But the Eagles scored just three points for the rest of the game, falling by a 20-19 score in a game that could have catapulted Philly into first place in the NFC East. To make matters worse, starting quarterback Sam Bradford left early with what appeared to be a shoulder injury, and was also later revealed to be a concussion as well.

 

There’s still no word on whether Bradford will play next week against Tampa Bay. His x-rays were negative, and he will undergo the NFL’s concussion protocol this week, which will provide more outlook on his playing status for Week 11. Still, it’s doubtful that he suits up, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

 

Chip Kelly’s trade for Bradford was perplexing when it happened; the fact that Bradford is among the league leaders in interceptions and now fighting an injury doesn’t make it look any better at this point. Then again, look what Nick Foles is doing in St. Louis. 

 

To be fair, Bradford played a turnover-free game against the Dolphins. He completed 19 of his 25 passes for 236 yards and a touchdown. He didn’t throw any interceptions. But his biggest problem in St. Louis – staying on the field – came into effect.

 

That forced Mark Sanchez into action, and while Sanchez had his moments in New York and again with the Eagles last season, he showed why he’s a backup. His crucial interception in the red zone cost the Eagles valuable points, and when he was unable to lead the offense past midfield in the closing minutes, it capped off a frustrating game that the Eagles really needed to win.

 

 

Bradford entered Sunday’s contest rated second-last among QBs in ESPN’s QBR statistic. He’s immobile. Too often, he’s skittish in the pocket. He has turned the football over too many times for a quarterback who many hoped would be the franchise signal-caller the Eagles have been longing for.

 

Bradford’s rookie contract with the Rams expires after this season and he becomes a free agent. That makes the final half of the ’15 season even more vital for both Bradford and the Eagles. Bradford has played enough snaps that Philadelphia already loses a 2016 fourth-round pick for him; that, in addition to the second-rounder the organization surrendered to acquire him last spring.

 

Cutting ties with Bradford would be a defeat for Kelly, and there’s no long-term answer waiting at the position. But the Drew Brees comparisons that Kelly likes to make with Bradford seem forced, and despite what Kelly says publicly, there’s no way he’s really satisfied with Bradford as his quarterback.

 

Obviously, Sanchez isn’t the answer either. He threw 11 interceptions in 2014, and tossed a game-losing end zone interception in the final minutes of Sunday’s loss. 

 

Some may argue that Colin Kaepernick or even Robert Griffin III presents an intriguing option for Kelly. But it’s doubtful San Francisco simply releases Kaepernick without trying to obtain some serious draft picks for him, and Kelly can’t keep trading for has-beens from other NFL teams.

 

Griffin will undoubtedly be outright released, but his injury history and recent struggles as a pocket passer likely present too much of a problem for Kelly to hitch his wagon to the RGIII train.

 

Kelly could always try to grab a quarterback in the draft, but it’s likely the Eagles pick in the middle of around 1, and that may be too late to acquire a top-tier talent.

 

So what do the Eagles do? Do they sign Bradford to a mini-extension like the Rams did with Nick Foles? That may put the Eagles strictly in quarterback purgatory, where they’re paying $15 million per season for a quarterback that isn’t even league average. Simply put, Kelly has seven games remaining to figure it out, and it would be a shame if the Kelly era goes down in history as a giant ‘what-if’ due to the fact that he never landed his franchise quarterback.