Sam Bradford picked a bad time to get injured. The St. Louis Rams quarterback did not get his option year picked up and now faces some uncertainty in his future. After missing a portion of last season to an ACL tear, Bradford was ready to come back new and improved this upcoming season. However, that plan did not follow through as he re-injured his ACL and will be out for the entire season. Bradford admits he has no idea what his future holds.
Bradford addressed the media for the first time since tearing his ACL in the preseason. Noticeably emotional, Bradford admitted that he did not see the ACL tear coming this season as he had expected to really step up after missing much of last season.
"I'm not sure I could really describe how it felt," Bradford said, via the St. Louis Dispatch. "It was just really tough to put all the work in and then to have it happen again. I didn't feel like it was torn at all. That's what was kind of tough for me to comprehend. Because it was so much different than last year's injury. There wasn't any pain. There was no swelling. There were no signs that the knee had gone through any sort of trauma. So to find out that my ACL was torn was even that much harder to believe."
Now Bradford must face questions regarding his contract status with the Rams as the team looks to replace him yet again. The quarterback has one year remaining on his deal with a $13 million base salary. After one mediocre season and two lost ones, there is a very good chance that the quarterback will not be back under center for St. Louis. Bradford notes that right now he plans on rehabbing and remaining as active with the team as he possibly can, not thinking about his contract status.
"You know, I can't focus on that right now," Bradford said. "I think it's a little too soon. I haven't even thought that far ahead. It's still pretty hard to comprehend (the injury) right now. (They) will give me something to focus on, and something to put my attention towards."
Right now, the Rams are going to try and commit to Shaun Hill for the upcoming season. With little roster depth behind him, that may or may not work out. The Rams could still target a trade if they see Hill struggle in the role. Right now, the best available is Mark Sanchez and his familiarity with the Rams offense would put him ahead of current backup, Case Keenum. The team could also look towards players like Christian Ponder and Matt McGloin who are buried on the depth chart.