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Sam Bradford set to disappoint? Only if he cannot stay healthy

Bradford will be fine as quarterback, but the question of health will always be at the forefront of any conversation about him.

NFL: Arizona Cardinals-OTA Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The expectations, the bar for what Sam Bradford has to do in order to shut the doubters up is pretty low.

All Bradford has to do is stay healthy, but most do not expect that?

Bleacher Report’s Doug Farrar wrote an article listing a player from each team who will disappoint in 2018 and to no surprise, the Arizona Cardinals choice was Sam Bradford:

The Arizona Cardinals signed Bradford to a two-year, $40 million contract with $15 million guaranteed to try to fix their quarterback situation, and if Bradford can stay healthy, he has as good a chance as anyone in the league to make that happen. But it’s just as likely Bradford will have an injury that limits or eliminates his reps, and the Cards will have to put rookie Josh Rosen on the field in his place.

That’s really the overall thought on Bradford.

It is not about the talent of Bradford, it is about his ability to remain healthy for an entire season.

Bradford’s numbers when healthy per game over the last three seasons:

26/37 70% 267 yards 1.4 touchdowns 0.6 interceptions

Which projects over 16 games:

4,272 yards 22 touchdowns 10 interceptions on a 70.2% rate.

Can Bradford put those types of numbers up?

Sure, it is what he would have done each of the last three seasons if he would have ever played 16 games.

Therein lies the rub... He didn’t play in 16 games in any of those seasons and we all know how 2017 went for him.

The question on Bradford has never been about talent, just health.

If that is the gauge to Bradford’s success, then yes, he could disappoint, but how can that be a disappointment if that is what everyone expects to happen?