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EDIT: And, per ESPN's Chris Mortensen. . .
Rams QB Sam Bradford is out for season after MRI shows he did tear left knee ACL, per sources. Rams will announce later today. @ESPNNFL
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) August 24, 2014
Tough break for Bradford and the Rams. Best of luck to him in his recovery. Original story follows below.
It's never too early to start looking ahead to Week 1 of the 2014 regular season, when the Minnesota Vikings will take the field against the St. Louis Rams at the Edward Jones Dome. And, according to our friends over at Turf Show Times, the Rams could be dealing with a pretty major issue.
In their 33-14 victory over the Cleveland Browns in their third pre-season game, Rams' quarterback Sam Bradford. . .who tore the ACL in his left knee last season. . .took a hit and appeared to injure the same knee again. Bradford was able to get up and walk off the field under his own power, and many thought that would be that.
However, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, it may not be.
Despite Rams QB Sam Bradford thinking his ACL was intact from initial testing, there is real concern that it is not and it could be torn.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 24, 2014
The Rams' issue is made slightly worse by the fact that Kellen Clemens, who started the final nine games for the Rams last year after Bradford's injury, is now with the San Diego Chargers. The primary backup for the Rams at the present time is veteran Shaun Hill, who has spent the last four seasons in Detroit. Behind him are two undrafted free agents, Austin Davis (Class of 2012) and Garrett Gilbert (Class of 2014), who have combined to throw as many regular season NFL passes as you and I have combined to throw.
The 2014 season is a big one for Bradford, who is in the final year of the huge rookie contract he signed in 2010 as the #1 overall pick. He was the 2010 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, and set NFL records for most consecutive passes by a rookie without an interception and completions by a rookie, but has been viewed as a bit of a disappointment overall.
Here's hoping that the news that the Rams get on Sam Bradford is positive, both for him and for the team as a whole. With what looks to be a hellacious pass rush, they have a shot to be a pretty good team if they can get some offensive production. If Bradford is out for any length of time, however, it would make the sledding significantly tougher.