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Sam Bradford’s Return is One of NFL’s Best Storylines

By Anthony DiBona

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Everyone loves rooting for the underdog or a comeback story and that’s exactly what makes Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford‘s situation so intriguing. Since he was drafted first overall in the 2010 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams, Bradford has done nothing but disappoint. So why in the world are people so interested in seeing Bradford finally succeed?

It’s easy for someone to give up after being the top pick in the NFL Draft, paid millions of dollars and not having immediate success, just ask former Oakland Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell. Yet that isn’t the case with Bradford, he’s almost like the Rocky Balboa of the NFL. Except he’s tearing ligaments in his knees instead of taking body shots and jabs to the face. Eagles head coach Chip Kelly knows Bradford has potential to be a phenomenal player on the field, which is why he made a controversial move this offseason to acquire the injury-prone quarterback.

Kelly understands the risk he’s taking by relying on Bradford to be the team’s potential franchise quarterback, it’s a calculated one for sure. Legendary coach Jimmy Johnson reportedly offered some advice to Kelly this offseason, according to Emily Kaplan of MMQB.SI.com, including this tidbit that seems especially relevant following the Eagles’ offseason frenzy:

"“Here’s the big question: Do you want to play it safe and be good, or do you want to take a chance and be great? If you’re not afraid to fail, you can do some great things in this league. But most people are afraid to fail, so they play it safe. I always liked to take risks because I was always confident in my abilities. I think—no, I know—Chip is confident in his abilities, too.”"

Bradford is likely one of those chances that Johnson was referring to. Which is exactly what makes the whole storyline surrounding Bradford, Kelly and the Eagles heading into the upcoming season one of the league’s best. Kelly’s offense was already must-see television when they took the field. But now everyone is wondering if Kelly can take on the ultimate reclamation project in Bradford, who appeared to be a lost cause.

There’s no person that believes more in Chip Kelly than…you guessed it, Chip Kelly. He doesn’t give a damn what anyone else thinks and he’s going to do whatever he wants. Taking a gamble on Bradford is exactly one of those moves. Twitter nearly exploded minutes after the move was announced, especially once Eagles’ fans realized the team wasn’t getting any better draft picks in return as well. Yet months have passed and many are starting to come to terms with the move. Well, as long as Bradford can stay healthy of course.

Bradford’s health will be the talk of training camp for the Eagles in two weeks. Kelly has put all of his eggs in one basket, as they say, except this basket has a couple of holes in it. Peter King of MMQB.SI.com believes that Bradford’s reincarnation is the second best storyline in the NFL heading into training camp season.

"2. The reincarnation of Sam Bradford. Chip Kelly better know what he’s doing. (Somehow, I don’t think that’s the first time that’s been said this off-season.) In the 31 months since New Year’s Day 2013, Bradford, the first pick in the 2010 draft, has played seven football games. He’s lost four. His 2013 and 2014 seasons were both ended by a torn ACL. Kelly acquired Bradford from the Rams in March, then tried like crazy to trade for Marcus Mariota six weeks later. And so this is a mildly important training camp for Bradford. And for Kelly."

The sports world will have it’s eyes set on Bradford once training camp begins. Will he participate fully during practice without limitations? If he does participate fully, how does he look throwing the ball? Once the pads go on, will he be able to take a sack without bursting into millions of pieces? Those are all questions that will be asked…maybe not the last one, but you get the point.

Kelly is ready to see what Bradford has to, hopefully, offer on an NFL field once again. If he can stay healthy, the sky is the limit for Bradford considering all of the weapons he’ll be surrounded by. Yet if the trend continues and Bradford suffers another season ending injury, it could be a long season in the City of Brotherly Love and Kelly will certainly be pelted with questions like never before.

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