Samuel Jacob Bradford (born November 8, 1987) is an American former professionalfootball player who was aquarterback for nine seasons in theNational Football League (NFL).
Bradford attendedPutnam City North High School, where he starred in football, basketball and golf. As a senior quarterback in 2005, he threw for 2,029 yards and 17touchdowns in 12 games. Bradford was not highly recruited coming out of high school, but he received a scholarship offer from theUniversity of Oklahoma, which he accepted. After aredshirt season in 2006, Bradford threw for 3,121 yards and 36 touchdowns as a redshirt freshman with theOklahoma Sooners. In 2008, Bradford became only the second sophomore to win theHeisman Trophy as he led the highest-scoring offense in NCAA history, passing for 4,720 yards with 50 touchdowns and just eightinterceptions. He again led the nation in passing and also added five rushing touchdowns as the Sooners went 12–1 and advanced to theBCS national title game.
Bradford declared for the NFL draft following the 2009 season and was selected by theSt. Louis Rams with thefirst overall selection in the2010 NFL draft. That year, Bradford set the record for most completions by a rookie in NFL history, which helped earn him theNFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Prior to the start of the 2015 season, the Rams traded Bradford along with a 2015 fifth round pick to thePhiladelphia Eagles in exchange for quarterbackNick Foles, a 2015 fourth-round pick, and a 2016 second-round pick. Following his 2015 campaign with the Eagles, in which he set career-highs in passing yards (3,725), completion percentage (65%) and yards per attempt (7.0), theMinnesota Vikings acquired Bradford after their starting quarterbackTeddy Bridgewater was lost to a season-ending knee injury before the start of the season. Bradford signed with theArizona Cardinals in 2018 and started three games, but was replaced by rookieJosh Rosen and eventually released.
Bradford was born to Kent and Martha Bradford inOklahoma City,Oklahoma.[2] He attendedPutnam City North High School in Oklahoma City, where he starred infootball,basketball,baseball, andgolf for the Putnam City North Panthers.[3] Bradford played as apitcher in baseball, but gave up baseball after his freshman year. He earned All-City honors as a juniorquarterback in football byThe Oklahoman.[4] Following his senior season in which he threw for 2,029yards and 17touchdowns in 12 games, Bradford was named to the Oklahoma Coaches Association All-State Team and was a Second-Team All-State pick byThe Oklahoman.[5][6]
Bradford was also a Division I-caliber basketball player. As a senior, he averaged 18.6points and 10.5rebounds per game and played on the same eliteAAU team as fellowOklahoma City native andNBA starBlake Griffin.[7] In golf, Bradford defeated futurePGA touring prosKevin Tway andRobert Streb during his high school career. In addition to the aforementioned sports, Bradford also playedice hockey in his youth. In 1999, when Bradford was 12, histravel team, the Junior Blazers, won a regional championship, beating a team from Houston. He quit the sport that same year, and according to his former hockey coachMike McEwen, who played on threeStanley Cup championship teams with theNew York Islanders, Bradford had the talent to make it in theNHL. McEwen also said that Bradford was one of the best players he ever coached.[8]
In the spring of 2005, by the end of Bradford's junior season, he garnered interest from several Division I football programs, includingStanford,Michigan,Texas Tech, and nearby Oklahoma. Following his senior season, Bradford was viewed as a two-to-three-star recruit (out of five) and was not that highly ranked among the high school class of 2006, with his highest ranking being No. 12 among only pro-style quarterbacks by recruiting sourceRivals.com.[9] Bradford was ranked behindPat Devlin,"Juice" Williams, andJosh Freeman, and was overshadowed by five-star recruits such asMitch Mustain,Matthew Stafford, andTim Tebow.[10]
| Name | Hometown | School | Height | Weight | 40‡ | Commit date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Bradford QB | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | Putnam City North High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | 4.78 | Dec 2, 2005 |
Recruit ratings:Scout:  Rivals: (79) | ||||||
