The Philadelphia Eagles took a chance on Sam Bradford by trading for him and choosing to pay him $12.985 million this season. But there's no telling where he'll play in 2016.
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported on NFL Network's *NFL Total Access *on Monday that Bradford plans to play out the final year of his contract, according to a source informed of his thinking. Bradford is essentially betting on himself by not signing an extension now. If he stays healthy and plays well, he could maximize dollars later.
This is an approach that makes sense for both sides. With Bradford coming off back-to-back torn ACLs, the Eagles surely would like to see him look healthy and effective in Chip Kelly's system before handing over huge guaranteed money. There's no way they could offer him a true "franchise quarterback" contract at this stage without a ton of protections. As discussed during Monday's podcast, Bradford has to win the Week 1 starting job over Mark Sanchez before taking the next step. That's far from guaranteed.Â
Bradford has already played out a six-year, $78 million contract signed under the old collective bargaining agreement. With that in mind, long-term "security" might be less important to him. He already has it. After looking less than 100 percent in offseason practices, Bradford needs to prove to the Eagles -- and himself -- that he can still be a viable NFL starter. Do that in Kelly's passer-friendly system, and the money is going to come.
*The latest Around The NFL Podcast discusses the eight most intriguing training camp battles heading into the season. *
