Sam Bradford Beginning To Make His Mark As Eagles' Leader
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Sam Bradford may finally be settling in on the field. He also appears to be making his mark in the locker room.
Bradford has been more vocal with his teammates as the season continues to progress. Reports of an inspirational pregame speech last Sunday by Bradford have been confirmed by several members of the team. For Bradford, it's all part of the role of a quarterback as he looks to provide inspiration for his teammates.
"We're going into the sixth week of the season," said Bradford. "I don't know how many months it's been. I feel like sometimes people question my leadership just because I'm quiet. They don't see what I do behind the scenes or the relationships I've built with those guys. I'm very comfortable stepping up and saying something."
Zach Ertz has also noticed Bradford's leadership abilities. The tight end agrees that Bradford doesn't have to raise his voice to get his point across and has earned the respect of the locker room.
"He's going to get his point across," Ertz said. "I think that's what you need in a leader. They don't need to be a rah-rah guy every day. When Sam speaks, everybody's going to listen to him."
Chip Kelly also believes Bradford has stepped up his leadership role with the team. However, Kelly thinks it took some time for Bradford to settle in and speak up when he first arrived in Philadelphia.
"I think Sam handled it really well," said Kelly. "Sam was a little bit more quiet in April and May because he wasn't really full-go in terms of what we were doing, but I think as he has gotten more snaps, as he came back to preseason camp and we started rolling here in August, you could start to see him assert himself a little bit more. I think it's a process, but I think it always happens when you have a new group together."
Bradford is also making his point against opponents. After a slow start on Sunday with a pair of interceptions, Bradford finished with 333 yards and two touchdown passes. Bradford knows the Eagles will have to avoid a slow start against the Giants Monday night in what will be a critical NFC East showdown.
"There's been some times this year where it feels like we've gotten into a rhythm in the second half," Bradford said. "Obviously, we're looking to start that in the first half. You take away the turnovers last week, and we started fast. We had 300 yards of offense in the first half, and we can continue to do that."
