by DAVID UBBEN, Staff Writer
dubben@opubco.com , The Oklahoman

When the reigning Heisman Trophy winner suffered a sprain in his throwing shoulder in this season's opening loss to Brigham Young, he then had to decide when he was comfortable returning to the field.

After aggravating the same injury Saturday against Texas, he might have to decide both for the second time. Will he return for the 2010 season? Will he even play again this season?

What the junior can't decide is what his future bosses, in the NFL, think of him.

"The negativity will build. It already has," said Todd McShay, an NFL Draft analyst for ESPN. "Since last season, there hasn't been anything positive from him, and the concerns will grow as we get closer to the draft."

Bradford has two options if he wants to squash those negative vibes: work to get back on the field this season and risk injuring the shoulder a third time. Or, he can have surgery and return to Norman for his senior season.

Otherwise, Bradford will enter next April's draft with a heap of question marks that general managers can't answer.

Depending on when - or if - Bradford has surgery, NFL teams might not get to see him work out before the draft. That would cause an almost-imminent fall down the draft boards.

Surgery recovery time is estimated at four months. The NFL Draft Combine is Feb. 24-March 2.

If Bradford fails to attend the Combine, he could attract a horde of scouts at a Pro Day in Norman, which is held after the Combine. But that would mean having immediate surgery.

"He should be focused on one thing: getting healthy and getting back on the field," McShay said. "If the doctors tell him to shut it down, then the question is whether he should stay or go."

"If I were him, I would stay another year, as crazy as it sounds."

If Bradford turns pro, he might face a drop on the draft board. That might lead to a $10 million to $20 million pay cut.

"He'd go from Mark Sanchez money to Josh Freeman money, basically," said Daniel Mogollon, president of NFL Draft Bible, a Web site devoted to covering the draft.

Two weeks ago, Bradford dismissed the idea that money was his primary concern, though the former Putnam City North standout will eventually become a wealthy man.

A slip to the late first round might give him the opportunity to earn a Super Bowl ring sooner by being drafted by a team closer to contention than, say, the Detroit Lions. Former Georgia QB Matt Stafford has a $41.7 million guaranteed contract with the Lions, but the rookie appears far from leading Detroit to a Super Bowl.

"Sam Bradford never got to hand off to Adrian Peterson as a Sooner, but he might do it as a Viking," Mogollon said. "That'd be a great scenario for him as a rookie. Great running game, great offensive line, great defense."

And if Brett Favre decided to stay in Minneapolis one more season, Bradford could soak up the future Hall of Famer's knowledge for a season without the pressure of becoming the savior of a franchise.

"If he could go somewhere where the pressure is off of playing right away and adjust to the new system, it could end up helping him," McShay said. "He's coming off a year where he won't play much, and coming from a system that, quite frankly, hasn't sent a lot of quarterbacks to the NFL."

No Oklahoma quarterback has ever started a game in the NFL.

McShay says Bradford's injury has made several NFL teams doubt how good he would be as a pro player. Bradford played a lot of "clean football " as a sophomore as current NFL linemen Phil Loadholt (Minnesota) and Duke Robinson (Carolina) provided ample protection.

"There are a lot of quarterbacks that can be great behind the offensive line he had last year," McShay said. "This year, with (tight end Jermaine) Gresham out, fewer playmaking receivers and an offensive line that's had some issues, we get a sense of who the real Sam Bradford is. What he's playing with now is more like what he'd be playing with in the NFL."

For now, the only way Bradford can silence the increasing criticism about his future is by playing.

"He needs to listen to doctors and do what they tell him is better for him in the long term," McShay said. "I, personally, would try to play if I could play this year.

"If surgery is the better option, then I'd have surgery as soon as possible. But if that's what he has to do, then I think the smart move would be to come back next year."

Sam Bradford in 2009:

→Sept. 5 vs. Brigham Young: 10-of-14, 96 yards, TD

→Oct. 10 vs. Baylor: 27-of-49, 389 yards, TD

→Oct. 17 vs. Texas: 2-of-7, 77 yards

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