Before heading to Minnesota, Bradford helped Wentz in Philly
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Carson Wentz owes some of his success to Sam Bradford.
Bradford certainly wasn't thrilled when the Eagles drafted Wentz with the No. 2 overall pick, but he served as a mentor to the rookie throughout the summer until he was traded to Minnesota on Sept. 3.
"When I first got here, it was good to have Sam and Chase (Daniel)," Wentz said Wednesday. "I talked to Sam quite a bit and really wanted to dive deeper into this offense. Sam had some good insight on our offense, and he was in a number of other systems as well. We had good conversations. I really built a good relationship with him and I look forward to playing against him."
Wentz leads the Eagles (3-2) against Bradford and the unbeaten Vikings (5-0) on Sunday in Philadelphia. While much of the focus centers on the quarterbacks, Wentz isn't getting caught up in the hype.
"The Vikings are the next game on the schedule. We're excited for it," Wentz said. "We have had two tough losses where we didn't execute the way we wanted to. We don't put pressure on ourselves, but at the same time, we play with a sense of urgency that we have to be better. We know that, and we will."
Bradford, a former No. 1 overall pick by the Rams, set franchise records in his only season in Philadelphia with 346 completions and a 65 percent completion rate. His 3,725 yards passing in 14 games was the fourth-most in Eagles history. Bradford passed up free agency and signed a two-year, $36 million contract with $22 million guaranteed in March.
Then Philadelphia moved up to get the second pick and selected Wentz. Bradford figured his days with the Eagles were numbered. Still, he thought he'd get one more season.
"I was really excited about the year there," Bradford said. "I felt like I had a really good spring. I felt like I played well in the preseason. I felt like things were really coming together on offense for us. I looked forward to playing this year there and continuing the chemistry we had built last year."
But the Vikings were desperate for a quarterback after losing Teddy Bridgewater to a serious knee injury and they moved quickly to acquire Bradford for a first-round draft pick and a conditional fourth-round.
It's turned out to be a win-win trade for both teams.
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