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It was reported yesterday by Adam Schefter at ESPN that St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford was expected to start this week against the Dallas Cowboys. Today, another of ESPN's leading NFL reporters contradicts that news. John Clayton reported earlier that the Rams are expected to start backup QB A.J. Feeley.
@ClaytonESPN
John Clayton As much as Sam Bradford is preparing Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, he's facing an uphill battle to play. Expect A.J. Feeley to start
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Clayton's report echoes the extremely cautious and non-committal tone sounded by Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo yesterday after Bradford sat out practice. High ankle sprains are a tricky injury to deal with. The hope was that Bradford could play through the pain since his injury was to his left leg, rather than the right leg he plants with when throwing the ball.
If Bradford does miss this week's game, it would be the first time in his young NFL career he has missed a start.
Keep an eye on the situation. The Rams have two more days of practice until the game. Another thing to watch for is whether or not they activate practice squad QB Tom Brandstater. If Bradford cannot play, they'd need a second quarterback ready to go given that a relatively porous offensive line is facing DeMarcus Ware.