Inside the Iggles
FanSided

Philadelphia Eagles Should Not Settle For Quarterback Sam Bradford

By Ryan Quigley

Oct 25, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford (7) is sacked by Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Kawann Short (99) in the fourth quarter. The Panthers defeated the Falcons 27-16 at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 25, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford (7) is sacked by Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Kawann Short (99) in the fourth quarter. The Panthers defeated the Falcons 27-16 at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

If the Eagles settle for Sam Bradford, they’ll only be defeating themselves – again.

Seeing that the Philadelphia Eagles are close to getting a deal done with quarterback Sam Bradford, it’s only fitting to publish a hot take regarding such a hot topic.

Proceed with caution and an open mind.

It would be hard to argue against Bradford getting a short-term, cap-friendly deal. However, if the Eagles throw a large sum of money at Bradford like they’re reportedly willing to do, prepare for anarchy.

As hard as it may be to digest, Bradford is not the answer at quarterback for the Eagles. In his six-year career, Bradford has never led any of his teams to the playoffs and his numbers are average at best. While you can blame his production on the poor teams he’s played for throughout his career, there is no one to blame for his extensive injury history.

Eagles
Eagles /

Eagles

Bradford has missed 33 of a possible 96 games at the professional level, which adds up to almost a third of his entire career being spent rehabilitating an ailment of some sort. Bradford tore his left ACL twice within a year’s time; once in a Week 7 matchup against the Carolina Panthers in 2013 and again during a preseason game the following summer.

He’s also suffered several other injuries dating back to his college days including a torn AC joint, which he would eventually aggravate again, prohibiting him from throwing at the 2010 NFL Scouting Combine. More recently, he suffered a sprained ankle in 2011 as well as simultaneously suffering a concussion and an injury to his left shoulder just this past season.

Bradford is a middle-of-the-road quarterback who can’t stay healthy, which is not worth a large-scale investment.

While Bradford does give the Eagles the best option to win right now, he is not the best option for the future of the team.

Next: The Eagles Could Learn A Thing Or Two From Their Hockey Counterpart

Re-signing Bradford would feel eerily similar to when the Eagles settled for Doug Pederson as head coach. Adam Gase was the Eagles’ target and they missed out on him as well as Tom Coughlin and Ben McAdoo. Bradford may seem like the Eagles’ first choice headed into 2016, but looking big picture, they have no other choice. It’s Bradford or Mark Sanchez at this point and it’s not exactly a secret that Sanchez isn’t starting material, at least for the Eagles.

If Bradford is the Eagles’ starting quarterback next season, it will feel like the Eagles settled for a second-rate candidate once again. They missed out on their coach and they had no other option at quarterback. Realistically, Philadelphia won’t be winning the Super Bowl any time soon, so why should the Eagles continue to pretend that a mediocre quarterback like Sam Bradford will be the guy to change that?

Home/Eagles News