Eagles’ Independent Study Calculates Bradford’s Chance of Re-Injury

It’ll be a case of “third time’s the charm” for Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford as he enters the 2015 season. After suffering season-ending ACL injuries in 2013 and 2014, the former number one overall draft pick was offered a lifeline by the opportunistic Eagles, but not without Philly having a contingency plan in place.

Part of that preparation comes in the form of an independent study, which has calculated Bradford’s chances of re-injuring his ACL at 10-12%.

Few details have been divulged regarding the research, and how it managed to spit out such a specific figure. All that is known is that the franchise looked at cases of ACL injuries in professional athletes generally, meaning there could well be some variation when it comes to a sport as physical and demanding as football.

At any rate, a one-in-ten chance of seeing your starting quarterback go down may feel a little too close to comfort for some, but Bradford remains optimistic.

“If I’m not ready for eleven-on-eleven by training camp, then something has gone horribly wrong,” he promised. “That’s the plan right now. We’re going to keep plugging away and be ready when camp starts.”

“So that’s an 88-90% chance that [the return is] going to be successful,” added head coach Chip Kelly, ever the optimist.

Pending any unforeseen setbacks, Bradford remains the projected starter for an Eagles team yet to truly peak under Kelly.

After a whirlwind offseason that saw the team acquire Tim Tebow to compete with Mark Sanchez and Matt Barkley, while shipping former starter Nick Foles to the St. Louis Rams, the stage could be set for a juicy training camp battle if Bradford can’t shake off the cobwebs in time.