It would appear quarterback Sam Bradford is headed back to the NFC West. The free agent is signing with the Arizona Cardinals, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Bradford spent the first five years of his career with the St. Louis Rams. He was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles, who later traded him to the Minnesota Vikings. He had a solid 2016 with Minnesota, including a league-leading 71.6 percent completion percentage. Wear and tear on his knee resulted in a knee scope in November 2017, and he finished the season on injured reserve. That afforded Case Keenum an opportunity he took full advantage of, shaking up the quarterback market to some extent.
The Cardinals needed a quarterback with Carson Palmer’s retirement. Bradford is a solid bridge option, but not likely to be someone they can count on for the foreseeable future. They will be looking for a young option to groom behind him. The question becomes whether they spend the 15th overall pick on the position, move up into the top ten, or wait it out after that initial first round run. Whatever their choice, quarterback remains a position of need for the long haul.