National Football League
Report: NFL executive questions hype around Sam Bradford
National Football League

Report: NFL executive questions hype around Sam Bradford

Published Jul. 6, 2015 11:25 a.m. ET

By David Kenyon

The Philadelphia Eagles made a head-turning offseason move when they acquired Sam Bradford from the St. Louis Rams in exchange for Nick Foles, but one NFL executive is surprised at something else: Why do we care so much?

According to Mark Eckel of NJ.com, “one of the league’s top executives” said he doesn’t understand the hype around the oft-injured quarterback:

“I understand they gave up on Foles. But I don’t know why they’re building up Bradford so much. I’m still confused about that whole deal. You can only talk about him being the first pick of the draft (in 2010) for so long. What has he done since then?”

The anonymous executive continued, saying that Bradford wouldn’t be a mainstay in the headlines had he been shipped somewhere else. However, the exec admitted that Philadelphia head coach Chip Kelly is “the one guy” who can change the outlook of Bradford’s NFL career:

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“If Bradford had gone anywhere else you wouldn’t even be talking about him. He’s been hurt the past two years and even when he was healthy, he was just average. But he’s with Chip Kelly, so there’s hope I guess. Chip Kelly is the one guy who can make Bradford a success.”

Bradford has been productive while on the field, but the quarterback has sustained three season-shortening injuries during his five-year NFL career. In 2011, an ankle injury caused him to miss six games. An ACL tear ended Bradford’s 2013 campaign after seven games, and another ACL injury sidelined him for 2014.

Nevertheless, Philly traded Foles and a second-round pick for Bradford, who the Eagles hope can stay under center for an entire season.

The hype train has steadily rolled along throughout the season, and optimism abounds in Philadelphia. Bradford could be Kelly’s third reclamation project, considering Foles and Mark Sanchez both thrived at times under the now-third-year NFL coach.

Bradford has the potential to be special, but perhaps we’re paying a little too much attention to someone who hasn’t played a full season in three years.

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