Skip to content
Eagles
Link copied to clipboard

Bradford cleared, back at practice

Sam Bradford returned to practice Monday morning after completing concussion protocol and being cleared by an independent neurologist.

Quarterback Sam Bradford returned to practice Monday morning after completing concussion protocol and being cleared by an independent neurologist.

He participated in individual passing drills at the beginning of practice, and there was no indication that his sprained left shoulder was giving him any problems.

Before practice, Kelly wouldn't say whether Bradford will start Thursday against Detroit. In fact, he wouldn't even confirm that Bradford was going to practice.

"We'll see what happens when he goes out on the field,'' Kelly said. "I'm done with (giving injury) updates. You guys can see him on the field and get (the information) then. I gave you guys an update last week (on Jason Peters). I was wrong. So I don't want to be wrong again.''

Asked how the head coach of the team could really not know whether his starting quarterback was going to practice, he said, "We'll see what he can do.''

Given Mark Sanchez's three-interception performance in Sunday's ugly loss to Tampa Bay, it would seem likely that Bradford will start Thursday against the Lions.

--Linebacker Kiko Alonso on Sunday played 54 snaps, two less than Mychal Kendricks but 13 more than DeMeco Ryans. "That's the rotation we have at the inside linebacker spot right now,'' he said. Asked if Alonso's knee was still bothering him, Kelly said, "We're still bringing him along in terms of him progressing. Same thing with DeMeco, too. I don't think DeMeco (hamstring) could play a full game right now.''

--Kelly indicated that he removed left tackle Jason Peters from the game in the second half Sunday because Peters told him he was hurt. "I'm not going to make a player go play if he tells me he's hurt,'' Kelly said. Peters missed the previous two games because of a back injury. Neither Peters nor Kelly has given any indication that he won't be able to play Thursday against the Lions.

--Despite the horrible performance by the defense against the Bucs, Kelly said his confidence in defensive coordinator Bill Davis is as strong as ever. "I have tremendous confidence in Billy Davis,'' he said. "I think he's a helluva football coach.''

--Wide receiver Josh Huff had a touchdown catch for the second straight week, scoring on a 39-yard catch-and-run on the Eagles' first possession. But he ended up playing just 17 offensive snaps, while Miles Austin played 31 and Nelson Agholor played 54. Austin didn't have any catches. Agholor had three catches for 11 yards. "It was just kind of how things expressed themselves during the game,'' Kelly said. "They played a lot of Cover 2 against us, so they had guys up in the face of our outside receivers. Two safeties high over the top. So obviously you're going to work the ball inside a little more against that coverage.'' He said the Bucs were playing man coverage on Huff's touchdown catch, but didn't play much man after that. "To make a concerted effort to throw the ball to an outside receiver in Cover 2 is not very smart,'' Kelly said.