Give Sam Bradford credit. Despite his status in the league as a consistently inconsistent quarterback, he's somehow managed to dominate the offseason headlines. So far, most of those stories have been tilted against Bradford, as his mini holdout in the aftermath of the Eagles trading for the No. 2 overall pick and drafting Carson Wentz wasn't well received.
This week, though, Bradford received a bundle of praise from his head coach, Doug Pederson. Once again, Pederson reiterated that Bradford -- not Wentz -- is his starting quarterback. Apparently, Bradford's been "unbelievable" so far.
"I think he's really done a nice job and taken that next step to be the leader of this football team and be the starter, and he's done a good job there," Pederson said, via the team's website. "I look at what Sam's done, and he's taken this thing and run with it. It's unbelievable what he's done. I'm so excited about the direction he's going, and the stuff that he's doing on the field right now are the things that I expected and what I saw at the end of the season last year from Sam Bradford. And my message has always been, 'Don't look over your shoulder, look forward,' and that's what he's done. He's embraced it."
Pederson added that the huddle belongs to Bradford.
"One is leadership. The fact that he's embraced that huddle. It's his huddle. He steps in every day when we get ready to compete and he's aggressive with the guys in the huddle and that's great to see from your leader and from your quarterback," Pederson said. "The way he has anticipated throws, his accuracy on throws, how well he sees the field. He throws a nice ball, a nice, deep ball. Things like that have really made him the guy that I knew he was. Those are things that are exciting, finishing up our offseason and getting ready for camp."
Pederson's comments come a week after both of his top assistants refuted the idea that Bradford is the unquestioned starter, with offensive coordinator Frank Reich saying, "To say that there's not competition, that's just the furthest thing from the truth." Then, NJ.com reported that Wentz was ahead of Bradford in terms of learning the offense.
Still, Pederson is sticking with Bradford, which actually makes sense. Bradford isn't a top player, but he's a fine bridge quarterback. Though some pegged Wentz as the top quarterback in the draft, his experience is limited, which means he might need more time to adjust to the speed and difficulties the NFL presents. The Eagles aren't expected to compete for a playoff spot this season, so they're in no rush to play Wentz.
Here's what that means for Bradford: He has no shot to remain in Philadelphia for the long-term, but he'll be given the chance to audition for the rest of the league. If Bradford compiles a solid season, someone else will give him a chance to start.
Whether Bradford can actually do that remains to be seen. His career passer rating rests at 81.0, and he hasn't played in a full season since 2012.