| Overall recruit ranking: Scout: 18 (QB) Rivals: 12 (QB), 1 (Oklahoma) ESPN: 16 (QB) | ||||||
Sources:
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Bradford received anathletic scholarship to attend theUniversity of Oklahoma, where he played for coachBob Stoops'sOklahoma Sooners football team. Heredshirted as a freshman in 2006. The same year, Oklahoma's starting quarterbackRhett Bomar, then a sophomore, was dismissed from the team for violatingNCAA rules.[11]Paul Thompson, a senior quarterback-turned-wide receiver, converted back to quarterback and led the2006 Oklahoma Sooners football team to win theBig 12 Championship Game.[12][13] His departure left a void at the quarterback position at Oklahoma. Six players on the roster tried out for the starting position during the following off-season, including threewalk-on quarterbacks,[14]true freshman Keith Nichol (a Rivals.com 4-star recruit and 6th-rankeddual-threat quarterback in the 2007 recruiting class, who later transferred toMichigan State University), junior Joey Halzle (the only one with game experience), and Bradford. On August 21, 2007, Bradford won the starting quarterback role for the2007 team.[15]
In his first game for the Sooners, against theUniversity of North Texas, Bradford completed 21 of 23 passing attempts for 363 yards and three touchdowns in a little over two quarters, breaking the school record for passing yards in a half, held by hisquarterback coachJosh Heupel, with 350.[16] The very next game, Bradford brokeHeisman Trophy winnerJason White's school record for most consecutive pass completions with 22 (18 came in the first half and 4 at the start of the second).[17]
In the second week of the 2007 season, Bradford was named the college national offensive player of the week by theWalter Camp Football Foundation[18] after tying the school record for most touchdown passes in a game with five.[19] Having thrown 25 touchdowns through his first nine games, Bradford was on pace to break the NCAA freshman record of 29 touchdowns set byDavid Neill in 1998 and tied byColt McCoy in 2006.
In the November 17, 2007, game againstTexas Tech, Bradford suffered aconcussion. He was removed from the game and replaced by back-up quarterback Joey Halzle. The Sooners lost the game, 27–34. Bradford was able to play in theBedlam game againstOklahoma State a week later.[20] During the game against theOklahoma State Cowboys, Bradford broke the NCAA freshman record of 29 touchdowns by passing his 30th touchdown toJoe Jon Finley during the second quarter.[21] At theMissouri Tigers game, Bradford threw for 209 yards and 0 interceptions. He was 18–26 and threw for two touchdowns.[22]
The Sooners won the Big 12 Championship after defeating Missouri for the second time in a season.[23] The Sooners played theWest Virginia Mountaineers in theFiesta Bowl on January 2, 2008, and lost 48–28.[24] Bradford led the nation with apasser rating of 176.5.[25]
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The following season Bradford surpassed quarterback coach Josh Heupel's school record for passing yards in a single game with 468 yards.[26] Bradford led the Sooners to their third straight Big 12 Championship and defeated Missouri 62–21.[27] In the process, the Sooners brokeHawaii's 2006 record for the most points in a single season with 702 points. Also, the Sooners were the first team in NCAA history to score 60 or more points in five straight games. Oklahoma finished the 2008 regular season with a 12–1 record, ranking #2 in the AP Poll and #1 in the BCS Standings.[28] The Sooners earned a trip to playFlorida at the2009 BCS National Championship Game.[29] Bradford turned in one of the best seasons ever by a quarterback, passing for 4,720 yards with a NCAA-leading 50 touchdowns and just eight interceptions.[30][31]
After the regular season, Bradford captured theDavey O'Brien Award[32] and the Heisman Trophy, awarded to the best player in college football.[33][34] He is the second sophomore, after 2007 winner Tim Tebow of the University of Florida, to receive the Heisman; he also became the fifth University of Oklahoma player, as well as the second person ofNative American descent to capture the trophy afterJim Plunkett.[35] Bradford received 1,726 total points while the other finalists, Colt McCoy, of theUniversity of Texas, and Tim Tebow, received 1,604 and 1,575, respectively. Tebow, however, collected more first-place votes, 309, while Bradford got 300. Bradford got the most points thanks to the help of his 315 second-place votes. A total of 926 voters participated in the balloting.[36]
