St. Louis Rams Consider Shutting Down Sam Bradford, Disaster Season Continues

The St. Louis Rams thought they’d turned the corner as a franchise when they picked Sam Bradford with the first pick in the 2010 draft and he quarterbacked them to within one win of the postseason as a rookie last year.

It’s turned out to be something of a cautionary tale, however. The only thing more important than the quarterback’s ability is the quarterback’s health.

Bradford has been dogged by injury issues all season, and the Rams have sunk back to their usual spot near the bottom of the NFC West. So after following up 2009’s one-win season with seven wins last year, St. Louis is the owner of just two victories coming into Sunday

And now the Rams, according to Adam Schefter, are mulling over whether to shut Bradford down for the rest of the season. He’s been scratched for Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, and the final two games of the season are dicey as well.

Bradford has already missed starts in Weeks 6, 7 and 13 and took an exceptionally hard hit early in last Monday’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks. While he managed to limp through the game, the high ankle sprain that has made his mobility more than suspect isn’t getting any better. He’s spent this week having to wear a walking boot.

Beyond Bradford, the Rams don’t have much depth. A.J. Feeley, the backup, is already out with a fractured right thumb. Kellen Clemens, signed just two weeks ago off waivers from the Houston Texans, could get the season’s final three starts.