Rams quarterback Sam Bradford remains under contract through 2015. But the Rams want to re-do his contract now.
And the Rams aren’t bashful about making it known.
Before Thursday night’s game against the 49ers, Rams president Kevin Demoff told NFL Network that the team has decided that Bradford will be the team’s long-term answer at the quarterback position, and that the Rams would do a contract extension right now.
Per a source with knowledge of the situation, there have been no talks between the Rams and Bradford’s camp — and there likely won’t be until the 2014 offseason, at the earliest.
With three years left on his contract, Bradford has no reason for now to rip up the balance of his deal. The Rams have every reason to try to reduce cap numbers of $17.6 million in 2014 and $16.5 million in 2015.
After 2013, the question becomes whether Bradford, the last No. 1 overall pick before the arrival of the rookie wage scale, is willing to do a team-friendly deal that would give him another large chunk of guaranteed money. If he decides to play out his rookie contract with non-guaranteed salaries in 2014 and 2015, the starting point for 2016 would be a franchise tag of $19.8 million.
That strategy keeps the risk of injury and ineffectiveness on Bradford, who has been looking fairly ineffective on Thursday night against the 49ers.