Bradford’s future suddenly cloudy
Another setback for Sam Bradford raises questions about the Rams’ longterm plan at quarterback.
This was supposed to be the year Sam Bradford put it all together.
The St. Louis Rams fortified the offensive line and bolstered the receiving corps. The running game had shown promise, and the offense had continuity with another year in Brian Schottenheimer’s system.
And the Rams defense has the pieces to be among the NFL’s best units.
Yet rather than relying on such support to blossom into the projected star the Rams envisioned when they selected Bradford with the No. 1 pick overall in 2010, the franchise quarterback is headed back to rehab with another torn anterior cruciate ligament.
It’s a tough blow for Bradford, 26, who was impressive in his comeback bid this preseason after his 2013 season was cut short by a torn ACL in the same left knee.
He looked to be in the best shape of career and had dropped 10 pounds from his listed weight (228), recently weighing in at 218. After posting a 90.9 passer rating in his seven games last season (with a 14-4 touchdown-to-inter- ception ratio), Bradford had a 104.8 passer rating, with no turnovers, this summer.
“If you saw him play in the last two preseason games, I think you’d agree with me that he’s 100% back,” Fisher said.
When I talked to him early in training camp, Bradford was buoyed by the offense’s potential — especially with the threat of a lethal deep passing game featuring Tavon Austin, Stedman Bailey, Chris Givens and newly acquired Kenny Britt. And with a stronger offensive line getting left tackle Jake Long back from injury and adding Greg Robinson with the second pick overall, the plan was for Bradford to be better protected. Instead, the plan collapsed. Bradford will have to watch from the sideline again.
The Rams will move forward with a seasoned backup in 13thyear veteran Shaun Hill. But another setback for Bradford — hit on the front of the knee in Saturday’s road exhibition — raises questions about the team’s longterm plan for a quarterback.
Bradford has two seasons remaining on the six-year, $78 million contract — which included a rookie-record $50 million guaranteed — he received upon coming out of Oklahoma the year before the NFL instituted a rookie wage scale.
This summer, Rams general manager Les Snead told me he expected the team would re-sign Bradford before his contract expired after the 2015 campaign.
Yet with another injury, the dynamics have changed. Barring another setback, Bradford would return during the final year of a contract averaging $13 million — and after injuries had ruined his previous two seasons.
Bradford should get a chance to prove that his health is intact before his contract expires, but, given his recent luck, that might be a big if. Even tougher could be both sides agreeing to his worth.
Though Bradford came within a victory of leading the Rams to a division title as a rookie, the hard knocks since have prevented him from living up to his existing contract.
The Rams will have to square that, while mulling options for securing their future at quarterback — with or without Bradford. Even if they remain sold that Bradford is their long-term answer, his injury history could force the Rams to think hard next offseason about whether to draft another option.