Terrell Suggs' Hit on Sam Bradford Forces Reaction from NFL, Eagles Teammates

Terrell Suggs isn't going to take it easy on Sam Bradford just because it's the preseason. The Baltimore Ravens linebacker hit the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback a little low during Saturday night's preseason game, drawing the ire of some Eagles players.

John V. Smith of the Philadelphia Inquirer provided a great look at the moment of impact:

Suggs earned a 15-yard personal-foul penalty for the hit. However, "'It's not a foul by rule,' NFL vice president of officiating Dean Blandino said Monday morning during an interview with NFL Network," per ESPN's Jamison Hensley, who provided more from Blandino:

"

We clarified it in 2012 with the proliferation of these read-option schemes. Because the quarterback has an option, he's considered a runner until he either clearly doesn't have the football or he re-establishes himself as a passer.

It's something that we'll make sure we'll cover with our game officials. Because the defensive end coming off the edge, he doesn't know if the quarterback is going to keep it; he doesn't [know] if he's going to take off and run or drop back. So, we treat the quarterback in that instance as a runner until he clearly re-establishes as a passer or he clearly doesn't have the football.

We'll clarify that and make sure everybody is on the same page.

"

Eagles left tackle Jason Peters argued the hit following the game, per ESPN.com's Phil Sheridan:

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He was trying to take a cheap shot at the quarterback. I'm pretty sure he planned it. I mean, we've practiced against them all week, so he was probably thinking about it. I really don't know him personally. He talks a lot and I think he's that type of player -- who is dirty and will take shots on the quarterback.

"

The threat of a knee injury is particularly acute for Bradford. A year ago almost to the day, he suffered a season-ending torn ACL in preseason. He also tore his ACL midway through the 2013 season.

Seeing Bradford hit around the knee wasn't a pleasant sight for Eagles fans.

Another Philadelphia offensive lineman, Jason Kelce, had a different take on the situation.

Kelce countered, per Sheridan:

"

That's something they're probably coached to do and something he's told to do on the read-option. It's not particularly dirty for him to hit the quarterback. I just thought it was just a little weird that he went right at the knee area. I don't think, looking back on it, that it was anything malicious. I think he's just playing the game.

"

According to Suggs, he didn't even give Bradford the full force of a normal tackle, per NFL Network's Andrew Siciliano:

"When you run the read-option, you got to know the rules," Suggs added, per Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ Advance Media. "Now if you want to run a read-option with your starting quarterback that has two knee surgeries, that's on you."

NFL Network's Albert Breer sided with Suggs:

You can certainly understand both sides in this affair.

Since it's only the preseason, lunging at a quarterback's knees may not be the best course of action for all parties, especially for a player like Suggs. It's not like he has anything to prove by making that tackle.

Then again, the quarterback is fair game if he's going to be a part of a read-option scheme.

Given Bradford's past knee problems, you wonder how much more Chip Kelly will put him in designed running plays going forward.