When combined with Blake Griffin'sNaismith Award,Oklahoma became the first school to have a winner in both top basketball and football individual awards in the same year. Bradford was also votedAssociated Press College Football Player of the Year. Bradford received 27 votes, again beating McCoy (17 votes) and Tim Tebow (16 votes). Bradford is the third Oklahoma Sooner to win the award, joining Josh Heupel (2000) and Jason White (2003). Heupel and White were also quarterbacks, with Heupel being the current quarterbacks coach for Oklahoma.[37]
Bradford facedFlorida, led by Tebow, in the 2009 BCS National Championship Game.[38] He threw 26-of-41 passes for 256 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions, as Florida won the game 24–14.[39]
Bradford announced that he would forgo the2009 NFL draft to return to Oklahoma for his junior season.[40] In the Sooners' first game of the season (againstBrigham Young), Bradford suffered a third-degreeAC joint sprain one play after becoming Oklahoma's all-time passing leader. Playing without Bradford for the second half of the game, Oklahoma went on to lose 14–13.[41] Bradford was scheduled to return in about three to six weeks.[41][42] After missing three weeks, Bradford returned to the field during theBaylor game, and completed 27 of 49 passes for 389 yards and one touchdown, leading the Sooners to a 33–7 victory.[43] Bradford re-injured his right shoulder on October 17, 2009, in theRed River Rivalry againstTexas on the second drive of the game. It was later announced that he would undergo season-ending shoulder surgery and enter the2010 NFL draft.[44]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Led the NCAA | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Season | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | TD | INT | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | ||
| 2006 | Oklahoma |  Redshirt | ||||||||||||||
| 2007 | Oklahoma | 14 | 14 | 11–3 | 237 | 341 | 69.5 | 3,121 | 9.2 | 36 | 8 | 176.5 | 31 | 7 | 0.2 | 0 |
| 2008 | Oklahoma | 14 | 14 | 12–2 | 328 | 483 | 67.9 | 4,721 | 9.8 | 50 | 8 | 180.8 | 42 | 47 | 1.1 | 5 |
| 2009 | Oklahoma | 3 | 3 | 1–2 | 39 | 69 | 56.5 | 562 | 8.1 | 2 | 0 | 134.5 | 4 | −18 | -4.5 | 0 |
| Career | 31 | 31 | 24–7 | 604 | 893 | 67.6 | 8,403 | 9.4 | 88 | 16 | 175.6 | 77 | 36 | 0.5 | 5 | |
Although he likely would have been one of the first quarterbacks taken in the 2009 NFL Draft, Bradford decided to return to Oklahoma for his junior season in January 2009.[61] Shortly after the 2009 draft, he was projected as the No. 1 prospect for the 2010 NFL Draft.[62] On October 25, 2009, Bradford announced he would forgo his final year at Oklahoma and enter the draft.[63] Commonly considered one of the top prospects available, Bradford was projected as high as the No. 1 overall pick for most of thepreseason and the early part of theregular season.[64][62][65]
Because of his shoulder injury, Bradford did not throw at the 2010NFL Combine, however he was measured and participated in interviews and medical examinations. He was measured at 6 ft4+1⁄4 in (1.937 m) and 236 lb (107 kg), about 15 lb (6.8 kg) above his college playing weight.[66] Bradford scored 36 out of 50 on theWonderlic test, well above the average of 28.5 for the 30 NFL quarterbacks slated to start in 2010.[67]
On March 19, Bradford met with theSt. Louis Rams, who held the first overall pick, general managerBilly Devaney andoffensive coordinatorPat Shurmur inPensacola, Florida, where he had been training andrehabbing since undergoing surgery on his throwing shoulder.[68]
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 Sam Bradford at the NFL Combine | |
| Bradford gets drafted by St. Louis |
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | Wonderlic | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft4+1⁄4 in (1.94 m) | 236 lb (107 kg) | 34+3⁄8 in (0.87 m) | 9+1⁄2 in (0.24 m) | 4.70 s | 36 | |||||||
| All values fromNFL Combine[69][70] | ||||||||||||
