St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford watched his team practice on Thursday from the sidelines wearing a walking boot, according to Jim Thomas of the Post Dispatch. Bradford is still dealing with a high ankle sprain that got worse after his Monday night start in Seattle. That means the Rams will most certainly have recently acquired quarterback Kellen Clemens starting against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 15.
Bradford's ankle has reportedly gotten worse than when he initially injured it in October. This would be the fourth game missed for Bradford this season, and it might not be the last. There is still no timetable for when he might test the ankle.
Clemens was most recently cast off by the Houston Texans, who preferred Jake Delhomme as the veteran backup for rookie quarterback T.J. Yates, a fifth-round pick this year. Clemens has thrown exactly two passes in the last two seasons. His last start came with the Jets in Week 14, 2009, against Tampa Bay, as he filled in for an injured Mark Sanchez. In that game Clemens completed 12 of 23 attempts for 111 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions.
There's a healthy debate brewing among fans and the media about whether or not the Rams should shut Bradford down for the season. Personally, I go both ways at times. There's that whole thing about not risking further damage, letting him get healthy and regroup during the offseason. On the other hand, the Rams aren't paying him $19 million this season to rest. If he can get healthy again before the end of the season, he should probably be expected to play.
Justin King, Chris Long, James Hall and Mark LeVoir also missed practice today.