When the Eagles traded last month for quarterback Sam Bradford, it was believed that efforts promptly would be made to extend a contract that pays him $12.985 million in 2015, the final year of his rookie deal. Per a source with knowledge of the situation, no meaningful talks have occurred.
The failure of the Eagles to make a significant effort to extend Bradford’s stay has sparked speculation in league circles that Bradford could indeed be traded again, even though coach Chip Kelly insisted that Bradford won’t be used as a bargaining chip.
Bradford currently is willing to sign a new deal that guarantees an opportunity to remain in Philadelphia in 2015 and beyond; if he’s traded again, however, we’re told he won’t do a new deal this year.
He also may stay away from the offseason program, but that would require a more careful analysis of the reality that he’s in a contract year. To become marketable in 2016, he needs to re-establish himself in 2015. To do that, he may have to embrace yet another new destination.
Still, that doesn’t mean he’ll extend with a team like the Browns. He’d play out the contract, recognizing that he could end up being franchise-tagged. The silver lining would be that he’d then make more than $20 million in cash next year.
