Philadelphia Eagles

Sam Bradford's status for Thanksgiving game 'up in the air'

Published Nov. 24, 2015 12:32 p.m. ET

foxsports

By David Kenyon

The Philadelphia Eagles were without quarterback Sam Bradford in their last game, and fans probably want to avoid Round 2 of Mark Sanchez behind center.

Unfortunately for the Philly faithful, offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur said Bradford is cleared and participated in practice Monday but isn’t certain to play Thursday afternoon against the Detroit Lions.

“Yesterday was a half-speed [practice], too, because we were just one day out from [Sunday’s] game. It’s really kind of up in the air.”

Bradford—who exited the Eagles’ game against the Miami Dolphins two weeks ago due to a concussion—is far from irreplaceable. However, his backup isn’t much better.

Sanchez stepped in on Sunday when Philadelphia hosted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and he completed 26-of-41 passes for 261 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions, the last of which was a pick-six.

Despite those troubles, though, Sanchez is probably the best option for Thursday. The veteran is the most recent quarterback to have taken live snaps, and that matters in short weeks.

When a team only has four days between contests, the coaches rarely utilize full-speed drills. Monday is often a recovery day meant for game planning, Tuesday is generally a walk-through and Wednesday is a walk-through with little contact before traveling.

The Eagles are only one game behind the New York Giants for first place in the NFC East, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Philly attempts to catch its rival with Sanchez at quarterback while Bradford is available in case of injury.

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