Is Chip Kelly planning to move on from his big offseason acquisition Sam Bradford? The short answer: I have no idea.
No, Bradford has not been the precise engine to make Kelly's high-powered offense go this season. In nine games, the veteran is completing 63.9 percent of his passes and has thrown for 2,297 yards with 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Philadelphia's offense ranks eighth in yards per game (375.0) and 15th in points (22.9). Overall, Philly has been okay on that side of the ball but not nearly as effective as they had hoped.
Some fans wondered if Bradford's concussion - which sidelined him this past Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and will likely keep him out against the Detroit Lions this Thursday - would open the door for backup Mark Sanchez to assume the starting role. Sanchez played decently last year in the same offense, completing 64.1 percent of his passes while throwing for 2,418 yards with 14 TDs against 11 picks in nine games. Yet the backup bombed against the Bucs this weekend, tossing three picks en route to a 45-17 beat down.
So what is in store for Philly's QB position?
"The future for Bradford in Philadelphia is murky," NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said. "First of all, in the short term, Mark Sanchez is expected to start again on Thursday, so he's going to get at least a two-game audition potentially for the starting job."
It's hard to believe that Kelly would stick with Sanchez the rest of the year after his poor performance against a susceptible defense this past weekend. But Bradford's unwillingness to sign an extension this offseason has put him in a precarious position with the team.
"It's not like the Eagles can say, 'we've invested a ton of guaranteed money in Bradford, he's for sure our starter'" Rapoport said. "...In the offseason, with seven college quarterbacks rated in the first three rounds, the Eagles will once again be exploring the quarterback market."
At 4-6, the Eagles are still in the NFC East race. If Bradford can return from his injury and string together a couple of wins, he may just earn some extra time in Philly. If not, well, happy hunting Chip!
