NFL | Why would Birds fans, or Birds themselves, want Bradford back?

by Jack Kerwin | [email protected]

The list, at this point, is seemingly endless.

Indeed, when you stop and think about it … well, it’s hard to stop thinking about reasons to dislike Sam Bradford.

​His so-so performance on the field. His subpar performance off it. His general sense of entitlement. His “just saw a UFO” look in pressure – real or imagined – situations.

Which is why it astounds me that so, soooo many people who bleed Eagles’ midnight green are so, soooo hung up on having him return to the team and serve as a short-term NFL quarterbacking sensei to Carson Wentz.

As if the just-drafted “chosen one” would learn a damn thing from Bradford aside from how to be the essence of mediocre. As if the injury-prone Bradford would serve as a season-long buffer between sitting and starting for Wentz as the Birds protected their most prized property and gently eased him into action.

As if Sammy Sleeve’s career up to this point, including last season’s infinitely Bradford-esque games-missed, garbage-time-stats-compiled effort, gave any indication that either of those things were possible.

Why in football heaven’s name would anyone ever want the guy back here? Forget the completely illogical, kid-yourself fantasy that he should be “OK” or “fine” with everything, or “act like a professional,” and just come back … and place the team ahead of himself. No, really, the big question is, why would you want him back – under any circumstance?

Seriously …

Not for nothing, but Wentz’s arrival, whether it alarms me or anyone else, signaled a move away from the past, a step toward the future, a new beginning. If anything, dropping Bradford like a load of bad asphalt would be one of the best, healthiest decisions the Eagles could make right now.

Think about this:

While the argument here, and, guess what, a few other places, is that Bradford was done a bit dirty by the Birds during their wheeling and dealing this offseason and that his reaction – upset, dismayed, demanding a trade and no longer answering any calls from the organization – to the team drafting what it hopes is its next franchise QB, the counter is that he got burned by starting the whole game of chicken in the first place.

Thing is, the Eagles offered the guy a long-term deal before last season even started. Bradford turned it down, banking on his play leading to a more profitable offer – either from the Birds or elsewhere.

Didn’t happen.

So, then the two sides came to a compromise two months ago with free agency looming for the veteran. With neither totally sold on the other, they entered a little “show me” stage.

​Short-term contract with big-time money that satisfied both.

Yeah, sure, they were a “couple.” But there was no ring involved. They could look at that a couple years down the road.

If a long-time union were meant to be, it would be. Gotta be a free-will kinda thing. You know, all that noncommittal committal crap.

As we now know, Wentz caught the Birds’ eye rather quickly and their hearts skipped a beat.

Sam who?

Oh yeah, they thought, well, maybe we could keep him in the hopper, just in case things don’t work out with the guy we really want. At least then we have someone.

Yep, someone who would leave you always wanting someone else.

Stop demanding he subject himself to something you wouldn’t ask of yourself. Just let him go. It was a bad pairing, a toxic mix, from the start.

You, the Eagles and Wentz all will be better off, starting fresh with no Bradford baggage.

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Indeed, when you stop and think about it … well, it’s hard to stop thinking about reasons to dislike Sam Bradford. His so-so performance on the field. His subpar performance off it. His general sense of entitlement. His “just saw a UFO” look in pressure – real or imagined – situations. ... Why in football heaven’s name would anyone ever want the guy back here? Forget the completely illogical, kid-yourself fantasy that he should be “OK” or “fine” with everything, or “act like a professional,” and just come back … and place the team ahead of himself. No, really, the big question is, why would you want him back – under any circumstance?

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NFL SLANT FOR SAM

25
​Wins as starting QB

37
Losses as starting QB

33
​Games missed due to injury

0
​Playoff games

14,790
​Yards passing

78
​TDs thrown

52
​INTs thrown

60.1
Completion percentage