Bradford To Play Out Final Year Of Deal

Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford plans to play out the final year of his deal rather than signing an extension, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. The two sides began discussing an extension last month but there apparently won’t be a deal struck before the start of the season, or during it for that matter.

Bradford, 27, came to the Eagles in an offseason deal that saw Nick Foles shipped out to St. Louis. Bradford has battled injuries over the past two seasons, including an ACL injury that forced him to miss the entire 2014 season. In his last full season, the former first-overall pick threw for 3,702 yards, 21 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. During that 2012 campaign, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked Bradford 21st among 38 quarterback candidates.

Recently, PFR’s Dallas Robinson looked at Bradford as a possible extension candidate. Within the piece, he reasoned that a short-term extension would have made the most sense for both sides. At 27, another three years on Bradford’s current deal would have resulted in him hitting the open market at 31, when he could net another big deal.

The Eagles likely had reservations about a long-term pact with Bradford due to his injury history, but with quarterbacks at a premium, it made sense for them to at least explore an extension. Bradford’s medical file includes two torn ACLs in his five-year career and he’s played in only 49 out of a possible 80 games since entering the league. By the same token, rumors of the Eagles offering him up in trade talks shortly after acquiring him could have given Bradford pause about joining up with them for the long run.

Meanwhile, the Rams are still working on an extension with Nick Foles, whom they acquired in exchange for Bradford earlier this offseason. On Sunday, PFR’s Connor Byrne looked at Foles as an extension candidate.

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