In early spring, Bradford met with Thom Goudy, a professional development coach in St. Louis, Missouri. Goudy helped Bradford with his pocket technique. Bradford spent three weeks in his training camp before starting the summer conditioning camp. On April 22, 2010, Bradford was selected by the St. Louis Rams as thefirst overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft.[71] It was the first time the Rams selected a quarterback in the first round of a draft since the selection ofBill Munson in the1964 NFL draft. Bradford was the first No. 1 pick out of Oklahoma sinceBilly Sims was selected first overall by theDetroit Lions in the1980 NFL draft.[72] Bradford chose the #8 in honor toTroy Aikman who also attended Oklahoma before transferring to UCLA.[73] On July 30, 2010, Bradford signed a six-year, $78 million deal, which had $50 million of guarantees and a maximum value of $86 million which made it the largest contract ever for an NFL rookie.[74][75]
In the preseason opener against theMinnesota Vikings on August 14, Bradford went 6-of-13 for 57 yards and was also sacked 3 times in a Rams loss.[76] After another unimpressive showing against the Browns in his second game, Bradford had a better performance against the Patriots in the third game of the preseason. He got his first start in place of the injuredA. J. Feeley, throwing two first half touchdowns and helping lead the Rams to a 36–35 victory.[77]
He competed for the starting quarterback position with Feeley and on September 4, Bradford was named the starting quarterback for the 2010 season opener.[78] On September 12, 2010, in his first regular season game as the starting quarterback for the Rams, Bradford completed 32 of 55 passes for 253 yards, 1 touchdown and 3 interceptions in a 17–13 loss to theArizona Cardinals. His first NFL touchdown came on a 1-yard pass toLaurent Robinson.[79] Two weeks later, he then achieved his first victory as an NFL starter when the Rams defeated theWashington Redskins in an upset by a score of 30–16, which snapped a 13-game overall home losing streak.[80] The next week, he passed for 289 yards and two touchdowns in leading the Rams over the Seahawks, 20–3. This was their first win in a division game since November 2007.[81]
In Week 8 against theCarolina Panthers, Bradford completed 25 of 32 passes, two of them for touchdowns.[82] In his first eight games, he scored eleven touchdowns, which tied an NFL record—held byDan Marino (1983),Peyton Manning (1998), andBen Roethlisberger (2004)—for over that span by a rookie since theAFL–NFL merger in 1970.[83] Bradford went 3–2 as a starter in October, passing for 1,019 yards and 7 touchdowns against 3 interceptions. He was named the NFL's offensive rookie of the month.[84]
During October and November, he established a record for most consecutive passes without an interception for a rookie (169), which ended with an interception byWilliam Moore in a home game against theAtlanta Falcons on November 21.[85] On November 28, 2010, against theDenver Broncos, Bradford became the first rookie in NFL history to pass for at least 300 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions during a road victory.[86] He capped November by becoming the first rookie quarterback to win two consecutive Offensive Rookie of the Month awards.[87]
On December 26, Bradford surpassedPeyton Manning's record for most completed passes by an NFL rookie quarterback (326). Bradford finished the season with 354 completions out of 590 attempts, surpassing Manning's record of 575 for most attempts by an NFL rookie quarterback. Bradford became just the third rookie quarterback to start all 16 regular season games and pass over 3,000 passing yards, joining Peyton Manning andMatt Ryan.[88][89][90] He was named to thePFWA All-Rookie Team, becoming the fourth Rams quarterback to claim this award, joiningDieter Brock (1985),Jim Everett (1986), andTony Banks.[91]
Coming into the 2011 season, expectations were high for the St. Louis Rams and Bradford. After going 4–0 in the preseason, it appeared as if they would be fulfilled, but once the regular season happened injuries ravaged the roster. A high ankle sprain bothered Bradford for the majority of the year and he finished with 2,164 passing yards, six touchdowns, and six interceptions. The team went 1–9 in games he appeared in and had a 2–14 record overall.[92][93]
