Report: Sam Bradford will start for Cardinals over Josh Rosen if healthy

The Arizona Cardinals traded up in the NFL Draft to select Josh Rosen, so they obviously feel that the former UCLA star has what it takes to be their quarterback of the future. But in the short-term, it sounds like Sam Bradford has no intention of getting beat out by a rookie.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media spoke about Arizona’s quarterback competition on Wednesday, and he described it as a “competition-ish.” Rapoport cited sources who informed him Bradford has been outstanding in training camp.

Here in Arizona for the last day of Inside Training Camp, one note about the QB battle is clear: Sam Bradford has been accurate and very good. pic.twitter.com/JphVeC2g5J

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 8, 2018

“It’s pretty clear that if he’s healthy, he’s going to be the starting quarterback here,” Rapoport said of Bradford.

Rosen has already showcased his confidence by providing us with arguably the cockiest quote of any player in the draft, but the Cardinals signed Bradford for a reason. While Bradford has dealt with multiple significant knee injuries throughout his career, he has generally been very effective when healthy. His presence allows Arizona to have patience with Rosen, which is exactly what they are planning to do.