Sam Bradford is improving. The quarterback is looking more and more comfortable in the Philadelphia Eagles' offense which is good news for short-term success and the long-term outlook of his career. It is no secret that Bradford is working off an expiring contract after getting traded to the NFC East team. Much has been made over whether or not he is "the guy" for Chip Kelly and company. As he settles into an easy rhythm, Kelly is hinting that a deal will be handed out.
Reports surfaced from Howard Eskin of WIP that Bradford rejected as $72 million contract over four years. The quarterback and the Eagles had reportedly talked contract extensions before the season. The Eagles wanted to lock the quarterback down for a short-term deal, but Bradford tabled the talks, betting on himself and his health to earn more money next offseason. However, Bradford is denying any kind of contract was ever handed to him. Now that he is winning games, Kelly hinted that the quarterback will be sticking around the franchise.
"(Bradford) works extremely hard at it," said Kelly, via the PhillyVoice.com. "He's in this building all the time, watching film, studying, working at it. We've seen constant improvement out of Sam. I hope it continues and he'll continue to play even better as we move forward."
The Eagles will have their chances to grab other quarterbacks. Colin Kaepernick is expected to be available. He appears to be the best fit for the offensive system Kelly wants to run. However, the gamble for Bradford is slowly paying off as the quarterback looks more and more comfortable every game. That could be what the Eagles look towards when deciding the future of the position.
"Over the past couple of weeks, we've kind of found what we're good at," Bradford said, via Sam Donnellon of the Philadelphia Daily News. "Some pass concepts and things that I'm comfortable with, that we're comfortable with. We just kind of repped those, so we've gotten good at those. We're just gonna go run those plays on Sunday. And I think maybe for a while, it was just finding what it is that this offense, this year, what we're going to be good at. What we're going to attack people with."
Bradford is right to say they have found what they are good at. The running back rotation of DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews is finally moving in a positive direction. Jordan Matthews had the breakout game he desperately needed. Zach Ertz has emerged as a reliable safety blanket over the middle. The team is beginning to gain chemistry and figure things out. With most of their offensive stars locked down for the future, bringing Bradford back could end up being a top priority.