During the off-season, there was much speculation that the Rams would select Heisman Trophy winner and formerBaylor quarterbackRobert Griffin III.[94] But new head coachJeff Fisher instilled hope that Bradford was still the Rams franchise quarterback, solidifying this hope when the Rams later reached a deal with the Washington Redskins for the 2nd overall selection in the2012 NFL draft.[95]
The Rams were not expected to make much of a leap following their dismal campaign the year before, but behind strong play by Bradford and rookies stepping up to the challenge, the Rams finished 7–8–1.[96] In Week 2, against the Washington Redskins, he finished with 310 passing yards, three touchdowns, and one interception in the 31–28 victory.[97] In Week 15, against the Minnesota Vikings, he had 377 passing yards, three touchdowns, and one interception in the 36–22 loss.[98] Bradford finished the season with career best numbers: 3,702 passing yards, 21 touchdowns compared to 13 interceptions and an 82.6 passer rating to go along with 59.5 completion percentage.[99]
After adding players in the offseason including offensive tackleJake Long, tight endJared Cook, receiverTavon Austin, and linebackerAlec Ogletree, some analysts expected the Rams and Bradford to excel in 2013.[100][101] However, other analysts believed that they would finish with a record close to .500.[102][103] The season started off on a positive note with a 27–24 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.[104] In the game, Bradford had 299 passing yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. In the next game against the Atlanta Falcons, he had 352 passing yards, three touchdowns, and one interception as the Rams fell 31–24.[105] After two losses to the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers, he had 222 passing yards and three touchdowns in a 34–20 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.[106] For the second straight game, he threw for three touchdowns in a 38–13 victory over the Houston Texans.[107] However, during the Rams' Week 7 game against theCarolina Panthers, Bradford tore his leftACL on a run out of bounds after a hit from safetyMike Mitchell, ending his season.[108] On the 2013 season, Bradford passed for 1,687 yards and 14 touchdowns to 4 interceptions and 90.9 passer rating.[109] The Rams missed the playoffs with a 7–9 record.[110]
Bradford suffered an injury to the same ACL after being sacked during a preseason game against the Cleveland Browns and missed the entire 2014 season.[111]
On March 10, 2015, Bradford was traded to thePhiladelphia Eagles along with a 2015 fifth-round pick, in exchange forNick Foles, a 2015 fourth-round pick, and a 2016 second-round pick.[112][113][114] In his first game as a Philadelphia Eagle, Bradford completed 36 out of 52 passes for a touchdown and two interceptions in a season opening 26–24 loss to theAtlanta Falcons.[115] In Week 4, he threw three touchdowns with zero interceptions, and although his completion percentage was lower than 55% in both games, he still mustered a 122.6 passer rating in a loss to the Redskins, his only passer rating above 90 for the season.[116] In Week 6, he threw three interceptions, but the Eagles still gained a 27–7 win over the New York Giants to move Philadelphia to 3–3 and first place in the NFC East, mainly thanks to the defense and run game.[117] Bradford had his worst game by far in a loss against the Panthers, where he completed only 56.5% of his passes with zero touchdowns, one interception, and a quarterback rating of 58.7.[118] Against theMiami Dolphins on November 15, Bradford suffered a left shoulder injury as well as a concussion, which would keep him out of the next two games againstTampa Bay and a Thanksgiving Day game againstDetroit.[119] In his first season, Bradford would go 7–7 as a starter and his play began to improve after Week 9 against theDallas Cowboys.[120] Before Week 9, Bradford had been playing poorly through his first seven games, but Eagles coachChip Kelly would not bench him, and during Week 9, Bradford threw a game-winning touchdown in overtime toJordan Matthews.[121] In Week 13, Bradford led the Eagles to a 35–28 upset over theNew England Patriots.[122] In Week 15, Bradford threw for 361 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions in a 40–17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.[123] In Week 16, he threw for 380 yards and a touchdown in a 38–24 loss to the Washington Redskins.[124] In the regular season finale against the New York Giants, he threw for 320 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in the 35–30 victory.[125] The Eagles finished with a 7–9 record and missed the playoffs.[126]
