Sam Bradford wasn’t happy with the Philadelphia Eagles when the team swung a huge trade with the Cleveland Browns to acquire the number two overall pick in 2016. The Eagles are widely believed to be using the pick on either Carson Wentz or Jared Goff, which would throw Bradford’s future with the club in doubt. Jon Gruden said the Eagles had a QB controversy on their hands, and today those comments were confirmed.
Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports Bradford has informed the Eagles he wants to be traded and won’t be showing up for their offseason program.
It’s not an overly surprising development that Bradford wants out. While he was brought in under the previous Chip Kelly regime, Bradford re-signed with the Eagles on a two-year, $36 million contract in March to be the starter under new coach Doug Pederson. His status as starter was questioned when Philadelphia signed backup Chase Daniel to a three-year, $21 million deal and has since been up in the air following the trade with the Browns. The Eagles seemed committed to Bradford following his extension, but every move since suggests otherwise.
Would there be interest in Bradford from other teams across the league? Sure, but he’s not an elite option who should garner all that much on the trade market. He had an up-and-down first season in Philadelphia and while solid, Bradford didn’t provide a great return on investment. He’s also a perennial injury risk.
It’s not a sure thing the Eagles are going to draft a quarterback with their top pick, so perhaps the trade request will blow over. However, it sure seems like Philadelphia is leaning that way, which means Bradford’s time with the Eagles has like passed its expiry date – and we’ll know for sure on Thursday night.