Sam Bradford: 'Some Disagree With Chip Kelly's Ways, But I Enjoyed It'
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Chip Kelly was 26-21 in three years as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, including a division championship in year one.
However, after acquiring personnel control and making contentious roster moves last offseason -- including trading quarterback Nick Foles and a second-round pick for the injury-laden Sam Bradford, Kelly's Eagles under-achieved in 2015.
Kelly was hastily fired.
"I really enjoyed it," Bradford told Angelo Cataldi and the 94WIP Morning Show on Friday, when asked about playing for Kelly. "He's one of those guys -- he's an outside the box thinker. Obviously what he does, the things he does, they're not perceived as normal or what people are used to. But, I think that I learned a lot from him in the way that he approaches the game, the way that he sees things. Obviously, I don't think there's a lot of people that probably see things the way that he does. Obviously, there's some people that disagree with the way that he goes about his business, but I enjoyed it.
Listen: Sam Bradford on the 94WIP Morning Show
"Obviously, I think it caught us all by surprise when Chip got let go the last week of the year," Bradford said. "And like I said, I had a great relationship with him. He took a chance on me and gave me another opportunity after my injures, so I'll forever be grateful to him."
Kelly's polarizing fast-paced offense finished 2nd (417.3), 5th (368.8), and 12th (364.4) in total yards per game, respectively, from 2013-2015. Some say the league has caught up to Kelly's "gimmicky" offense, while others attribute last year's offensive decline to the change in quarterback -- a player who was recovering from back-to-back knee surgeries while learning this new offense.
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"When I first got here, I still wasn't sure when I was going to be able to throw and when I was going to be able to get on the field," Bradford explained. "And so, it was a little frustrating on my end trying to learn a new offense, but not being able to truly be a part of the offseason program or OTAs. I think that makes it, in turn, a little bit harder to kind of fit in with everyone."
Like Mark Sanchez and Foles, Bradford had a career-year under Kelly setting career-highs with 3,725 passing yards and a 65.0 completion percentage earning himself a new two-year $36 million contract in Philadelphia. Bradford's numbers came despite an in-season shoulder injury costing him nine-quarters and a slow rehabbed-hindered start to the year.
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"It does take a little while to get used to the pace," Bradford said of Kelly's offense. "I think that was kind of one of the things that I had to learn last year. Coming from St. Louis, in a more huddled based offense, you kind of have time to think about the next play, the play call. You hear it in your helmet, then you call it to the guys, then you go to the line. So you have time to process things you've talked about during the week.
"But when you go fast, that process just has to speed up. You almost have to just think one step ahead of the game so you're not behind and I think it took me awhile to really realize that."
Kelly now begins a new chapter with the San Francisco 49ers, while Bradford begins one under Doug Pederson.
