 touchdowns and 38 interceptions. His career passer rating is a subpar 79.3, and he has only averaged 6.3 yards per attempt in those 49 games.
Last week Bradford strapped on the gear for his first game with the Eagles, and the results were mixed at best. During a 26-24 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner completed 36 of 52 passes (69.2 percent) for 336 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions. His quarterback rating for the night was 77.1 and his QBR was 49.4. On top of that, he injured his ankle.
Week 2 was hardly any better, with him going 23-for-37 with one touchdown, two interceptions and a lost fumble. As a result, Philadelphia lost to a banged up Dallas team, 20-10.
Bradford is playing out the final season of his current deal and he needs to prove he can stay healthy and do more than just be a talented but puzzling signal-caller. It would appear he’s a great fit in Kelly’s system, now it’s on him to go out and prove it. If not, he’ll likely be relegated to backup status for the rest of his career.