Jeff Fisher says he is betting on Sam Bradford in 2015, as long as the knee brace comes off.
NFL.com reported that Fisher, the St. Louis Rams coach, said initially that he was taken aback by reports that Bradford, the Rams' starting quarterback who has missed the last season and a half with back-to-back torn ACL injuries, had been given permission to seek a trade.
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Then, Fisher was asked whether the Rams would handle Bradford's offseason and training camp differently after sustaining the season-ending injury twice.
Fisher even suggested that Bradford get rid of the protective brace on the knee.
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"No. Can't. You can't (worry)," Fisher said. "You just go play. That's it. It was an unusually, unfortunate, very disappointing deal that we could not predict. You can't go out there worried about the next injury. When he's cleared, and goes, he goes. They even take the brace off. He [tore his ACL] twice with the brace on, so take the brace off."
The Rams likely are willing to try anything to keep Bradford on the field in 2015. Fisher told NFL.com that the team is 5-2-1 in division games the past three seasons in which Bradford has started. Even playing in the toughest division in the NFL - the NFC West - the Rams have reason to believe that they can compete if they have stability at quarterback.
The bigger question for the Rams is their contingency plan if Bradford cannot make it through another season. When asked about the team's Plan B this season if Bradford is injured, Fisher was stumped.
"I don't know what that looks like right now. We'll let you know," he said. "It could be a veteran, it could be a draft choice, it could be a combination of that. It could be Austin [Davis], it could be Shaun [Hill]."
Which is an interesting answer, considering Fisher's response to Bradford's availability.
"We're counting on him, I'm betting on him, and if that doesn't happen, then we'll win games with someone else."
Do you consider the St. Louis Rams a playoff contender with a healthy Sam Bradford at quarterback? Comment below or tell us @SportsWN.
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