On March 1, 2016, Bradford signed a 2-year, $36 million ($26 million guaranteed) contract extension with the Eagles. However, the Eagles traded with theCleveland Browns for the number two pick in the2016 NFL draft, in order to draft a new quarterback. This led to speculation that Bradford would be traded or used as a stopgap whileChase Daniel educated the newly drafted quarterback in new head coachDoug Pederson's offensive scheme. On April 25, 2016, it was reported that Bradford wanted to be traded and that he would no longer attend the team's off-season activities.[127] The Eagles selected quarterbackCarson Wentz with the second overall pick in the 2016 draft on April 28. Bradford returned to the team in May 2016.[128]
On September 3, 2016, following his appearance in the Eagles' preseason games, Bradford was traded to the Minnesota Vikings for a first-round pick in the2017 NFL draft (later used to selectDerek Barnett) and a conditional fourth-round pick in the2018 NFL draft.[129][130] The trade was made after Vikings quarterbackTeddy Bridgewater suffered a season-ending ACL tear during team practice on August 30, 2016.[131]
Fifteen days after being traded, Bradford made his first start for the Vikings in Week 2 against theGreen Bay Packers, despite not having much time to learn the offense. Bradford ended up hurting his left hand in the first half due to a hit byClay Matthews. Bradford finished the game completing 22 of 31 passes for 286 yards and two touchdowns, helping lead the Vikings to their first win in theirnew stadium.[132] His first touchdown as a Viking came in the second quarter on an eight-yard pass to tight endKyle Rudolph in the back of the end zone, while the second touchdown of the night was a 25-yarder toStefon Diggs late in the third quarter that gave the Vikings a 17–7 lead. The connection between both players resulted in 182 yards on 9 catches for Diggs, a career-high for him.[133] Bradford received high praise from the media, with many calling it one of the best games of his career.[134] The following week, Bradford threw for 171 yards and one touchdown in a 22–10 win against the Carolina Panthers, thanks to a strong Vikings' defense that sackedCam Newton eight times and intercepted him three times.[135] In the Vikings' win over theNew York Giants in Week 4, Bradford threw a touchdown pass and did not throw an interception for the third straight game. The only other Vikings player to do that in each of his first three games of a season wasRandall Cunningham in 1998.[136] With both starting tackles and Stefon Diggs (Vikings' leading receiver) out for a Week 5 game against theHouston Texans, Bradford delivered another strong performance, completing 22 of 30 passes for 271 yards, two touchdowns and, for the fourth straight start, not a single interception. In the opening drive, he connected withAdam Thielen on a 36-yard touchdown strike.[137] During the first quarter of a Week 9 game against the Detroit Lions, Bradford achieved the statistical oddity of completing a pass to himself.[138] His throw was batted into the air by Lions defensive tackleTyrunn Walker, but Bradford caught the ball and ran towards the sideline, gaining five yards.[139]
During a three-game losing streak, Bradford threw only three touchdowns and an interception with 725 yards and a 66% completion percentage, poor in comparison with the previous four games, in which he threw for 990 yards, six touchdowns, no interceptions, and had a 70% completion percentage. The Vikings would finish the season with an 8–8 record.[140]
Bradford started 15 games in 2016, completing 395 of 552 passes for 3,877 yards and 20 touchdowns with five interceptions.[141] His 71.6 completion percentage set a single season NFL record, passingDrew Brees's 2011 mark of 71.2.[142] Brees later finished the 2017 season with a 72.0 completion percentage, retaking the record. Bradford's 395 completions set a franchise record for completions in a season.[143]
