Is Sam Bradford’s Contract Worth Extending?

Sam Bradford made his Philadelphia Eagles debut on Monday night in a 26-24 loss against the Atlanta Falcons.

Bradford went 36/52 for 334 yards, 1 TD, and 2 INT in his first start in two seasons. The Falcons defense was swarming around the ball all night, made plays and got to the Quarterback on numerous occasions.

They looked like a entirely different unit as opposed to last year.
Bradford dropped back a total of 52 times, which is high considering it was his first start in since 2013, and rust was evident.

The more alarming trend during the game was that he was hit eight times during those drop backs. After the final pass was deflected by Jordan Matthews and intercepted, Bradford headed to the locker room for X-Rays.

All though the X-Rays were negative, there was speculation that Bradford might have hurt his ankle. Head Coach Chip Kelly insisted that his Quarterback was fine and there was no injury and he will be ready to roll next week.

With an extensive injury history, Philly were most likely at the edge of their seats.

Bradford is in the final season of a six-year, 78 million dollar deal. He is expected to make $12.98 million this year in base salary and is currently the highest paid player on the roster.

It has been said that Bradford is willing to roll the dice and play out the year in hopes of having a successful campaign. In turn he could possibly land himself a huge contract with a boatload of guaranteed money. It’s a high risk, high reward situation, especially if he does end up having a solid campaign.

In a Quarterback driven league, he can very well get the money he is looking for along with the long term security.

Now the big question is if Sam Bradford can stay healthy. If so, what kind of numbers can he put up in Chip Kelly’s offense?

It wouldn’t be smart for the Eagles to extend his contract, especially since he only has one game under his belt. The former first overall pick in 2010 has been riddled with injuries during his collegiate and pro career.

Bradford has only played in 16 games twice, and that was in 2010 and 2013. I expect Bradford to have a solid season if he can stay on the field, but that is a big if.

A premature contract extension could put the Eagles in a bad position, so waiting until the offseason should be the way to go.