Report: Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford contemplated retirement

Eagles QB Sam Bradford reportedly thought about retiring after two ACL tears

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford contemplated retirement after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee for the second time in less than a year, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer​.

Former Oklahoma quarterbacks coach Josh Heupel talked Bradford out of retirement, the Inquirer reports. 

Heupel was the quarterbacks coach at Oklahoma during Bradford’s 2008 Heisman Trophy season and spent the past four seasons at the team’s co-offensive coordinator. He is now the offensive coordinator at Utah State.

[daily_cut.nfl]

Bradford said after the 2014 season that he "didn't want to come back" because he was tired of rehabbing his injury.

"It was one of those moments where, after all the time and energy and passion that he poured into rehabilitating himself in the first injury, you feel like you're snakebitten," Heupel said to the Philadelphia Inquirer. You don't know when, if, or how your body is going to respond and what your next opportunity is. You're really just in a lot of limbo. Sometimes, I think, just having a voice from an outside perspective is something that can be valuable."

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The St. Louis Rams traded Bradford to Philadelphia for quarterback Nick Foles earlier this month. The Eagles will receive a fifth-round pick in the 2015 NFL draft and sent St. Louis a 2015 fourth-round pick and a second-round pick next season.

Heupel says that Bradford can run head coach Chip Kelly’s up-tempo offense if he can stay on the field.

"If he's 100 percent healthy," Heupel said, "he'll be able to perform at an elite level."

- Scooby Axson