The conflicting rumors regarding Sam Bradford and the Philadelphia Eagles keep flowing, with the latest one suggesting the team is actually trying to keep him, not trade him away, and extend his contract which runs out at the end of this season.
Up until now, the popular belief was that Bradford is a trading chip in order to somehow get the number two overall pick and select Marcus Mariota. The Eagles traded Nick Foles for Bradford, who hasn’t been exactly the most healthy of quarterbacks since his NFL career began. But Chip Kelly has said a number of times that Bradford is here to stay.
Pat Shurmur is the Eagles’ offensive coordinator, and he was with the Rams when Bradford won rookie of the year, so that might tell you there is a level of commitment here to this player. But the negotiations are tricky. Bradford wants a no-trade clause in the contract for this season, which just goes to show how much he has faith in Kelly when he tells him that he’s not going to trade him.
Bradford isn’t going to sign an extension with anyone else, which means that any team that tries to trade for him should know it’s probably a one year deal and then free agency. Bradford wants to play in Philadelphia. The Eagles actually used draft picks and Foles to get him, which sounds like someone the team is interested in keeping. But after everything Kelly has done this offseason, it’s impossible to shrug away that doubt.
If Kelly wants Bradford this badly and intends to give him the keys to the offense, than why is no-trade clause such a big deal to him, especially in this season? Also some health and games played related incentives could be involved in all of this; you never know. Right now, it’s really hard to tell who the Eagles will actually be starting at quarterback next season, with the draft just over two days away.