Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Bradham suspended for season opener
The Eagles will be without Nigel Bradham when they open defense of their Super Bowl title.
The linebacker has been suspended without pay for the Sept. 6 season opener against the Atlanta Falcons for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy, the league and team announced Friday.
The suspension stems from Bradham’s arrest for assaulting a hotel employee in Miami nearly two years ago.
“I would like to apologize to my fans, coaches, teammates and the entire eagles organization for the 1 game suspension,” Bradham said on Twitter. “This stems from a July 2016 incident and the matter is now resolved. I look forward to giving it my all this season and helping the team win another Championship.”
Bradham was charged with aggravated assault, a second-degree felony, for allegedly breaking a hotel employee’s nose, according to published reports. He accepted a deferred prosecution program to keep the case out of court.
The 28-year-old Bradham will be eligible to return to the active roster on Friday, Sept. 7. He is eligible to participate in all offseason and preseason practices and games, according to a statement on the Eagles web site.
Bradham has been a starting linebacker for the past two seasons and was in on 88 tackles and had a career-high eight passes defended during the Eagles’ run to the Super Bowl title. He signed a five-year, $40-million contract with the team in March.
“We have been in contact with Nigel and the NFL regarding his suspension,” the Eagles said in a statement. “We respect the league’s decision on this matter and we are disappointed that Nigel put himself in this position. Nigel has taken Responsibility and expressed to us through his words and actions that he had learned from his mistake. We will continue to be supportive of him throughout this process.”