In Week 1, Bradford completed 27 of 32 pass attempts for 346 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 29–19 win over theNew Orleans Saints, earning him his first NFC Offensive Player of the Week award.[144] He was inactive for the Week 2 game against thePittsburgh Steelers, the first of three games missed due to a knee injury.[145] In Week 5, Bradford made his second and final start of the season, going 5-for-11 for 36 yards before being relieved byCase Keenum late in the second quarter of a 20-17 Vikings victory over theChicago Bears. One day later, on October 10, it was revealed that Bradford was diagnosed with wear and tear on his knee after two previous ACL surgeries.[146] On November 7, Bradford underwent a knee scope, putting his season in jeopardy.[147] He was placed oninjured reserve the next day, ending his season.[148] On January 13, 2018, Bradford was activated off injured reserve to the active roster for the Divisional Round of the playoffs against the New Orleans Saints.Case Keenum, who had gone 10–1 as the Vikings' quarterback since relieving Bradford a second time, remained the starter for the postseason. Bradford did not see action in either of Minnesota's two playoff games.[149]
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On March 16, 2018, Bradford signed a two-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals worth up to $20 million the first year with $15 million guaranteed with a potential out after 2018.[150] Bradford wore number 9 with the Cardinals, since the number 8 was retired in honor ofHall of Fame safetyLarry Wilson.[151] After ineffective performances in the first two games, both blowout losses, Bradford was pulled in favor of rookieJosh Rosen in the final moments of a Week 3 loss to theChicago Bears.[152] As the Cardinals decided to keep Rosen as their starting quarterback, Bradford was inactive for the next five weeks before ultimately being released on November 3, 2018.[153]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | Sacks | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Sck | Yds | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2010 | STL | 16 | 16 | 7–9 | 354 | 590 | 60.0 | 3,512 | 6.0 | 18 | 15 | 76.5 | 27 | 63 | 2.3 | 1 | 34 | 244 | 7 | 2 |
| 2011 | STL | 10 | 10 | 1–9 | 191 | 357 | 53.5 | 2,164 | 6.1 | 6 | 6 | 70.5 | 18 | 26 | 1.4 | 0 | 36 | 248 | 10 | 7 |
| 2012 | STL | 16 | 16 | 7–8–1 | 328 | 551 | 59.5 | 3,702 | 6.7 | 21 | 13 | 82.6 | 36 | 124 | 3.4 | 1 | 35 | 233 | 7 | 1 |
| 2013 | STL | 7 | 7 | 3–4 | 159 | 262 | 60.7 | 1,687 | 6.4 | 14 | 4 | 90.9 | 15 | 31 | 2.1 | 0 | 15 | 97 | 3 | 1 |
| 2014 | STL | 0 | 0 | — | Did not play due to injury | |||||||||||||||
| 2015 | PHI | 14 | 14 | 7–7 | 346 | 532 | 65.0 | 3,725 | 7.0 | 19 | 14 | 86.4 | 26 | 39 | 1.5 | 0 | 28 | 200 | 10 | 3 |
| 2016 | MIN | 15 | 15 | 7–8 | 395 | 552 | 71.6 | 3,877 | 7.0 | 20 | 5 | 99.3 | 20 | 53 | 2.7 | 0 | 37 | 276 | 10 | 5 |
| 2017 | MIN | 2 | 2 | 2–0 | 32 | 43 | 74.4 | 382 | 8.9 | 3 | 0 | 124.4 | 2 | −3 | −1.5 | 0 | 5 | 40 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | ARI | 3 | 3 | 0–3 | 50 | 80 | 62.5 | 400 | 5.0 | 2 | 4 | 62.5 | 2 | 7 | 3.5 | 0 | 6 | 33 | 3 | 2 |
| Career | 83 | 83 | 34–48–1 | 1,855 | 2,967 | 62.5 | 19,449 | 6.6 | 103 | 61 | 84.5 | 146 | 340 | 2.3 | 2 | 196 | 1,371 | 50 | 21 | |
Bradford is a citizen of theCherokee Nation, tracing his lineage via the federal government'sDawes Rolls.[155][156] Bradford was the first member of the Cherokee Nation to start at quarterback for aDivision I university sinceSonny Sixkiller, who played for theUniversity of Washington during the 1970–1972 seasons.[157] On April 28, 2023, he was inducted into the American Indian Athletic Hall of Fame at the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.[158] His father, Kent Bradford, was anoffensive lineman for the Sooners from 1977 to 1978.[159]
Bradford is an avid ice hockey fan. His favorite team is theVancouver Canucks.[160] Bradford is ascratch golfer and was also a basketball player in high school.[161]
Bradford, aChristian, appeared in a short film of video testimonials from celebrities calledI Am Second, sharing his faith about Christianity and winning the Heisman Trophy.[162] In 2009, Oklahoma City mayorMick Cornett declared January 13 as "Sam Bradford Day" in Oklahoma City.[163]
Bradford got engaged to his future wife, Emma Lavy, in March 2016.[164] The couple married on July 15, 2016.[165]
